Soichi Terada

Soichi Terada (寺田 創一, Terada Sōichi, born March 19, 1965, in Tokyo, Japan) is a Japanese electronic music composer, best known for his work in the Ape Escape video game series. He started producing music in 1989 as well as remixing singers such as Nami Shimada. He and fellow producer Shinichiro Yokota formed Far East Recording in 1990, releasing various albums and singles. In 1999, after releasing Sumo Jungle, he was given an opportunity to compose for Ape Escape.

Soichi Terada
寺田 創一
Background information
Also known asOmodaka, TRD-01
Born (1965-03-19) March 19, 1965
Tokyo, Japan
GenresHouse, drum and bass, jungle, chiptune
Occupation(s)Composer, arranger, remixer
InstrumentsElectronic organ
Years active1989–present
LabelsFar East Recording
Associated actsShinichiro Yokota
Websitehttp://www.fareastrecording.com/mt/
Japanese name
Kanji寺田 創一
Hiragana寺田そういち

In 2014, "The Far East Transcripts" EP was released, sparking interest in Terada's work. A year after, the album Sounds from the Far East was released, which led to him touring and creating more music.[1][2][3]

Biography

Early life and career

Terada was born on March 19, 1965 in Tokyo, Japan, playing the electronic organ when he was younger. He majored in computer science and electronic organ at the University of Electro-Communications. In 1987, he traveled to New York City as a part of a three-piece band and "fell in love with the city and its distinctive sound." When he returned to Tokyo, he started producing house music and trying to emulate the city's style, sending demos to labels like Sleeping Bag Records but with no avail.[4][5][6] That same year, Terada met Shinichiro Yokota at a Vestax DJ Contest,[7][8][9][10] where Terada introduced Yokota to house music synthesizers and letting him use his instruments.[11][12][13]

In 1989, he produced the sing "Sunflower" for singer Nami Shimada,[14] which was remixed by Larry Levan and Mark Kamins.[15][16][17] A year after, he and Yokota formed the label Far East Recording after Terada graduated university,[18] releasing their first album called Far East Recording in 1992.[19]

In 1997, he composed for the Japanese drama Psychometrer Eiji alongside Chuei Yoshikawa and DJ Krush.

Video games and Omodaka

Terada started composing soundtracks for video games in 1998, with his first for Wangan Trial.

In 1999, Terada was given an opportunity to compose the music for Ape Escape after a game director listened to his track "Sumo Jungle."[20] When he learned what the game was about, Terada was "really excited" as he played on the PlayStation and was shown demo footage of the game.[21][22] A year after, he composed for the Japanese version of the PlayStation 2 game Fantavision.[23]

In 2001, he created the project Omodaka while trying to create a "boat racing song."[24] He released the first album, Cantata No. 147, under the project in 2006. Japanese folk singer Akiko Kanazawa joined the project as the genre transitioned to folktronica in 2009. That same year, he donned a white mask and a Miko outfit.[25] Under the project, Terada writes about the prostitution during the Edo period and gambling in Japan and starts with a backing tracks first instead of lyrics.[26]

Resurgence

In 2014, London-based Japanese label Hhatri released the "The Far East Transcripts," an EP which included three of Yokota's tracks and one of Terada's tracks. The EP sparked renewed interest in Japanese house music, especially Yokota and Terada's works.[27] In 2015, Dutch label Rush Hour reached out to Terada if he wanted to release a compilation album of his work, to which he agreed.[28] They released a compilation album called Sounds from the Far East, which was compiled by German-born Korean DJ Hunee.[29][30]

The albums release led to Terada producing more music and going on tours,[31][32][33][34] including Europe and North America for the first time in 2016.[35] In 2017, he toured with Nick Dwyer of Weird Together in India, which was hosted by the Red Bull Music Academy.[36][37][38][39][40]

Artistry

Influences

Terada is influenced by house and hip-hop,[41] as well as bands such as RC Succession, Akiko Yano and Yellow Magic Orchestra.[42] He has since moved away from hip-hop to more sample-based and digital production.[43][44] He is also influenced by foreign people, such as English singer Sheila Chandra.[45]

Musical style

Terada's musical style focuses on house music and jungle. In an interview with Vice, he revealed that he uses the stereotypes of Asia when running the Far East Label, with Terada also saying the he is happy when someone tells him that he combines "Asian elements" with house music.[46]

As Omodaka, he is influenced by YMCK, traditional Japanese music, and retro game sounds. He uses consoles such as the Game Boy, Nintendo DS, PSP, and Korg Kaossilator.[24][26]

Discography

As Soichi Terada
Year Title Label
1992 Far East Recording Far East Recording
Unity
Urban Rhythm Solutions
1993 Far East Recording 2
1994 Smoky
1995 Sumo Jungle
Sumo Jungle 2
1996 Sumo Jungle Grandeur
1997 Psychometrer Eiji Soundtrack Sony Music
Satsujin No Jikou Ha 15Nen Far East Recording
1998 Acid Face
2000 Kimigayo
Don't Panic Seaman
2004 Gacha Mecha Stadium Saru Bato~re Sarundtracks!!
2011 Ape Escape Originape Soundtracks
2012 Ape Escape 3 Originape Soundtracks
2015 Sounds from the Far East

As Omodaka
Year Title Label
2006 Cantata No. 147 Far East Recording
2014 Bridge Song
2019 Gujoh Bushi

As Far East Recording
Year Title Label
1999 Yokoi-San Far East Recording

Gameography
Year Title Role(s)
1996 Tomomi Tsunoda: Come and Kiss Me Producer
1997 Arc the Lad: Monster Game with Casino Game Remixer
Ultra Resort Keroncuel Sound designer
1998 Wangan Trial Composer
1999 Ape Escape
2000 Fantavision (Japanese version)
2001 Super Galdelic Hour Musician
beatmania THE SOUND OF TOKYO! Programmer
Space Fishermen Composer
2002 Futari no Fantavision
2004 Ape Escape: Pumped & Primed
EyeToy: Monkey Mania
2005 Ape Escape: On the Loose
Ape Escape 3
2006 Saru! Get You! Million Monkeys
2007 Saru! Get You! SaruSaru Big Mission
2020 Namco Museum Archives Vol. 1 Sound designer

References
  1. McElhone, James (July 10, 2019). "House music and video games: why these Japanese producers remain fresh". Skiddle.
  2. Sunda, Mike (October 22, 2019). "The driving force of Shinichiro Yokota and Soichi Terada". DJ Mag.
  3. Ball, Jack; Moss, Liam. "Interview: Soichi Terada". Finding Figaro.CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  4. Girou, Baptiste (July 21, 2016). "Soichi Terada on Far East flavours, Video Games and the House revolution". Inverted Audio.
  5. Sunda, Mike (December 6, 2015). "Soichi Terada arrives fashionably late to the global house-music scene". The Japan Times.
  6. "Soichi Terada Interview! Music of Happiness". Wasabeat. May 25, 2015. Archived from the original on April 13, 2016.
  7. Benjamin (March 26, 2019). "SHINICHIRO YOKOTA, L'ARTISTE OUBLIÉ DE FAR EAST RECORDING". SAKATRAK (in French).
  8. Kolada, Brian (November 7, 2016). "Do It Again And Again, from Soichi Terada's friend and production partner, drops later this month". Resident Advisor.
  9. Funatsu, Koichiro (September 12, 2018). "【対談 Soichi Terada × Shinichiro Yokota】ハウスシーンの世界的な大事件！2人による19年ぶりのコラボライブ". Qetic (in Japanese).
  10. McElhone, James (July 10, 2019). "House music and video games: why these Japanese producers remain fresh". Skiddle.
  11. "Artist To Artist: Shinichiro Yokota & Soichi Terada". Ransom Note. 2019.
  12. Helfet, Gabriela (September 13, 2019). "Japanese house legend Shinichiro Yokota compiles 20 year retrospective on 2xLP". The Vinyl Factory.
  13. Cetin, Marissa (July 18, 2019). "Ultimate Yokota 1991 - 2019 brings together 12 tracks—including a new one with Soichi Terada—by "one of Japan's unsung heroes of House."". Resident Advisor.
  14. "Soichi Terada". Resident Advisor.
  15. Johannsen, Finn (April 2, 2015). "Soichi Terada – Sounds From The Far East".
  16. James, David (September 16, 2016). "Soichi Terada Presents Sounds From The Far East". Optimistic Underground.
  17. "SOICHI TERADA – Sounds From The Far East Vinyl 2LP". Turntable Lab.
  18. Chacón, Itza; Franco, Cynthia (October 31, 2017). "Shinichiro Yokota, un samurai del house clásico". Vice (in Spanish).
  19. D'Araujo, Aiden. "House Hunting #22 - Far East Recording". Ransom Note.
  20. Wada, Tetsuro (May 25, 2015). "Soichi Terada Interview! Music of Happiness". WASABEAT. Tokyo Digital Music Syndicates. Archived from the original on February 22, 2016. Retrieved February 13, 2016.
  21. Wong, Alistair (January 17, 2020). "Ape Escape Composer on How He Got Involved With the Making of the Game's Iconic Soundtrack". Siliconera.
  22. "INTERVIEW • SOICHI TERADA". Hard Life. January 4, 2016. Archived from the original on July 11, 2018.
  23. "SOICHI TERADA". NTS Radio.
  24. Kopfstein, Janus (May 31, 2012). "A chat with Omodaka, Blip Festival's masked master of futuristic A/V kabuki theater". The Verge.
  25. Sakai, Masataka (October 28, 2019). "Omodaka 『Gujoh Bushi』 A new form of Japanese music that fuses tradition and innovation, "Chimera folk songs"". Mikiki.
  26. Hughes, Felicity (July 23, 2010). "Omodaka puts the 'bleeps' in 'Aaaaaiiia'". The Japan Times.
  27. Unicomb, Matt (November 2, 2014). "Tracks from Shinichiro Yokota and founder Soichi Terada, including the well-known "Do It Again."". Resident Advisor.
  28. Coultate, Aaron (December 16, 2014). "Hunee curates Sounds From The Far East". Resident Advisor.
  29. "SOUNDS FROM THE FAR EAST BY SOICHI TERADA PRESENTS". Rush Hour.
  30. "German DJ/Producer HUNEE is making his way to Auckland". Scoop. January 7, 2016.
  31. "RA.511 Soichi Terada". Resident Advisor. March 14, 2016.
  32. Durr, Brian (June 6, 2017). "Soichi Terada and Shinichiro Yokota are the Japanese house geniuses finally getting their due". Fact.
  33. Siavoshy, Bejan (August 29, 2018). "Sounds from the Far East". Neocha.
  34. "Soichi Terada". Bizarro.
  35. Pearson, Jordan (February 16, 2016). "We Talked to 'Ape Escape' Composer Soichi Terada About His Return to House Music". Motherboard.
  36. "Best moments from the Terada/Dwyer RBMA Tour". Red Bull. August 23, 2017.
  37. "Japanese house music luminary Soichi Terada and DJ Nick Dwyer to visit India in August". Radio and Music. August 2, 2017.
  38. Fleming, Dessidre (August 24, 2017). "Video Game Music Pioneers—Soichi Terada & Nick Dwyer Are Set To Visit India This Month". MensXP.com.
  39. "RBMA To Host Sessions & Clubnights With Soichi Terada". The Wild City. August 2, 2017.
  40. Uchil, Shraddha (August 19, 2017). "Learn More About Making Video Game Music From A Popualr Composer In Mumbai". Mid Day.
  41. "Soichi Terada (JP)". Amsterdam Dance Event.
  42. Helfet, Gabriela (December 3, 2019). "Discovering Japanese pop music from 1975-1985 with Shinichiro Yokota & Soichi Terada". The Vinyl Factory.
  43. Mensah, Andrew (April 5, 2016). "TALKING TECH: SOICHI TERADA". Stamp The Wax.
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  45. Tagat, Anurag (August 22, 2017). "When sound transcends genre". The Hindu.
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