Before I moved to Japan I used to watch a lot of anime. In particular I liked most of the Studio Ghibli and Production I.G stuff (Spirited Away, Ghost in the Shell, etc). There are a lot of musical themes that both studios return to again and again, and it really creates a vivid world for the viewer.

Anyway, this is a track that is sort of tribal and mystical. Something about this track reminds me of the forest spirits in Princess Mononoke, but there are touches of the Ghost in the Shell soundtrack, too. It is a very dramatic and open track - I tried to keep the “curve” of the arrangement relatively flat - no sudden changes or jumps - like a river flowing along.

Reading the entry for Joe Hisashi, who composes the music for many Studio Ghibli films, I was surprised to learn he was a typesetter! I think many people who are interested in graphic design are also interested in music composition - after all, arranging a layout and arranging music share many things in common. I would love to ask Mr. Hisashi what he thinks about this idea.