FFW: Shimomura-san, you surely have a special bond with Cologne as this is the city where you recorded your very best of “Drammatica” and attended symphonic concerts of your music. Please share some memories of Cologne you have.

she knew about Cologne and the cathedral for a long time and she was vaguely thinking it like a place she would go for holiday someday, but she never thought it would be such a bond between her and the city. Of course, the recording and the concert are very strong memories, but privately, I went up to the top of the cathedral, which is also a big memory because I was so tired! (rires) But the view is very beautiful. 

Finaland: You are working on many Disney franchises in Kingdom Hearts, most of which are monuments of cinema adored by millions of people, is it intimidating?

she always thought Disney was a big thing, but when I started my job working on Disney works, the more she realized. If she had the same feeling initially, she would have been under pressure. Pressure, but also a pleasure to work on Disney.

FFW: Your first game at Square, Live A Live, is still extremely popular in Japan, so much that the soundtrack was recently reprinted. Are you surprised by that popularity?

if she had known that some many people loved her work, she wouldn't have used her real name (rires)

FFW: You would have kept your "Pii" nickname from the Capcom era

Yeah, yeah! (rires) It's really a dream, it's unbelieable.

Finaland: Some concerts are already honoring your compositions, such as PRESS START -Symphony of Games- (in Paris in April 2015) or Melodiosa (Paris, November 2015), but the video games represented there are rather various. Do you think there will come a day a concert dedicated exclusively to the Kingdom Hearts saga, like Distant Worlds? I would love to hear Kingdom Hearts music with an orchestra and I’m sure I’m not the only one.

I also love orchestra music, and some fans in Japan also want that to be realized. I really strongly wish this could happen. So I will try!

Finaland: For your next concert in Paris, could you please give an overview of what can we expect?

Of course it's not possible to give you the full details, but it will be contents with a wide variety that follows her history. Not just Square Enix era. So I hope you enjoy it. Will you come?

Finaland: Yes, I already bought my VIP ticket! To meet you again!

Thank you so much!

FFW: An arranged album for Legend of Mana is coming soon. Please share some memories of your work on that game. I have read that it was the first time you could actually write music for a “fantasy” game.

At the time, she was very very busy, it was in the process of Parasite Eve, she was in the United States when she heard this offer, so she was very happy. The fact she was offered something from the fantasy genre, she always wanted to work on that. 

Finaland: You listed Beethoven, Chopin and Ravel as some of your influence in your music. But what about recent composers and video game composers?

Koichi Sugiyama who worked on Dragon Quest, I love playing Final Fantasy so Nobuo Uematsu as well, and Koji Kondo, the composer of Super Mario Bros. They are the three big composers for me (trinity). After that, there are many others, but they are my three big idols.

Finaland: They are legendary composers, but you are also one!

I don't think so! Not yet! Or in the female category, maybe! (rires)

FFW: Then, any favorite female game composers?

I would say Michiko Naruke, who worked on Wild Arms, and also Manami Matsumae, who I consider to be my "senpai" (senior/teacher). Since I started working in this industry, I always respected her.

Finaland: Can you describe a basic day of your life and your methodology as a composer?

I eat my breakfast... I eat lunch... I compose music... I earn dinner... And I go to sleep! (rires) Sometimes, I am going out for meetings, but most of the time, I'm in my house. As for the methodology, to compose game music, it's very rare to get inspiration without anything. You always have something, like a picture, then I get inspired. Another thing is that I get materials about the game, then I start creating small pieces, comprising phrases, and I make a lot of them. Then I review them and think "I can use that", then I pick up the good pieces and put them together. That is my typical way of working.

FFW: just one piece of music at a time or several at the same time

In fact, I get several projects at the same time, but once I get inspired and start writing, I spend most of my time on one project. I did something during half an hour and something else during the other half, [...????]

Finaland: You are composing music for video games, but do you have time to play them? If yes, what are your personal favorites?

Actually I don't have much time to sit down and play at home, but I have a 3DS and a smartphone and some of my works included in them, so when I commute to somewhere else, I play. It will be possible to play Kingdom Hearts on smartphones, with Unchained Key, so I will have time to play it and maybe become addicted (rires)

FFW: Square Enix have released a number of tribute and arranged albums of your music. How does the decision to make such albums usually happens? Are you the one asking?

It depends. For drammatica for example, the people from the music department, she suggested: why don't we create that kind of album? Then they started working together on the album, putting ideas together. Square Enix suggested the Piano Collections, but for memoria, as it was my career anniversary, I suggested it. But I'm very actively giving ideas and suggestions! (rires, looking at SE rep) But Square Enix is quite strict, they want to hear people's opinion, so please tell them. (rires)

FFW: And in the case of Legend of Mana?

We were always saying that it would be good, and when the boxset was released for the 20th anniversary of Seiken Densetsu, there was a flyer inside the box that says that an album produced by Yoko Shimomura was coming. I was surprised! (rires) I said I wanted to do it, but I didn't know it was already planned.

Finaland: If you had 10 minutes free right now, which music would you like to listen to?

Because I'm checking the Legend of Mana arranged album, I would do that! (rires) As soon as I go back to Japan, there will be the mastering process. Sorry, it's all about work! (rires)

FFW: Is there another one of your Square Enix soundtracks that you would like to make an arranged album for?

Of course I am thinking about a 30th anniversary tribute album! (rires) Live A Live, that lots of fans love, too. Also, I already told about this at the Tokyo Game Show before, arranging the works of Kenji Ito and Yasunori Mitsuda, arranging each other's music, so that quite new. That's also a project we have.

FFW: Please do it!

Finaland: If you weren’t a video game composer, what kind of job would you like to do?

(question already asked last year...) piano teacher? architect? mangaka? housewife? I cannot remember.
"I never thought about that, I really don't like working you see. The only reason I can keep working is because I found a work I really enjoy. I think I would just like to play around for a month."
If I didn't do what I'm doing at the moment, I wouldn't be able to do any job.

Finaland: Thanks to you and other composers, I came to love music and instruments. A lot of my favorite tunes from you use violin and I would now like to learn how to play it. It seems to be one of your favorite instruments isn’t it?

That's right. My son learns the violin. 

FFW: Maybe someday he will play your music.

Hmm...... (rires) He's not that good.

FFW: Oh. We won't tell anymore.

Sorry. (rires)

FFW: You also love piano and oboe. Everytime you use oboe in your music, I love it.

Thank you very much!

Finaland: One of my favorite pieces from Shimomura is Rage Awakened from KH2 FM.

Oh yes, it's quite vigorous.

FFW: KH music mix electronic beats with instruments like flute, oboe, and it's a very good mix I think.

Thank you very much.

FFW: No, thank *you*!

(rires) Thank you too!

Finaland: I would like to talk about one of your favorite music: Dearly Beloved. Which version do you prefer? 

This question is asked quite often, not just for Dearly Beloved, but it's a very hard question to answer. It's difficult to say which one I like the best, it's beyond that. The one I feel the strongest bond to is KH2, because I worked on the series for the first time, then came back and I realized I'm now doing this series.

Finaland: And one you had a hard time composing?

As far as Dearly Beloved is concerned, I can't think of any one that was difficult. The challenge is to arrange it every time. If the series continues for a long time, I hope I can continue to find ideas! (rires) I will do my best.

FFW: My favorite version is KH2 because it's very peaceful. And then there's another version in the ending, Fantasia alla marcia, where the chorus is added. It's very dramatic.

Thank you. Tetsuya Nomura told me the intro was too long.

FFW: It is never too long.

Finaland: My favorite is also KH2, and also Birth by Sleep! And also Dream Drop Distance, the special one.

FFW: A few months ago, surveys for the Final Fantasy XV demo revealed the music was the best ranking part of the game. How did you feel about this?

I'm delighted about it. I don't speak foreign languages, I wish I could, but with music, it doesn't matter. It still reaches people.

FFW: Uematsu said exactly the same thing. It's the FF effect.