Quotes from Joe Hisaishi

You don't get music in your daily life, do you? Even in a movie, it's unnatural to have music. I always feel it's unnatural. But I want to make it not unnatural, to construct reality in another sense.

I actually don't like playing the piano or conducting the orchestra.

I don't think that because l'm a composer I only have to compose music.

Synthesizers can be programmed with more imagination than a real, 'human' performance. It's a joyful thing.

I don't want the World Dream Orchestra to be like a dessert whose taste is instantly forgotten as soon as you leave the restaurant.

I have to think in terms of musical tempo. Let's say someone comes into a room and slowly sits down or someone rushes into the room and rushes to sit down. That's how to work out the tempo of the music you produce.

I consider myself a part-time worker when it comes to the piano, but you need to play regularly to stay sharp.

Japanese orchestras are generally playing at quite a high level on the first day of rehearsal, but they don't improve very much from there.

I've largely focused on Japan my whole career, so I was interested to see how my music would be received by people of different backgrounds, religions and cultures.

Writing songs is a solo activity, so, if I put my mind to it, I can do it.

A lot of people that come to the concerts are in their 20s. I think they come to listen to something new, and I want to be able to provide that.

When I am on stage I am locked away in energy and in concentration. I hear and I think about nothing but the music and I can only relax when it is over.

Usually, I concentrate on work for a certain time, and finish when I clear a standard I set myself. But with 'Mononoke,' the production was so drawn out, it took forever to finish to my satisfaction.

I don't want to work with directors who use music only to accentuate sound effects. I want to work with people who give music the value it deserves.

With streaming, everything is focused on singles. That means an artist's depth doesn't have the chance to shine through.

I was originally a minimalist, so that's my foundation.

Since 'Mononoke' has such a dramatic story, I played up the drama, emphasizing the power of a magnum opus.

When I discovered minimal music I felt I could create my vision - it was totally different to traditional music.