Michiru Yamane

is a Japanese video game composer and pianist. Yamane's musical style draws on baroque, classical and rock traditions, with both Johann Sebastian Bach and Yellow Magic Orchestra as prominent influences. She is best known for her two decades of work at the gaming company Konami, with her compositions for the Castlevania series among her most recognized work.

Yamane grew an interest in music at an early age, practicing on the electric organ and piano. She studied composition in college and began working as a composer for Konami in 1988. As a member of the Konami Kukeiha Club, she collaborated with other musicians on many Konami video games. Her breakthrough work came with the Castlevania games Bloodlines (1994) and Symphony of the Night (1997).

Early life and education Yamane was born in Kagawa Prefecture, Japan, on September 23, 1963. She began learning electric organ around the age of four, on her family's Yamaha Electone. She also soon began learning piano. Yamane enjoyed playing popular rock music on the organ, but grew a fascination with classical music with her piano studies. Around this time, she also began playing video games at various local arcades.

Career

Konami Yamane started working for Konami in 1988, shortly before her fourth year at college.

Yamane worked closely with Koji Igarashi, producer for the Castlevania series. The next game in the series, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (1997), was developed for the PlayStation.

Yamane occasionally performs in live concerts.

Musical style and influences Game Developer magazine called Yamane's music "old, gothic, Victorian style". Music Nemesis 3: The Eve of Destruction Music

Detana!! TwinBee Music with Hidenori Maezawa and Masae Nakashima Vendetta Music

Asterix Music with Mutsuhiko Izumi, Mariko Egawa, Junya Nakano, Ayako Nishigaki

Pop'n TwinBee Music with Kazuhiko Uehara, Masahiro Ikariko, Hideto Inoue et al. Rocket Knight Adventures Music

Gungage Music with Takashi Yoshida and Masahiko Kimura

Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow Music with Takashi Yoshida and Soshiro Hokkai Castlevania: Lament of Innocence Music with Yuka Watanabe

Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin Music with Yuzo Koshiro Elebits Music with Naoyuki Sato

Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia Music with Yasuhiro Ichihashi

Mushihime-sama Bug Panic Music with several others

Otomedius Excellent Music with several others

Skullgirls Music with Brenton Kossak and Blaine McGurty

Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U Arrangements with several others

NightCry Music with Nobuko Toda

Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon Music with several others Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom Music with Yuzo Koshiro, Motoi Sakuraba, Keiki Kobayashi, Takeshi Yanagawa

Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night Music

9 Years of Shadows Music with Miguel Hasson and Norihiko Hibino