Uematsu recently opened up to the Red Bull Music Academy about his life growing up in Shikoku, his musical influences (prepare to be surprised), Final Fantasy, and even the supernatural in a beautiful interview with Nick Dwyer. Here are just a few snippets, you can check out the full interview by following the source link below.
-On his first experience with the supernatural-
The first time I witnessed something supernatural was in elementary school... there was a strange old man next to me, or a strange girl standing at the doorway.... That kind of thing happened to me a lot when was little. The scariest time was when I was sleeping once and was dragged around the room by my legs.
-On musical heroes-
At the start of the ’70s... the popular bands were Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, and other progressive rock outfits. Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Yes, King Crimson, Pink Floyd, Elton John, The Carpenters, Paul McCartney, and Stevie Wonder were some others. I think they all influenced me to a similar extent.
-On using orchestral sound in Final Fantasy VIII-
The first time I was able to have the kind of orchestral music I wanted actually play in the game was from about Final Fantasy VIII. For the opening and ending, I actually got an orchestra and choir involved, and was able to record them live. So, it was from around that time.
-On performing his music live-
When my music is performed at Distant Worlds and such, there are times when I feel it’s great and tear up. But there are a lot of fans sitting around me, so I wipe my tears so nobody catches me.
[source]
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