MOTHER/EARTHBOUND Composer Keiichi Suzuki Listens to his Original Demo Tape of 'Eight Melodies' 😭

[@greenswag7763]

You can see on his eyes and face, how he's transported back in time. He's seeing everything that happened more than 30 years ago, again. Music is a powerful thing, and he knows it.

[@Drakull_Art]

It was very sweet seeing him getting emotional when listening to the eight melodies, even if it was just a little bit. i always get amotional listening to it.

[@WeirdBrainGoo]

Yea, but I think it's gross how someone decided to zoom in on his face while he was feeling emotional. We get it without the excessive intrusion.

[@intangerines]

Lol I thought I was the only one, his face is already the entire frame and they still keep zooming in for some reason...made me laugh but took me out of the moment too XD @@WeirdBrainGoo

[@AltimaNEO]

I dont think he was emotional about the melodies specifically, but the journey of making the music with Tanaka-san. Must have been an interesting time.

[@ComposerKuandohan]

@@AltimaNEOYes, I think it had more to do with the rush of nostalgia and remembering such an enjoyable time from over 30 years ago. I bet he didn’t even expect it, honestly. This demo is different than just hearing the piece, this demo is literally a snapshot of the moment he recorded it, and I bet he was remembering that exact moment suddenly coming back to him, which brought on other moments. It was probably overwhelming.

[@AltimaNEO]

@@ComposerKuandohan Exactly! Very well put!

[@Rubberman202]

What an experience it must have been, to write music for a system as limited as the Famicom. Good think he had Hirokazu "Hip" Tanaka there to help him out.

[@Bluddiest]

Why are you everywhere!!!!

[@VonRibbitt]

Did u find the one piece yet?

[@AquaticMammalOnBicycle]

Tanaka was a co-composer (aside from sound effects). Some of the songs are clearly his musical fingerprints rather than Suzuki, very clear if you listen to his Gameboy/NES soundtracks and then compare. Certain Earthbound SNES tunes are clearly Hirokazu Tanaka.

[@AquaticMammalOnBicycle]

Tanaka was a co-composer (aside from sound effects). Some of the songs are clearly his musical fingerprints rather than Suzuki, very clear if you listen to his Gameboy/NES soundtracks and then compare. Certain Earthbound SNES tunes are clearly Hirokazu Tanaka.

[@AquaticMammalOnBicycle]

Tanaka was a co-composer (aside from sound effects). Some of the songs are clearly his musical fingerprints rather than Suzuki, very clear if you listen to his Gameboy/NES soundtracks and then compare. Certain Earthbound SNES tunes are clearly Hirokazu Tanaka.

[@ComposerKuandohan]

I think his emotions while hearing Eight Melodies had more to do with the rush of nostalgia and remembering such an enjoyable time from over 30 years ago. I bet he didn’t even expect it, honestly. This demo is different than just hearing the piece, this demo is literally a snapshot of the moment he recorded it, and I bet he was remembering that exact moment suddenly coming back to him, which brought on other moments with Tanaka-San from that time. It was probably overwhelming.

[@Frilleon]

i don't think he was nearly as emotional as the overly zoomed-in camera made it seem, but this is cool. great interview

[@MisterLN]

i think, everyone gets emotional with this song, this and smiles and tears.

[@toriitoraa]

I cannot NOT cry when listening to smiles and tears

[@beardalaxy]

i feel that way with damn near half the music in earthbound and i don't even know why, i never played the game. man's just got a way of making evocative music.

[@mopbrothers]

He looks like Monotoli from Earthbound Fourside.

[@tehcrusher]

wtf he does wonder if that was intentional

[@_BELMONT_]

and just like that, it was the 1990's all over again! You can see it in his eyes

[@Dakr2000]

Bruh why did they zoom in on him like that 😭

[@Anonobody315]

I can't even imagine composing music for video games back then and thinking I'd be achieveing that amount of fame. This was really wholesome! Thank you so much.

[@AssailantLF]

no crying until the end.

[@camyea69]

8:35 that’s incredible.

[@hikarunkun]

Hirokazu Tanaka is such an underrated figure in the game music scene. Koji Kondo is awesome, no doubt, but before him there was Hirokazu "Hip" Tanaka which did awesome things that often go overlooked. Glad his music kinda cross the world via the Pokémon anime series (kinda because US always replaces the theme songs)

[@Mimi.1001]

A bit of a shame, he got fired at Nintendo (and didn't ever really return except for some Smash remixes) for working on the Pokémon anime and technically another company (Creatures). Well, I guess not directly fired, Nintendo forbade him to write music for their games as long as he worked with Creatures, and he just opted to fully join Creatures (and actually becoming president eventually), but still would have loved if he stayed in the video game industry for longer. He really did some amazing tracks and soundtracks, some of which actually rival Koji Kondos efforts in iconicity, like the original Metroid, Super Mario Land or of course Tetris on the Gameboy.

[@javier7high]

Well, if you're into vgm you know tanaka is boss

[@kikuniverse]

Early demo tape Mr. Iwata was also listening to it. And we still listen to Eight Melodies together.

[@AkkaOniVA]

Thanks for giving me something interesting to watch for a change, KZbin recommendations. On-topic, it's so cool seeing the people behind the games we all enjoyed so long ago. Hearing that original version of Eight Melodies must bring back memories for Suzuki-san, the way it probably does for Japanese players of the first game.

[@t3chnod3lic]

Loved his work with Yukihiro Takahashi (of Y.M.O) in the early 80's. The Beatniks album 'Exitentialism' has always been a favourite of mine.

[@Wobuffet3]

i haven't played earthbound in 15 years, or mother even longer ago. but i was moved too when i heard that demo tape.........

[@tehcrusher]

Started tearing up when the full thing played. Man, what a powerful song

[@loganroberts2195]

im not crying youre crying

[@teamok1025]

When 8 melodies played. I can see the nostalgia in his eyes.

[@Ghajlalalala]

IM CRYIN BRO

[@cheffdonty]

That's so crazy with the context of the game, too, where it's played to someone who made the song a very long time ago

[@setsers1]

35 Years of Earthbound. Thank You.

[@user-nn9px9fw1l]

Hearing how this incredibly skilled and talented composer faced such a challenge when approaching the limited sound chip of the NES really makes me realise and appreciate just how astounding the achievements of people like the Follin brothers were. Tim could make what was essentially prog rock on a single bit system. Amazing mastery.

[@BQhjort]

Here I am, spending new year's eve bawling my eyes out watching Keiichi Suzuki listen to Eight Melodies. Not sure how this happened, but I'm glad it did.

[@KLegyyn]

In case people are wondering about the album cover of the girl with the terminator eye: キノコホテル* - マリアンヌの革命 . .

[@bennie.379]

THANK YOU

[@MsQuote]

I listened to the eight melodies when I didn't even know what a whole note was. This took me back, not as far as I'm sure Keiichi Suzuki went haha, but far enough to make me realize that I'm glad I grew up with media as amazing as Mother to inspire my creativity :)

[@DissociatedWomenIncorporated]

Mother has literally the best soundtrack on the Famicom/NES. Merry Christmas! ❄️❤️💚❤️💚❤️💚❤️❄️

[@DissociatedWomenIncorporated]

I just found out the same two guys also did Mother 2/Earthbound, and I’m tempted to say it’s the best soundtrack on the successor console, though there’s a lot more serious competition on that system. I owned a Mega Drive as a little girl, that console had some absolutely amazing composition and programming too, particularly Puggsy, and both (real) Ecco games.

[@Linty-hk8st]

Merry Christmas!!!

[@desktorp]

There are other games that have more orchestral soundtracks.. the early Final Fantasy games, obviously.. Chrono Trigger, etc.. but I think Mother 2 is the peak of video game soundtracks as a combination of art and sound. Truly none of these games would be the same without the soundtracks, but something about Earthbound/Mother 2 is special. The game does not have the most impressive graphics and the music almost plays directly in to it.. all the visual traits that might have otherwise been seen as shortcomings are uplifted beyond charming status, because of the unique sound profile. It's such a beautiful game. Despite the fact that the game was ridiculously hard, I am honored to have been among the earliest of people in the US to have played Mother 1.

[@arclite95]

"How great is our god"

[@jboyathegamer]

Hes really great

[@Poyostar]

Thank you for sharing this with us; this was a genuinely touching interview, and seeing him listen to his old demo tape is... it just hits different, y'know?

[@MortonFMurphy]

This man's work is the most powerfully nostalgic media in my life

[@lierx.agerate8230]

Funny how after all this time mother 2 is still one of the greatest games of all time, easy top 3 unbiased

[@De_an]

This is actually really sweet, and I can't believe I never knew about this until now.

[@Jabersson]

I love the cute little paper-characters! Adds such a fun twist to the interview!

[@herbmaaster]

glory and honor to the unsung heros of video game sound design programming and composition happy knowing 8 melodies made it to Nintendo All Stars Delux (Melee)

[@b.lloydreese2030]

I LOVED the music in this game. One of my fav games ever. I used to record the music on tape in my TV and listen to it in my car. That stuff was lit

[@ehouse33householder74]

i wish i had that amazing setup. Man loves his music.

[@mootbooxle]

I cannot imagine my life without the music from the MOTHER series!

[@fernando98322]

Eight Melodies, Smiles and Tears, Love Theme. Powerful music, that always brings a tear to my eye. Beautiful video, seeing him get so emotional listening to that original cassette of the "beta" Eight Melodies is wonderful, and hearing how the Melodies are played separately at first and then all together at the end is so magical.

[@bloodblues85]

Despite all the limitations, the soundtrack for MOTHER is something I will never forget. Both the game's music and the vocal soundtrack! ❤

[@KiraSlith]

Man, nostalgia always hits hard, especially when you didn't know you were making history.

[@RetroPiero]

I did not expect to come across this video in my recommendeds today. This is wholesome as hell. Makes you wonder how many of the composers from back then dealed with writing their music.

[@XTheJenovaProjectX]

This video was a treat to watch. Thank you for this. Only 10k views….dang.

[@lynxfilante]

Earthbound and its music have been such a meaningful and heartwarming part of my life. It's very special to watch this video and hear Keiichi Suzuki talk about his experience composing the music for this game.

[@Astro_Crunch]

This is so awesome. Thank you for sharing this clip!

[@NoShoesPlays]

Why am I in tears right now watching Keiichi listen to his demo?

[@sternik8936]

Ahh, this Eight melodies demo is just heart moving.. Great interview! I'm really glad I got to this video. Thank you

[@beoubzabanzi9765]

the sheer impact this man has had on my life, and he has no idea. but i see you, すじきさん

[@Baggydawg1]

This interview was touching. Seeing true artists realise the impact of their creations. Love it 🥹

[@michaelmauve]

I first came across his work listening to Sasha & Digweeds Northern Exposure 1 back in 1996 (a legendary progressive house compilation btw). The opening track of CD1 is Keiichi Suzuki - Satellite Serenade (The Orb's Transasianexpress Mix) and it was even used as the opening track in 2017 for Sasha & Digweed's live gig at The Social (clip is available on KZbin). It wasn't until I looked up his Discog's page that I made the connection that he also did the soundtrack for one of my favorite RPGs from childhood. Thanks for all the years of wonderful music Keiichi!

[@pestydesperado8771]

my favorite soundtrack in the platform by far, what a legend

[@justpassingbyy]

The almost imperceptible change in expression from 8:35 to 8:36 is immense. That one second transported this man's soul back decades. The ability to time travel was always with us if we just take the time to listen.

[@ThomasW.-fh4xl]

This is an interesting curio. I love Mother 1 + 2's soundtracks. I listen to them all the time. Back in the summer of 1995, Earthbound was my favorite game. In a sense, it still is, although I've played through it more than enough times now.

[@SanMann11]

He's so joyous and full of life. Such a wonderful man. Thanks for all the incredible music.

[@EpicPrawn]

This is one of my favorite videos on the internet. Thanks for making this.

[@ff9guy]

i first heard 8 melodies in smash, dropped the controller mid game and cried all over it... it's that choir.... the ultimate tear jerker

[@mootbooxle]

I love this so much! Suzuki-san seems like a lovely person.

[@jamielovesgames]

Earthbound Zero (Mother 1) is one of my absolute favorite games. TY so much for sharing this ❤

[@АнтонЕфанов-ж2п]

Hello from Russia! Thank you for so wonderful games (all the Mother series) and for the music. You in my heart forever ❤

[@ClassicBentobox]

Really brought something out in me seeing him listen to eight Melodie’s. How beautiful.

[@nobodyinparticular80]

The memories flooding back…

[@schrodingerscat3912]

天才な音楽 Earthbound was a masterpiece

[@alanbrito141]

I wish he composed for Mother 3 too

[@jaredf6205]

I misread the title, and was waiting for his mother to show up to listen to his music.

[@nobody_gtk]

That happens in the next video

[@livvy94]

Thank you for uploading this

[@maurindioalessandro4259]

God bless you

[@MarcMarioMaster]

I only played Earthbound Zero aka Mother a few years ago for the first time. It was such a charming game. I know most people are huge fans of Earthbound aka Mother 2 but personally, I actually enjoyd my time in the first game even more, especially through a bunch of the leitmotifs and the lovely soundtrack. The Eight Melodies Theme is wonderfully implemented with the story and I adored the moment it was sung to beat the great evil. If I ever visit Japan and stumble over the soundtrack, it will be an instant buy.

[@daniel_007]

At 9:30 Keiichi-san is like Giovanni Storti being overwhelmed by memories "Non ce la faccio... Troppi ricordi..."

[@indejcriptible]

beautiful video, thx for sharing

[@HyperDefective]

Thanks for uploading this. I had a big ol' smile on my face watching him listen to it

[@danielvelkov116]

I love the games solely on the music. It's what gives the game it's charm

[@antonellaguerra6048]

It’s gonna sound weird, but whatever noise was played in the beginning. I wanted to eat it.

[@JustinHatten]

Forever in my heart ❤️

[@shadyacr]

hey thats the guy from the moonriders

[@stoplookingatthisyougleepy]

more like the moonsiders ‼️‼️‼️

[@shadyacr]

@@stoplookingatthisyougleepy ayyo!

[@cameronburke2134]

For anyone wondering, this is from the "Mother to Earth: The Untold Story of EarthBound" documentary from 2022

[@Mackievellian]

It's all in the description

[@sternik8936]

It's beatuiful mr music-san

[@tonybarde2572]

Better tell him that the 8 Melodies would perfectly fit a Christmas Eve ball in Vienna

[@EnzeruAnimeFan]

And he's cute and stylish, too!

[@Sordatos]

Wholesome... Just like the games

[@clay2889]

This is awesome

[@TheEclecticSkeptic]

Beautiful and informative. Thank you.

[@rs.matr1x]

magical

[@ThatLuckyBear]

Incredible

[@slavendjakovic6735]

We need a video compilation of the ads they did together

[@davidcofre]

i never saw a cassette tape on a cd jewel case

[@pitstopchr]

yes great video

[@ak2112]

this is great

[@LucasDarkGiygas]

I liked the cardboard thingies.

[@RIPLOUDOG]

woah, whats that girl with red background with a broken eye, it looks really cool does anyone know wheres from? her broken eye looks scary. hell does anyone know what most of the things in that shelf are? they all look like super interesting pieces of artwork. the only one i recognize is the phantom that inspired griffith behind his right shoulder.

[@andermachines2645]

The ending of Eight Melodies makes me think of Hey Jude for some reason

[@amumm459]

very cool video thanks for posting

[@BLUNTstOFFICIAL]

merci

[@briannemeth9417]

Have you ever listened to any albums by Keichi or his brother Hirobumi? They are incredible! And available on Tidal. They are poets and the words and music can be difficult, abstract and experimental

[@Mackievellian]

I recall listening to... I think it was called lost suzuki tapes? Interesting stuff.

[@vealchop2490]

The music in the background of this rocks (the track is called Frogboy from the movie soundtrack if anyone is interested)

[@JapanMediaTour]

What a perfect soundtrack. Who needs a lofi playlist when we've got the Earthbound OST

[@douro20]

It's a shame that MOTHER never got an official NES release, despite having a full English localisation done.

[@requiem165]

wow

[@FredyGarbagis]

que bonitinho

[@pixxellie]

well I cried lol