Yoshitaka Hirota credited the album version of "Umineko no Naku Koro ni" (Akiko Shikata / KNIL-0003) as the arrangement for "Umineko no Naku no Koro ni" (Umineko no Naku Naku Koro ni).
| The post where the sea cat cries out | Arranged for the record version of 'When the Sea Falls (Akiko Shikata/KNIL-0003)' |
|---|---|
| The post where the sea cat cries out | KNIL-0003 Track 3 recording programming |
| The post where the sea cat cries out | KNIL-0003 Track 3 recording instrumental performance |
Productions related to 'Sea Cat Cry When the Sea Cat Cries'
Yoshitaka Hirota credited the arrangement on the album version of "Umine no Naku Koro Koro ni (Akiko Shikata/KNIL-0003)." Yoshitaka Hirota credited programming on the recording of track 3 of KNIL-0003. Yoshitaka Hirota credited instrumental performance on track 3 of KNIL-0003.
From performance and score writing to game sound systems
Hirota learned harmony and arrangement from bass playing and recording music writing, later producing sound effects for built-in mainframes at Square, while continuing to freely compose and mix. After working on works such as 'Shadow Hearts,' he founded a sound production company in 2008.
Sound specifications and perspectives
He regarded music, sound effects, and voice as elements that needed to be co-designed, and emphasized playback specifications and implementation. When judging sounds, it distinguishes between the character's and the player's perspectives to balance realism with the needs of gameplay.
Tools and Instruments of 2021
In a 2021 interview, he composed using Digital Performer and handled voice acting with REAPER. The cello gifted by Nobuo Uematsu inspired him to embrace the instrument and began using it in some recordings.
The lyrics precede the composition
When creating "yorlga" with Mitose, Hirota first exchanged the lyrics and then transformed the shared imagery into music. He believes this visual communication makes it easier to write melodies.
Learn from the recordings of singers
In "Xaaaci.," he connects orchestral, clusters, noise, and hardcore sections into a roughly seven-minute loop, then concludes with a melody. The recording helped him better understand Mitose's vocal characteristics, so he adjusted the writing method for his contemporary song "yorlga."
The continuous soundtrack of "Black Vein: Infection."
In a 2025 interview on "Liberty: Tales from the Tower," Hirota explained that the soundtrack for the Japanese radio drama "Kuromaku: Infection" is a continuous 29-minute and 14-second piece running from beginning to end, centered around Takehito Koyasu's performance in this episode.
He wrote quiet, clean, and corrosive passages in his music, and found that these sound concepts aligned with producer Travis Vengroff's vision.
Octopta-string instruments and bass in "Terpsichora."
When Yoshitaka Hirota produced the "Terpsichora" included in "Istoria~Musa~," he read Greek mythological texts, absorbed the rhythm and melodic colors of Greek folk songs, and used Middle Eastern rhythms inspired by the goddess's image.
He mainly uses original octaxed instruments based on traditional folk instruments, with a sound similar to bouzouki. When arranging, he tried to blend ancient-style tones into modern sounds, while avoiding the song from feeling only dark.
During the recording, Hirota himself played the fret bass, using the smooth connection of notes to express familiar Middle Eastern phrases, and added a bass solo at the end of the track.
Yorlga's vintage audio
Hirota uses "Wasei Fuku" as the key word for "yorlga" sound, but does not want to decorate it solely with Taisho, Showa folk songs or traditional Japanese instruments. During the 'Kataba no Kotori' period, he had already tried to express this worldview with a new voice, and this direction later continued into 'yorlga'.
He combines opposing elements such as ancient and future, west and east, beauty and fear, hoping to create his own "yorlga" audiovisual through the fusion of these two ends.
Supervised and performed the Japanese version of 'Liberty.'
During the production of the Japanese version of 'Liberty: Tales from the Tower,' Hirota supervised and provided the Japanese voice acting. In a 2025 interview, he said that because he was responsible for many directing roles, he eventually became the director of the Japanese version.
Transform expressions and preserve language sense
During supervision, he spent time translating expressions unfamiliar to Japanese readers from the original work into more understandable Japanese, while preserving the original linguistic feel.
He seeks a balance between ease of understanding and the original's discomfort and personal feelings, while carefully considering the use and balance of Japanese idioms and onomatopoeia.
The arrangement of character speaking styles
When arranging the characters' way of speaking, he considered how to use Japanese accent to express age, gender, profession, and personality.
Related entries
- Participated Works:When the sea cat cries out
- Featured Tracks:Golden Mockery ~A Beautiful Banquet~
- Collaborative lyricists and vocalists for "yorlga":みとせのりこ
- Co-author who built the yorlga world framework and provided track theme memos:みとせのりこ
- Starring in 'Black Vein: Infection':Zian was a man of Wu
References
- MusicBrainz: KNIL-0003 complete six tracks and clear recording positions
- Frontier Works: KNIL-0003 Production and Adaptation Notes
- CRIWARE: Interview with Yoshitaka Hirota on game sound production
- Yoshitaka Hirota: Official ABOUT
- TEAM Entertainment: Interview with Noriko Mitose and Yoshitaka Hirota's Yorlga
- TEAM Entertainment: Noriko Mitose - Career Introduction
- TTS: Liberty Radio Drama Music Production Dialogue
- VAGRANCY: Yoshitaka Hirota talks about Istoria's Terpsichora
- TEAM Entertainment: yorlga's second production interview
- TTS: Liberty Radio Drama Production Dialogue (Japanese)
Data compiled on: 2026-10-16.