Kumi Tanioka :: Biography

Note: This biography was written exclusively for Square Enix Music Online by Chris. The act of using it without advance written permission is regarded as a copyright infringement. It was last updated on September 23, 2007.

Born on August 29, 1974 in Hiroshima, Japan, Kumi Tanioka is a Square Enix composer that has become reputable for her versatility, having worked on a number of moderately successful and often stylistically unique soundtracks. Taking piano and voice lessons from an early age in Hiroshima, Tanioka proved to be a quick learner and gradually grew musical sensitivity from a range of experiences, including studying the effects of music on people as part of her anthropology diploma at Kobe University. Her curiosity partly led to her entrance into the game music field; her brother a fanatical gamer in his youth, Tanioka often observed him playing and gained an interest for game music, wondering what it'd be like to actually compose for the video game. Particularly inspired by Nobuo Uematsu's themes for the Final Fantasy series, she considered joining Square, and soon gained a composition portfolio by working on 1998's 2D Japan-only 'versus' Arcade fighting game Daraku Tenshi: The Fallen Angels. Produced by Psikyo, mostly known for producing vertical-scrolling 'shmups', she collaborated with Masaki Izutani, known for his contributions to the Striker series, producing a hard rock score. Her compositions here impressed Square enough for them to hire her at the end of 1998. Appropriate given her admiration for Nobuo Uematsu's melodies, Tanioka's first works for Square were on behalf of Final Fantasy's spinoff Chocobo games. She produced 15 themes on Chocobo's Dungeon 2; though the score was principally a functional one, Tanioka's lyrical phrasing, pleasant melodies, and careful use of the "Mog" and "Chocobo" themes made it more enjoyable. On her first solo effort, the board game Dice de Chocobo, Tanioka treated the "Chocobo" theme in a variety of styles and introduced new melodies within a relaxed framework. Despite the game receiving no original score, her vocal arrangement of the "Chocobo" theme, "Tiny Wings," featuring vocalist Mari Izukawa, was included as a bonus track in 2001's Square Vocal Collection.

Tanioka's pathway to a big break was rather slow, especially given the two subsequent scores she worked on received no album release. One, for 2001's All Star Pro-Wrestling, resulted in the production of her only hard rock compositions for Square. Though her role was minor relative to collaborators Tsuyoshi Sekito and Kenichiro Fukui, few are aware of Tanioka's capabilities in the rock area because of the lack of a commercial release or game rip. Her action-packed score for the experimental 2001 flight-simulation RPG Blue Wing Blitz, released on the WonderSwan Color, suffered a similar fate. Fortunately, the Final Fantasy XI Original Soundtrack reversed her bad fortune and gave her a considerable number of fans. Having co-composed the score with Nobuo Uematsu and Naoshi Mizuta, she created just eleven tracks, but consistently shone for the creativity and versatility of her contributions. Responsible for serene and adventurous organic setting themes, vibrant marches, bouncy techno- and jazz-influenced female character themes, a classically-oriented string quartet, and three of the darkest themes on the soundtrack, the pinnacle of her contributions was the five minute epic decisive battle theme "Awakening." While the scores for Final Fantasy XI's numerous extensions were handled solely by Naoshi Mizuta, Tanioka has remained close to the franchise as a result of The Star Onions. A group of Final Fantasy XI arrangers and performers formed to perform a concert on Final Fantasy XI Chains of Promathia Special Night, pianist Tanioka, bass guitarist Mizuta, and guitarist Sekito have remained consistent contributors. In summer 2005, they reunited to create Final Fantasy XI - The Other Side of Vana'diel, where Tanioka arranged and performed two simple but beautiful jazz-tinged arrangements. The album was sufficiently well-received for the band to make live appearances at concerts in Japan and California. In 2007, Tanioka's solo piano performances provided the centrepiece of two concerts.

Tanioka's score to Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles was one of Square Enix's biggest musical experiments. A unique organic sound was created through use of ancient instruments such as the hurdy-gurdy, serpent, lute, and kazoo throughout the score, performed by the specialist group ROBA HOUSE. Tanioka's compositions were often minimalistic texturally and based on unconventional harmonies, but were made endearing through warm melodies and fittingly youthful sound. Perhaps the biggest highlights were the airy vocal themes, "Kaze No Ne" and "Starry Moonlit Night," sung by Yae in the Japanese version of the game and interpreted by Donna Burke for the international release. The album was also her last significant collaboration with synthesizer operator Hidenori Iwasaki, who had previously arranged and manipulated some of her compositions for Final Fantasy XI. On behalf of its sheet music book, she arranged a selection of themes from the soundtrack into piano reductions having had a smaller similar role on Final Fantasy XI's sheet music. On behalf of 2005's flop Code Age Commanders, Kumi Tanioka reflected her versatility once again. She combined hard-hitting electronic beats, endless synthetic loops, and exploration of a variety of electronica genres with warm melodies and the use of acoustic instruments, particularly her staple piano. This created an unparalleled fusion that added to the futuristic, otherworldly, and emotionally aseptic feel to the very unusual RPG it accompanied. She worked closely here with the score's synthesizer operator, newcomer Yasuhiro Yamanaka, who implemented the acoustic elements of the score with stunning realism and arranged many tracks to refine and maximise the effects of their electronic beats. A mobile phone spinoff Code Age Brawls was made for the game, though Tanioka's score is shrouded in mystery due to the lack of soundtrack release as expected from scores on this medium.

In 2006, Tanioka joined four others to compose the externally developed Xbox 360 shooter Project Sylpheed. In order to increase the emotional capacity of an otherwise action-packed score, she contributed some simple melodies integrated into seven of the game's pieces; though she personally produced the piano reprise of "Promise to Fly", other arrangers melded her melodies into piano and orchestral cues for the game's FMV sequences. In other small works, she performed piano on a Front Mission Online piece and, at request of Masayoshi Soken, provided background vocals for his works on Mario Hoops 3 on 3 and Dawn of Mana. Tanioka and Yamanaka collaborated once again on the Square Enix Music Official Bootleg series, resulting in the new age compositions "Damage" and "Aquarius Option". This preceded DS' Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Ring of Fates, where Tanioka composed and Yamanaka manipulated and arranged. Mindful of the memory limitations and number of channels for the DS, the compositions adopted a more conventional orchestral palette compared to its predecessor and were simpler and less developed. Nevertheless, the character of the series was preserved; many of the whimsical pieces featuring buoyant woodwind melodies against string ostinati or acoustic guitar lines while the darker pieces tended to focus on the organ due to its timbre alone being capable of substantial impact. Tanioka is currently working on Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Young King and the Promised Land, a WiiWare project, where she will be less technologically limited. Tanioka is also creating several new compositions for the Wii's Chocobo no Fushigina Dungeon: Toki Wasure No Meikyuu, otherwise set to feature Final Fantasy arrangements by Joe Down. Hidenori Iwasaki is the only announced composer for Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers at present, though there is a possibility that Tanioka will also appear by popular demand.