Twelve Days of Final Fantasy XII: Nobuo Uematsu Interview

To any serious gamer Nobuo Uematsu needs little or no introduction. As the man behind the music of the insanely popular Final Fantasy series, Uematsu has done more to elevate videogame music out of the 6-bit era and into the internationally recognized arena of classic symphonic concert halls.

IGN recently caught up with the ever-so-busy Nobuo, who graciously agreed to answer a few of our questions regarding his ongoing work on the music for the Final Fantasy universe.

IGN Music: How did you choose Ms. Aki to sing the theme song, "Kiss Me Good-Bye"?

Nobuo Uematsu: I just felt that it had to be her when I heard her voice.

IGN Music: What is endearing to you about the Final Fantasy series?

Nobuo Uematsu: To me, the game series is like comrade-in-arms that you went through a lot with.

IGN Music: Do you ever look at the Final Fantasy artwork of Yoshitaka Amano for inspiration?

Nobuo Uematsu: Yes, Mr. Amano's artwork has always been a source of inspiration for me.

IGN Music: The styles of all the Final Fantasy scores vary from very upbeat, to dark and angry, to melancholy in nature. For example, Final Fantasy VIII was very dark, but IX was much more carefree and upbeat. Do these contrasts come from simply the story of the game, what's going on in your life, or perhaps just a desire to mix things up?

Nobuo Uematsu:The atmosphere of music varies depending on story line, of course, but it's also my intention to put various types of music into one game.

IGN Music: Which of your FF soundtracks is your personal favorite? More specifically, is there a specific piece of music that you hold most dear?

Nobuo Uematsu:It is very hard to pick one particular soundtrack or a song.

IGN Music: Which composers inspire you when scoring such epic games?

Nobuo Uematsu:I would say, Elton John.

IGN Music: If you could perform your music at any concert hall in the world, which one would it be and why?

Nobuo Uematsu:It would be nice to have an outdoor concert at an ancient monument in Athens

IGN Music: What new games are you most looking forward to?

Nobuo Uematsu: Blue Dragon.