Any connoisseur of Japanese animation would confirm the incredible diversity of content in these animated creations. Often the magic of well-done anime is its fusion of a multiplicity of creative elements, much like an orchestra performing a beautiful, symphonic masterpiece. Not far from this metaphor is the parallel growth of the soundtrack music that has symbiotically developed with Japanese anime. If you crave and love creative new auditory stimulants, it is definitely worth exploring the anime soundtrack fusion “genre.”
Anime soundtrack music can range from J-pop to death metal, classical European to classical Indian, Taiko drums to bag pipes, and everything in between. It has dissolved many borders to accommodate a rich variety of themes and cultural ideas. Yoko Kanno, a legendary anime music goddess, demonstrates the versatility of an anime music composer. In compositions for hits like Escaflowne, Cowboy Bebop, Macross Plus, Ghost in the Shell and most recently, Wolf’s Rain, she transitions from genre to genre effo rtlessly, transforming the emotions of a scene into musical forms.
The soundtrack to current mega-hit Naruto incorporates traditional Japanese music with sounds from all over the world. Composer Toshiro Masuda is astonishing as he blends heavy metal, Indian vocals, gothic organs and new wave electronica — in some cases within a single piece — as if they had always belonged together in the first place. It’s quite an exhilarating aural experience!