The Father of the Sounds of Final Fantasy - Nobuo Uematsu, the Beethoven of Video Games
There's no denying it, Final Fantasy is one of the most legendary video game franchises ever.
From the deep story that comes with every volume, the unique visuals, to the satisfying gameplay, the series has solidified its status in the video game hall of fame. One aspect that also adds to the game's iconic status is the music.
Born in 1959 in the Kōchi prefecture, Nobuo Uematsu is a highly acclaimed composer, often called "the Beethoven of Video Games". At the age of 12, Uematsu began playing around with his sister's piano and fell in love with music & composing. After composing for advertisements and "Nikkatsu Roman Porno", a series of Japanese softcore pornographic films, he was invited to a project by one man who would change his career; Hironobu Sakaguchi, the father of Final Fantasy.
In 1986, Uematsu was told by a fortune teller that his life was about to change next week. Uematsu was walking the streets near the SQUARE [current SQUARE ENIX] headquarters, as he sometimes created music for games as a part-time worker. He ran into Sakaguchi, the soon-to-be father of the legendary Final Fantasy, who asked what he did, and invited him to become a full-time employee at SQUARE. Just like that, on the streets, no resume submitted, Uematsu became the newest SQUARE member.
In 1987, the original Final Fantasy was released, with music by Nobuo Uematsu. Uematsu has been in charge of every Final Fantasy soundtrack since, even after leaving SQUARE ENIX in 2004 and creating his own label "SMILEPLEASE".
Each and every track Uematsu makes for the series is instantly recognizable, from quite possibly the most badass final-boss-track "One Winged Angel" from FFVII, to quite possibly the most badass game opening "Liberi Fatali" from FFVIII, the songs are on a level that almost defy what video game music is. There have even been tracks that feature legends from around the world, like "Eyes On Me" from FFVIII featuring the Hong Kong queen Faye Wong.
