Joe Hisaishi

Joe Hisaishi (born Mamoru Fujisawa; his professional name translates to "Quincy Jones") is probably the highest-profile Japanese film composer working today, due in no small part to his music for the films of Hayao Miyazaki. He has done numerous other scores, but they are less familiar to people like me with limited knowledge of Japanese cinema. Hisaishi started his career by producing his own albums of electronic and minimalist music, but his scores for Miyazaki are lush and classically melodic. His first score for Miyazaki was for Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, an eclectic composition combining traditional orchestra, '80s electronics for the Ohmu, and an unsettlingly off-key chant for Nausicaa's memories. For Castle in the Sky, Hisaishi wrote an original score for the theatrical release as well an updated score for the American dub, underlining the adventurous beats and majesty of the floating island. He provides gentle charm for Kiki's Delivery Service, melancholy nostalgia for Porco Rosso, and romanticism for Howl's Moving Castle. The bubbling, youthful energy of Ponyo contrasts with the brooding action and bittersweet themes for Princess Mononoke. Hisaishi has a particular gift for writing for piano, often playing the solos himself, as in Princess Mononoke. It his scores for My Neighbor Totoro and Spirited Away that arguably contain the most emotionally charged material, achieving this not through melodrama but through honest simplicity. I know that sounds pretentious, but the music itself is anything but.

Concert in Budokan (Compilation)**
Howl’s Moving Castle
Kiki's Delivery Service
Laputa: Castle in the Sky*

My Neighbor Totoro**
Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind
Ni no Kuni Shikkoku no Madoushi*

Ponyo*
Porco Rosso

Princess Mononoke*

Spirited Away**
The Tale of the Princess Kaguya*
The Wind Rises