[Boco]

Listing favorite artists is tough for me. Well, let's see if I can come up with a few. Get ready for some seriously mainstream selections!

Nobuo Uematsu / Final Fantasy
For me, this is "the man." I still remember scouring the internet for MIDIs from that "Final Fantasy" series of games that I didn't really know anything about. That search eventually led me to discover Napster, the existence of physical video game soundtracks, the Game Music Online store and finally my first video game soundtrack: Final Fantasy VII. Over ten years and literally hundreds of soundtracks later... here I am!

Motoi Sakuraba / Star Ocean
My first non-Uematsu RPG soundtrack was Star Ocean 2. I think a friend told me it was like Final Fantasy in space. Not sure how well that holds up, but it sure sold me at the time. Sakuraba's music really resonates with me for some reason. Although he can be a little hit / miss, I'm always willing to take a chance and enjoy the ride.

Yasunori Mitsuda / Chrono Cross
Mitsuda's more recent works haven't had much impact on me, but I think that's primarily because he set the bar so high early on. Works like Chrono Trigger, Chrono Cross, Xenogears, Xenosaga, and Kirite never get old. Even if Mitsuda never catches my attention again, he'll still be a favorite for those works alone.

Yoko Shimomura / Kingdom Hearts
I have a strange relationship with Shimomura's music. I love her distinctive style and approach, but sometimes the results really don't gel with me. Parasite Eve didn't do much for me, but Super Mario RPG, Legend of Mana, and Kingdom Hearts totally knocked my socks off. She's also very versatile and is one of the few composers who can write ridiculously happy music that still manages to captivate me. :3

Yuzo Koshiro / Etrian Odyssey
Some people use synthesizers; Koshiro OWNS synthesizers. He knows how to make technology sing and I love every second of it. His FM synthesis in particular is just gorgeous. And not only are his sounds and textures lavish, but he crafts beautiful melodies too. I can't go wrong with Koshiro.

Naoshi Mizuta / Final Fantasy XI
Never a popular choice. XD This man nearly ruined Final Fantasy for me. I hated the FFXI soundtrack when I first got it. It was too different; it wasn't what I expected. I kept coming back to it though and slowly, very slowly, it began to grow on me. Then came the expansions and eventually I was playing the game online with friends. Now it's become one of my favorite soundtracks and Mizuta continues to catch me off guard with works like Blood of Bahamut, Hikari no 4 Senshi, and Final Fantasy XIII-2. Was it just repetition? Did Mizuta wear me down? Maybe. If so, then I'm glad that I gave him the chance.