Akira Yamaoka facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Akira Yamaoka
山岡 晃
Yamaoka in 2010
Born	(1968-02-06) February 6, 1968 (age 57) Niigata, Japan
Occupation	Composer musician producer sound designer
Years active	1991–present
Employer	Konami (1993–2009) Grasshopper Manufacture (2010–present)
Spouse(s)	Tamu Murata
Musical career
Genres	Video game music ambient rock industrial rock
Instruments	Guitar

Akira Yamaoka (born February 6, 1968) is a Japanese composer and musician. He is also a producer and sound designer. He is famous for creating music for the Silent Hill video game series. He worked on these games from 1999 to 2009, and again starting in 2024. He also helped produce many Silent Hill games. Plus, he composed music for the three movies based on the games.

Yamaoka worked for a company called Konami from 1993 to 2009. Since 2010, he has been the sound director at Grasshopper Manufacture.

Akira Yamaoka's Early Life and Career

Akira Yamaoka went to Tokyo Art College. There, he studied how to design products and interiors. He first wanted to be a designer. But he later became a musician instead.

Joining Konami and Early Games

Yamaoka joined Konami on September 21, 1993. He quickly started working on music for games. Some of his first projects included Contra: Hard Corps and Sparkster. He also worked on the music for different versions of the game Snatcher.

Creating Music for Silent Hill

When Konami needed a musician for the first Silent Hill game, Yamaoka volunteered. He felt he was the best person to create its unique soundtrack. He was first hired just for music. But he soon became involved in all parts of the game's sound design. He has said that his favorite soundtrack he created is for Silent Hill 2.

Moving to Grasshopper Manufacture

On December 2, 2009, it was announced that Yamaoka was leaving Konami. He had worked there for a long time. Then, on February 3, 2010, he joined Grasshopper Manufacture. There, he worked with game creators Goichi Suda and Shinji Mikami. Their first project together was the action game Shadows of the Damned. At Grasshopper, he started as the chief sound officer. But he also became involved in other parts of making games.

Other Music Projects and Live Shows

On August 10, 2012, Yamaoka shared news about a second solo music album. He said it would be different from his Silent Hill music. Later that year, he announced a new Spanish-language song called "Revolución." He performed it live at a special event. In 2014, he was interested in working on a new Silent Hill game called Silent Hills. However, that project was later canceled.

In late 2015, Yamaoka and his band performed songs from the Silent Hill series. They had nine live shows across the United Kingdom. These shows were called "Silent Hill Live." In July 2016, Yamaoka also performed live at an indie game festival in Kyoto, Japan.

Akira Yamaoka's Music Style and Inspirations

Yamaoka has mentioned some of his favorite songs. These include "Der Mussolini" by D.A.F. and "Moments in Love" by Anne Dudley. He also likes "The Ecstasy of Gold" by Ennio Morricone. In 2009, he said his favorite game creator was Suda51. His favorite video game was No More Heroes. In 2014, he shared that his favorite movie was Dario Argento's Suspiria.

Influences from Other Artists

When asked about artists who influenced his work, Yamaoka named Trent Reznor from Nine Inch Nails. He said Reznor was his "main inspiration" for both performing and music style. Other artists who influenced him include Angelo Badalamenti, Metallica, and Depeche Mode.

Art and Music Connection

Yamaoka also talked about how his art studies helped his music. He was influenced by musicians like Mick Karn and Steve Strange. They combined art and music in new ways. Because of this, he tries to mix art and music every time he writes songs. He also gets ideas from the baroque style of the 1700s.

Akira Yamaoka's Personal Life

In March 2011, Yamaoka sold some of his musical instruments. He did this to raise money for charity. The money helped people affected by the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. He is married to Ai "Tamu" Murata. She is the drummer for a heavy metal band called Nemophila. They have two daughters.

Akira Yamaoka's Works

Video Games

Films

Anime and Television

Other Works

See also

In Spanish: Akira Yamaoka para niños