Suggest New Bands and Artists - Motoi Sakuraba (Symphonic prog or Prog electronic)

Print Page | Close Window

Motoi Sakuraba (Symphonic prog or Prog electronic)

Printed From: Progarchives.com
Category: Progressive Music Lounges
Forum Name: Suggest New Bands and Artists
Forum Description: Suggest, create polls, and classify new bands you would like included on Prog Archives
URL: http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=66574
Printed Date: April 25 2024 at 09:13
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 11.01 - http://www.webwizforums.com

Topic: Motoi Sakuraba (Symphonic prog or Prog electronic)

Posted By: ozzy_tom
Subject: Motoi Sakuraba (Symphonic prog or Prog electronic)
Date Posted: April 14 2010 at 22:10

Motoi Sakuraba is a very famous Japanese keyboardist/organist/composer/arranger which started his career in such symphonic prog bands as "Deja-Vu"(already on PA) and "Pazzo Fanfano di Musica" (alredy on PA). After that he started his solo career recording album called "Gikyokuonsou". It was his only stand alone album. After that he recorded many sountracks to Japanese video games and anime movies. But don't stop to read now!! These "soundtracks" are ful blown symphonic prog albums! They are full of Hammonds (emulated on Korg organs in fact), real Minimoog flights and electric/acoustic pianos. The most interesting for prog heads are "Shining the Holy Ark" and "Shining Force III" soundtracks and all "arrange albums" which are soundtrack albums arranged to sound like stand alone prog albums (normal length tracks, no drum-machines or programming synths, real bassists... it seems).

His music is very similar to Japanese "The Black Mages" which also record porg versins of soundtracks(already on PA). It can be also compered to Gerard, Ars Nova and 70' prog-trios as UK, Triumvirat or ELP.

However Sakuraba shows that he's a real prog rock beast on his live albums (like: Motoi Sakuraba Live Concert "Star Ocean & Valkyrie Profile" Album from 2003)

You can find lots of his compositions performed live on youtube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iu3x8cZwvcc - www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iu3x8cZwvcc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ds19Kou9XiE - www.youtube.com/watch?v=ds19Kou9XiE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YpRrqeB4bCA - www.youtube.com/watch?v=YpRrqeB4bCA

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kwu1Fozafpc

www.youtube.com/watch?v=ngzi-zCmNVk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXCR6KX3D7E - www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXCR6KX3D7E

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJRmZqep6TI - www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJRmZqep6TI

www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDxEN0DPBSA

He also recorded several piano-only albums like Rick Wakeman.

Full discography:

http://sakuraba.cocoebiz.com/discography/discography.shtml - http://sakuraba.cocoebiz.com/discography/discography.shtml

http://www.myspace.com/thebettersakuraba - www.myspace.com/thebettersakuraba (with audio files)

http://www.amazon.com/Force-of-Light/dp/B003EMCICY/ref=ntt_mus_ep_dpi_lnk - http://www.amazon.com/Force-of-Light/dp/B003EMCICY/ref=ntt_mus_ep_dpi_lnk (audio samples)

-------------

Replies:

Posted By: ozzy_tom
Date Posted: April 20 2010 at 02:13

No comments? Symphonic Team not interested?

I think he deserves to be included on PA. His albums ara in equally progressive rock quality as other Japanese keyboards-driven acts like "Gerard", "Ars Nova" or "Social Tension".

I hope myspace, amazon and especially Youtube links prove it enough...

Some pictures including his splendid keyboards rig (including Korg organ which looks like real Hammond B3 & Moog synth) to gain attention!:

http://sakuraba.cocoebiz.com/concert2004/photo-16.jpg">

http://sakuraba.cocoebiz.com/concert2003/photo-03.jpg">

http://sakuraba.cocoebiz.com/concert2004/photo-09.jpg">

http://sakuraba.cocoebiz.com/concert2004/photo-06.jpg">

http://sakuraba.cocoebiz.com/concert2004/photo-18.jpg">

http://sakuraba.cocoebiz.com/concert2004/photo-17.jpg">

-------------

Posted By: GentleGiant
Date Posted: April 20 2010 at 02:17

I have only "Gikyokuonsou" which is indeed in the prog symphonic territory Thumbs Up

-------------
BeGiantForADay

"This British band is just the cup of tea for aficionados who demand virtuosity,progress and originality in their mix."

http://rateyourmusic.com/~GentleG

Posted By: memowakeman
Date Posted: April 20 2010 at 09:19

I have heard some random songs, which sound very symphonic indeed, will check your links later

-------------

Follow me on twitter @memowakeman

Posted By: harmonium.ro
Date Posted: May 04 2010 at 08:02

The samples on MySpace have nothing to do with prog but the YouTube samples sound like Symphonic Prog indeed. I'll ask the Symphonic Team to evaluate this suggestion.

Posted By: philippe
Date Posted: May 06 2010 at 03:44

You've suggested progressive electronic or symphonic prog...this Japanese uses the vintage keyboards in a very classical symphonic fashionable way, sometimes its powerfully epic, sometimes goofy...too far from the dada / atonal / post-industrial experiments and layered dronescapes which prevail in the progressive electronic subgenre.

-------------

Posted By: ozzy_tom
Date Posted: May 06 2010 at 03:58

Sorry, but I don't know too much about electronic prog-rock. Some of his compositions have lots of synthsizers flights (not all of his material sound like these youtube videos!) so I thought that maybe electronic prog will be interested.

-------------

Posted By: philippe
Date Posted: May 06 2010 at 05:40

ozzy_tom wrote:

Sorry, but I don't know too much about electronic prog-rock. Some of his compositions have lots of synthsizers flights (not all of his material sound like these youtube videos!) so I thought that maybe electronic prog will be interested.

no problem, it's an honest and welcomed suggestion for the archives. I hope you'll get a positive reply from the symphonic prog team.

The progressive electronic subgenre covers a large range of musical styles, from early electronic experiments, space age vintage electro-pop, kosmische musik to organic ambient...however artists who play keyboards in a symphonic or in an impressionistic way are commonly included in the symphonic prog subgenre or in prog related (Vangelis...). The progressive electronic subgenre just features a handful of artists who impregnate their music with discreet symphonic tendencies (Francesco Buccheri, Cacciapaglia, Jobson...)

-------------

Posted By: ozzy_tom
Date Posted: June 28 2010 at 21:06

What about this one? I think if "the Black Mages" are included on PA, Sakuraba plays equally good and similar in style kind of prog rock. I know that most of his music was used in games/cartoons etc. but it deosn't change a thing that it's mostly pure prog rock... Any more thoughts?

-------------

Posted By: harmonium.ro
Date Posted: June 28 2010 at 21:42

The Symph Team agreed on the "prog" in the YouTube samples but have expressed their doubts over their relevance in the guy's discography. At least that's what I understood from Ivan's response, you can ask him more Tongue

Posted By: AtomicCrimsonRush
Date Posted: June 30 2010 at 08:05

Theres some good stuff here - Star Ocean Forever is symphonic. Its iunteresting how a lot of his stuff on myspace is not symp but the youtube live clips are.

i could see this in the Symph category if enough of his material lines up. Its a bit like Rick Wakeman at times. Its all instrumental with a keyboard overload.

Nice music. It deserves a prog placement somewhere.

-------------

Posted By: ozzy_tom
Date Posted: June 30 2010 at 20:15

Thanks for support AtomicCrimsonRush :-)

-------------

Posted By: ozzy_tom
Date Posted: July 17 2010 at 20:16

After bigger amount of mp3 for evaluation I've sent to Symphonic Team anything changed according to this artist? Any chance to be included on PA?

-------------

Posted By: DamoXt7942
Date Posted: November 07 2011 at 03:02

Added to Neo finally.
http://www.progarchives.com/artist.asp?id=6843" rel="nofollow - http://www.progarchives.com/artist.asp?id=6843

-------------
http://www.facebook.com/damoxt7942" rel="nofollow">