If you find yourself tapping your toes to the music Single player leveling, Unicorn Gundamor attack on titanall this is because of one person——Hiroyuki Sawano. Over the past two decades, Mr. Sawano has established himself as the go-to composer for adrenaline-pumping anime scores that are as at home on the dance floor as they are on the screen. Ahead of his upcoming solo concert at Los Angeles’ Peacock Theater on November 14, the prolific composer and producer sat down with Anime News Network to chat about his latest projects, closest collaborators, and even some kamen rider For good measure.
Your solo concert in Los Angeles is coming soon, how are you preparing? Do you have any strategies for dealing with jet lag? I think it’s very difficult to perform when your body clock is off.
Hiroyuki Sawano: I didn’t do anything special before rehearsal. I don’t travel abroad often so I’m not familiar with jet lag, but when I’m on stage the nerves and adrenaline sets in. It’s no longer my body clock, but how I handle nervous energy.
Over the course of your career, you have produced albums, EPs, and soundtracks for TV series, anime, and movies. Looking specifically at your score, what’s the difference between composing for film and composing for television? I imagine that, given the different needs of movies and TV series, it might be easier to adjust the aural emotion of a movie than a TV series.
Sawano: I don’t really differentiate between film, TV or anime when I’m composing. I’m more concerned with whether the story itself is grand or centered on everyday life. That said, in Japan, TV series and movies often deal with smaller-scale stories, so I sometimes feel that a more subtle musical approach works better.
While listening to your work, Promare In particular, I noticed a music-like quality to it – specifically how the lyrics in your work resonate with the emotions on screen. Has musical theater influenced your compositional style? If so, are there any specific composers who inspired you?
Sawano: I don’t often go out of my way to see musicals, so I can’t say they have a huge impact on me. Composers who have influenced me include Ash from chachi and aska, Tetsuya Komuro, Hans ZimmerDanny Elfman, Hisaishi Joeand Ryuichi Sakamoto.
Speaking of musicals, what challenges have you faced lately while writing? Rose of Versailles Movie? I can see the potential challenges in trying to meet the expectations established by so many Takarazuka stage productions, KinderThe soundtrack to the 1979 animated series, and maybe even Les Misérables Because of the settings.
Sawano: The production team’s brief was to avoid purely classical music and instead opt for more pop sounds – e.g. greatest performer. So I went into this project with the mindset of writing more vocal-based songs.
You frequently collaborate with many talented artists, but what impresses me most is Depor. From “Nexus” to “The Answer,” she always kills it. How did you two meet and start working together?
Sawano: When I was looking for a singer for the soundtrack, one of my staff introduced me to Deporsaying she is an interesting singer. She performed “Snacks” attack on titan In season three, she was incredible. Since then I have continued to work with her on many projects.
As the producer of “NAQT VANE”, what were your thoughts when you received the invitation to compose the theme song of “NAQT VANE”? kamen rider Wrong? Have you liked Rider since you were a kid?
Sawano: I was surprised when I received the invitation because I never imagined being a part of a tokusatsu series. But I saw it when I was a kid Kamen Rider BLACK weekly, so once I finished the project it reminded me of how much I enjoyed it kamen rider.
Since they are all special series, the production process of “VISIONS” is Wrong Bring back memories of the days you spent working on the original Garo TV drama?
Sawano: What I remember most is not the specific course but the fact that I just started and worked on several projects including Garoat the same time. I was worried about whether I could manage all three at the same time, but I’ve learned that when you really set your mind to it, you can make it happen.
Tickets are Hiroyuki Sawano Live in Los Angeles 2025 is available now.
