An Interview with Popular Composer Yusuke Shirato
For this second installment, we spoke with popular composer Yusuke Shirato, who has drawn attention with songs such as "Sekai ni wa Ai Shika Nai" by the idol group Keyakizaka46 and "Here," the opening theme of the currently airing anime "The Ancient Magus' Bride."
With a musical range spanning J-pop to classical, refined melodic sense and a professional work ethic, Shirato is a top creator in demand across many fields. We heard about the days before becoming a professional writer, how Shirato approaches music, and even private life. There is a lot to learn here, so whether or not you aspire to be a creator, please give it a read.
--Thank you for taking the time despite your busy schedule. First, could you tell us about your musical background?
Yusuke Shirato (hereafter Shirato: ) It started with piano lessons, which I took until about fifth grade, but I didn't find them very interesting and quit. Then in junior high, a friend who had been influenced by an older brother started playing guitar, and that got me hooked on bands like THE BLUE HEARTS and UNICORN, so I started a band with my friends.
--What did you play in the band?
Shirato: Drums. We decided to play original songs, so I ended up in charge of composing too, and I went back to piano lessons. After that I discovered classical music and set my sights on a music college.
--So did you enter college as a pianist?
Shirato: No. While attending summer courses to prepare for music college, I became interested in classical composition instead, so I entered as a composition major. I studied many different genres in college. But in my third year, family circumstances meant I could no longer pay tuition. While searching online for ways to earn money, I found work making ringtones and karaoke tracks, and for the next year I did nothing but that. I worked enough to pay the tuition for my third and fourth years.
--That's incredible. (laughs) What did you do after graduating?
Shirato: Just before graduating, I got hooked on Sheena Ringo, or rather on Seiji Kameda, and started working as a bassist. For a while I aimed to become a studio musician, but one day at a session bar I met an incredibly good bassist my own age, and I gave up on it then. After that I worked a part-time night shift at an IT company's help desk. The night shift paid pretty well, so I spent my free time doing small music jobs here and there. Around 27 or 28, I struggled with whether to quit music.
--So everyone goes through that struggle. When did you first debut as a composer?
Shirato: My debut was the song "Ai to Seishun no Bokutachi" by Haruka Tomatsu in 2007. It was an insert song, only one chorus long, and never released on CD, so it's very rare now... My first anime-related job was, I think, the character song "Kanpeki will" for "A Certain Scientific Railgun." I had no interest in anime until then, but that got me watching it. Now I really love it, and I eagerly take on anime-related work whenever it comes.
--One of your songs that left a strong impression on me personally is "DAYS of DASH" (2014), the ending theme of "The Pet Girl of Sakurasou." It seems you had already established yourself as a writer by then.
Shirato: That was released about three or four years ago. Back then, songs that had supposedly been accepted would still sometimes be rejected out of the blue.
--I see. You must be very busy now as an in-demand writer. What kind of work have you been doing lately?
Shirato: Besides composing, I teach lessons. I also direct recordings as part of arranging. I've been doing more soundtrack work too, and in early November I was so busy that I only got 10 hours of sleep in a whole week. I somehow got through it on Mintia mints and Wilkinson sparkling water.
--That's tremendous... With that much work, staying healthy must be hard. Is there anything you pay attention to?
Shirato: I'm particular about many things so that I can work as comfortably as possible. My chair is an Aeron chair that cost about 160,000 yen, and I had my desk custom-made. Sleep is important too, so I try to use as good a mattress as I can. They weren't cheap purchases, but considering how much they improve my work efficiency, they were well worth it.
--I see. Is there anything else you keep in mind to keep production running smoothly?
Shirato: When I'm stuck or struggling, I try not to cling to the same idea. Also, "finishing" is very important. Some people take many days to carefully polish their work, but in my case I put the emphasis on "completing songs" and "producing a lot of them." In fact, people who get many songs accepted write that many more songs.
--You have a reputation for working very fast. At what pace do you write songs?
Shirato: For so-called demo songs submitted to competitions and the like, I finish them in about two to three hours. Even a proper arrangement takes about a day.
--That must be quite fast even among professional composers. Specifically, how do you go about production?
Shirato: When I write a song for a competition, I first check the reference songs and then choose my own reference track. Based on that, I work out the chord progression and melody and program them on piano to build the skeleton. At this stage, it's important to carefully consider the key parts of the song, such as the hits and the sense of tempo. Once that's done, I program the rhythm and the upper parts as if stacking layers.
--What kind of gear do you use?
Shirato: For demos, I use Native Instruments' "KOMPLETE ULTIMATE" most often. I use it for strings and brass too, and I think with this alone you can handle any genre. It's a little expensive, but I'd definitely recommend it to anyone starting DTM. For acoustic guitar sounds, I recommend "Ample Sound." I basically like to complete everything with programming, so it's a sound source I find very useful.
--Do you have any tips for developing melodies and arrangements well?
Shirato: With melodies, there are "sweet spots that Japanese listeners find pleasant," so I always incorporate them in songs of any genre. The trick is how you add variation and originality within that.
As for arrangement, instead of relying only on chord instruments, if you try to create a sense of the chords through combinations of phrases, I think you'll get a more advanced result. Mr.Children is a great example to study.
And this applies to both melody and arrangement: above all, it's important to copy songs you find interesting.
--Copying songs is often said to be the quickest way to improve, but I think many people give up or struggle with it. How do you approach it?
Shirato: You don't need to copy everything perfectly. Even eight bars is fine. You could even just write down the sounds being used on paper. In any case, what matters is thinking about what is happening there and why it caught your attention. I think everyone active at the top today does this, whether consciously or not.
--You produce songs in many genres, and that must be the fruit of that kind of work.
Shirato: You make all kinds of discoveries when you copy songs. You can learn that different genres use different sounds for the same effect, and pick up unique techniques too.
--Thank you. Finally, please tell us how you see the future of the music industry and of creators.
Shirato: Streaming services will become more and more mainstream, and I think income from rights such as royalties will decrease. Competitions will probably decrease along with that, so rather than thinking you can make a living from composing and competitions alone, I think you need to work with a broader perspective. It's important to keep the future in view as you act.
--Thank you very much.
What did you think? Shirato's sincere attitude toward music, flexible approach, and warm, friendly way of answering our questions left a strong impression. I hope this article helps you think about your own relationship with music.
Thank you for reading to the end. Look forward to the next installment!
Yusuke Shirato's Recommended Software
About the Author
Interview and text: momo (Mamoru Tanoue)
Born in 1995. Digital Performer user. Moved from Fukuoka to Tokyo as a composer after graduating from music school.
Debuted as a writer in August 2017, composing and arranging for Tsukicula's "STARDUST."
With the motto "songs that pierce the heart," momo is a multi-player who handles everything from lyrics, composition and arrangement to recording.
Also active as the composer and arranger of the art unit "Shiro."
Twitter ID: @momo_tanoue
"Shiro" Website: https://www.shiro.space/
"Shiro" Twitter ID: @shiro_unit
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