Tetsuya Shibata

is a Japanese video game music composer and sound director. He is credited for over twenty musical scores produced for Capcom's video game releases including the Monster Hunter and Devil May Cry series, as well those in the Darkstalkers, Power Stone and Resident Evil Outbreak series. His later works with the company involved organizing orchestral recordings for Resident Evil 5 and Monster Hunter Tri. In 2009, Shibata left Capcom and began his own music studio, known as Unique Note, with colleague Yoshino Aoki.

Biography

Early life Shibata was born October 24, 1973, in Osaka, Japan. While growing up, his mother was a singer and a music teacher. Shibata began playing classical piano at a very young age. He taught himself how to play guitar, bass guitar, and drums while in junior high school and high school. Shibata completed a law degree from Kansai University in 1996. While at the university, he heavily studied classic, rock, and jazz genres outside of his major. He eventually bought a synthesizer to compose his own music.

Career With a high interest in starting a career in the musical field, Shibata began applying for jobs in composition after college. Friends of some of his relatives introduced him to the video game industry. Shibata joined Capcom's Sound Management Section in 1997, where he took on various roles such as manager, director, producer, and composer for over twenty different games in a twelve-year span. His earliest works were many fighting games such as the Darkstalkers and Power Stone series. He proclaimed that his favorite project so far has been Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening, on which he did all the sound production. He also personally found this to be the most challenging project in his career. In addition, he produced the Monster Hunter Orchestra Concert, a concert celebrating the fifth anniversary of the Monster Hunter franchise. Some of his compositions from the original Monster Hunter were performed. This would be his last role at Capcom, as he states that he left the company because he wanted to create music for a wide range of companies and genres, including those outside of video games. So far Unique Note has worked on musical scores for Fullmetal Alchemist: Senka wo Takuseshi Mono and Half-Minute Hero for the PlayStation Portable, as well as two musicals.

Musical style and influences Shibata lists musical influences from many different genres before joining Capcom. As a child, he was exposed to the classical styles of Frédéric Chopin and Franz Schubert. In middle school he listened to Britpop bands Kajagoogoo and Boy George. In high school, he became interested in rock bands such as Aerosmith, Guns N' Roses, and Led Zeppelin. By college, he began listening to the jazz stylings of Oscar Peterson, Makoto Ozone, Chick Corea, and Baptiste Trotignon. Earth Seeker with Yoshino Aoki Half-Minute Hero: The Second Coming with several others

Merc Storia with Yoshino Aoki and Kenichi Tendo Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U Arrangements 2015 Transformers: Devastation with several others

Uppers with Yoshino Aoki, Yuko Komiyama, and Jun Okubo Justice Monsters Five with Unique Note Final Fantasy XV with Yoko Shimomura, Yoshino Aoki, and Yoshitaka Suzuki 2018 Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Arrangements 2022 Gungrave G.O.R.E Main theme 2023 Resident Evil 4 with several others

Other works Breath of Fire Original Soundtrack Special Box (2006) Monster Hunter Orchestra Concert ~Hunting Music Festival~ (2009) Rakuen (2009) – with Yoshino Aoki Suisei (2009) - with Yoshino Aoki