[NC UK] Koji Kondo Interview

[@21centuryg]

This guy is a fucking legend

[@mcvdigital]

He's not only the father of Mario music, he also does Legend of zelda music too which is probably the most amazing game music ever. This man is a genius.

[@pujantamang2258]

Yoshis island flower garden♥️

[@herbsuperb6034]

A truly great composer. Gets partial credit for the score to my childhood. But I think Square had a couple of even greater ones. Nobuo Uematsu, and Yasunori Mitsuda. Amazing.

[@hencytjoe]

Genius, legend, and humble as one can be. "I am really happy that so many people are still humming it to themselves, even after 25 years." You created a recognizable childhood for multiple generations to come together.

[@ytho5863]

There are very few people I respect as much as this man. He composed my childhood. I wish there were more interviews like this one

[@rhcp4565]

"Music is very powerful when it comes to creating an atmosphere for games" So true. Koji is a genius

[@sungwoopark1048]

Living legend. What a genius he is.

[@TheAlamla]

I cry at the mere thought of his eventual inevitable death sometime in the future. When people of the 22nd century will look back at the music created in the late 20th and early 21st, they must see Kondo-san in every single list of great composers of that era. Although it wont probably be so. I know video game developpers are looked down upon. That makes me sick. That man must enter the pantheon of music.

[@hosamorfali3444]

Who told you that game developers are looked down upon? They are one of the most respected people ever, if you make something like The Legend of Zelda series how are you possibly going to be looked down upon? In what way?

[@spectraphantom6597]

@@hosamorfali3444 He means game composers are underrated or not taken seriously.

[@PeterTheGr3at]

Koji Kondō & John Williams are 2 living legends.

[@pedromata4125]

And Hans Zimmer

[@Jtmissile]

And Randy Newman

[@George-zk4nv]

So is Ray Charles

[@George-zk4nv]

And Quincy Jones

[@RobinsMusic]

@@pedromata4125 he’s so overrated

[@vgmrevisited832]

Kind of unfortunate that VGM remains kind of a niche thing. This guy is a genius composer.

[@Autonova]

Original Mario music and Ocarina of Time OST. Masterpieces from an absolute genius.

[@todorstojanov3100]

A Koji Kondo Symphony needs to happen! Listening to his music in games as Super Mario Galaxy, I feel no different than when listening to classical music

[@bevrosity]

what a seminal moment it must have been playing super mario 1 before it was released and having to come up with music for it. i doubt he realized how big a deal that was at the time, though.

[@EmperorsNewWardrobe]

He didn't just compose for super mario bros, he composed the soundtrack for one of the happiest and most exciting times of my brother's and my childhoods

[@gamizuco]

This man has no idea how many times i've (and probably other thousands of people) almost cried listening to his songs.

[@barry951]

This guy.... The memories.... Mainly from the zelda series I think it's truly amazing how he can capture emotion and feeling in music. I for one say: thank you Mr Kondo, for the years of memories and more to come

[@labgnat]

Your contribution to life and history are outstanding Koji. It would be wild to play this game not knowing that music, I can mute it and play it now, but my mind is going to add that iconic music regardless.

[@CaptainAspergers]

Legend. My favorite works of his are those in Majora's Mask. Amazing how he can elicit feelings from joy to pure terror and tension.

[@ZhangtheGreat]

This man needs to get more appreciation from the world overall. His pieces aren't just amazing gaming music; they're amazing music, period. We don't have to be playing a game to enjoy the beats he's composed. Many of my friends who aren't even gamers love listening to his pieces.

[@criticman123]

His Zelda compositions provide such a deep profound elegance, I hope that he knows how loved his music is.

[@uematscrates5644]

This guy is a genius. His uncanny ability to write the language down from the atmosphere of an environment inside of a simulated world in the form of music that touches peoples souls in all the right ways is astonishing and beautiful. Thank you and others like Uematsu, David wise, etc

[@rhcp4565]

you can really tell how much fun he's having when he plays his music....I think that energy rubbed off on the games where his music is in

[@0TheBestMan]

This guy deserves more recognition.

[@Karmoon7]

There are plenty of covers of his work online. But just listen to how the real deal plays them on his piano. The pacing and emotion is simply a level above. The guy is truly a legend. As an aspiring musician myself, I find that Koji Kondo is inspirational.

[@reniisgod]

It takes such an imigination to come up with a video game song by only seeing a character and his/her surroundings. Koji Kondo is a fucking legend...i salute you

[@AlejandroMdz]

"I think that music also plays an importante role in terms of having the game stay in your memory for a long time" ... Wonderful Quote

[@larsn0va]

Kondo's comment about Rachmaninoff's piano concertos came out of left field but it makes a lot of sense. I think Gusty Garden Galaxy and movement 2 of Rachmaninoff's second piano concerto are both absolute masterpieces. I'm really happy that he took inspiration from classical music for the Galaxy games, it produced some music that we'll never forget.

[@jytvreal]

he didn't composed gusty garden but he did composed good egg galaxy which i prefer

[@jameszhang8152]

Thank you so much Sir!!! Your music was part my childhood memory!!!

[@FujiwaraMisaki140]

his music is what kept me playing the many video games that nintendo 64 kept making. like legend of zelda series. i only played those games cuz of the music! no LIE! even after 5 years of not playing LoZ i still remember the songs. that's how much of an impression this guy's music has left on me! i BOW down before you Koji Kondo-sensei!!!! may you live a long life!

[@pendejadafcc]

He really is a legend. Only an artist of his class could have used his talent to make the music that would never be forgotten by the millions of kids who played these games that made their childhood. His famous melodies will be remembered for decades. LONG LIVE KOJI KONDO

[@thepokemontrainer6094]

Literally my entire childhood has been with Koji Kondo, he literally made the best music in video game history!! I mostly like him for the zelda games thou.

[@sweatyguysteve2056]

Man this brings back so much nostalgia, I remember when I taught Koji Kondo how to play the piano.

[@cmdess]

Such unique music, what an enigma of a composer. :)

[@bepis_real]

I'm watching this in 2024, and we've lost Dragon Quest's Koichi Sugiyama a few years ago. Kondo is still here, but I fear this video will soon be haunting to revisit

[@gorgalsi]

Koji Kondo is a living legend. What a great honour to see him play personally. I cannot describe how much I thank you for uploading this interview. Koji Kondo has created music that influenced my life !!

[@benjiibear4857]

11 years later, and only 63k views? KZbin...it is time...

[@Hibiki7soul]

His music is simply amazing, but i have to say what i admire the most is his ability to give life to the surroundings of the game with his music. - Complete genious.

[@Daelion164]

"I think that music plays an important role in terms of having the game stay in your memory for a long time." SO TRUE

[@Gary_Lifts]

What about Zelda though? He wrote some seriously beautiful songs for that game. I'm pretty sure Ocarina of time alone has like 80+ songs in the soundtrack & I can't think of a single one that I dislike. Pure .... Musical....genius. Thank you very much Koji Kondo for making my childhood so special.

[@inno3]

This music is added to the congress library in US.

[@LocalJon]

yepp

[@Rejekt313]

I agree with you 100%!!! Without Koji Kondo, video game music wouldn't be as respected as a genre as it is today!!

[@MRSamSlick100]

Quite possibly my favorite musician/composer of the 20th century

[@SweetE1403]

He is a musical genius!

[@MrYeahman007]

The segment with the water theme really stuck out to me as that's basically Chopin tier classical music disguised as video game music

[@sparkydog120]

Kojo Kondo is truly an amazing composer. His work in the Zelda (especially Ocarina of Time), and the Mario games, is the best imo.

[@Sax4565]

How could he not listen to Jazz writing such awesome music? Because of him I learned to play the piano when I found sheets from old LoZ and Super Mario music. I am a jazz musician and really like to listen to his tunes since they really are interestingly composed. Nintendo and Jazz music for life! :) Thank you so much Koji Kondo!

[@RODRIGOR300]

fucking genius, this guy gonna be remembered forever like we remember beethoven

[@sovereignviper]

Koji Kondo is a legend! He is amazing!

[@samsirokytheninja]

This man is a legend.

[@sebastianhernandez9631]

How is it posible that there are 3 people who don't like this?

[@mattf9076]

Simple, these folks met Peahats, were cut to shreds and left for dead in the fields of Hyrule.

[@BenKirb]

He has the Roland SC-8850, JV-2080, XV-5080, two AKAI samplers, a Yamaha EX5R, and three E-mu Proteus 2's.

[@zadeh79]

This guy is a genius! I love his tunes!

[@PeterTheGr3at]

First video ive ever seen on YT that does NOT have one single dislike! :)

[@sovereignviper]

Koji Kondo is a genius

[@distortiontildeafness]

Legend

[@urskrik6353]

One of best video game music composer of all time! one of the first aswell!

[@dieglhix]

he looks like a mere salaryman but it is a living legend

[@spectraphantom6597]

Yea, he’s certainly the type that’s more reserved.

[@mario54671]

I always loved how Mario 64's Bob-omb Battlefield, Cool Cool Mountain, and Slider themes are all actually variations of the same melody. So well done, it literally took me 15+ years to notice. Nowadays, with composers Shiho Fujii and Mahito Yokota writing the New Super Mario Bros. U music, people easily picked up on the fact that the Overworld, Snow, and Athletic themes were all the same tune, because they weren't nearly as creative.

[@repsycle]

Very good! Koji Kondo is awesome! His tunes are already eternal!

[@Mannetasi]

Koji Kondo . . he's a gift from god serously someone should make a statue of him

[@Hawtep]

This man is a legend

[@randomanton]

Beethoven of our generation

[@frankiecondon4197]

koji kondo = john Williams of vgm. change my mind.

[@karrecod]

Probably one of the greatest heros on earth, i LOVE his work on the Zelda series and the Mario series!

[@HollieKR]

I love his little piano playing head bob.

[@Xaltotun]

He seems so humble, compared to the fact that he is one of the best composers of modern time.

[@leon625]

his best is for the zelda games on the 64.. such amazing Music

[@aziztarghibakkali9596]

He,grant kirkhope,go ichinose and a few others are my favourites :)

[@UltraMegaSeaMonkey]

He is the Messiah of game music

[@randomsht196]

Genius. I love you mr Koji Kondo

[@paulmustermann7068]

Kondo, Williams, Zimmer

[@ImOutsideTheBox]

i can play the theme on guitar, glad to hear he likes jazz as thats what it felt like when playing it, especially all the chromatic stuff, the mario 64 bomb theme is also a wicked tune!

[@jossepherlanger]

Este hombre es un genio!!! Grande koji kondo!

[@SamuraiTacos1]

one dislike from a person with no childhood or misses real video game music

[@111vnderbnder111]

I've looked at this guys compositions and holy shit is he a genius!

[@deldia]

Future generations will be visiting the birth place of Kondo.

[@Dacor_]

When Chuk Norris was born, Koji Kondo played on the background.

[@mario54671]

Well no, Grandma's Theme is indeed an original composition that he wrote himself. I know this because Koji Kondo actually performed it. He never performs music he didn't write himself. But yes, there are a lot of arrangements in Wind Waker that are previous compositions of his, but they're credited to other composers because they were arranged by those guys. In the case of Super Mario Sunshine, Kondo is actually credited for the SMB1 overworld remix because he actually arranged it himself.

[@DeusLeneIV]

Koji Kondo is The MASTER of video games music

[@kaiserxblue]

This man deserves a spot like Mozart or Beethoven in heaven. His music is trully a legacy for our generation.

[@petejt]

Koji Kondo is an absolute legend

[@boringbloke2000]

When i hear the basement music for super mario brothers, I remember musorgski's exhibition paintings.

[@dissident93]

actually it turns out the other song he contributed was just an arrangement (all the other songs by kondo were arranged by nagata and wakai. the song was "beedle's shop" btw.

[@jera3]

I think the music for me, has over 50 % to do for games, movies etc. Too make me get emotions to the situations. At least for me, it is important. Koji Kondo is a genius! !

[@brodiger]

I love the ending credits to Majoras Mask. because part of it's Jazzy thanks to Koji kondo

[@flamegod7]

Koji Kondo is right, it's the rhythm and atmosphere of the game that is important for knowing what kind of music to compose for it. Many games/movies could have been better if only the composers could grasp the feel of them instead of using, for example, Linkin Park's "What I've done," in the movie, Transformers.

[@DAVIDSDIEGO]

Amazing insight! The iconic soundtrack of Super Mario Bros...

[@DeusLeneIV]

Koji Kondo is a GOD for me :)

[@megaton666]

my favorite song by him is "song of healing" from Majora's Mask

[@LatAmWolfV]

And now I ask myself ... What would happen to the music had there not been Koji Kondo? Koji Kondo you are a god of the music :'D

[@samd2013]

This guy is awesome

[@udomatthiasdrums5322]

still love it!!

[@hichaelhighers]

My personal hero

[@myshieldsave-back9157]

Magic... 👍🏻🇩🇴

[@Thewarrior26]

This man is a genius

[@katiesykes2215]

What a legend

[@AnAdorableWombat]

Nothing is cliche about what he does. He creates music for some of the most well known video games with one of the biggest companies on the planet.

[@Dreamewalker]

Games nowadays just get music all wrong. It just doesn't affect the soul like the music of Kondo, Uematsu, and Mitsuda. Such great artists all working in the same era. It's sad to think that artists of their caliber don't exist anymore.

[@mario54671]

Well, to answer your question, he contributed only one composition for that "new" Zelda game, Skyward Sword. :( Look for Skyward Sword music, search for "Legend of Skyloft." It plays during a movie right before the title screen if you don't skip it and just set the controller down. Last time Koji was REALLY involved in a Zelda soundtrack, it was Majora's Mask. After that, one composition in Wind Waker (Grandma's Theme), demo music for Twilight Princess, and Ending Theme to Spirit tracks.

[@ChrisG555]

My Childhood hero

[@JoinHerArmy]

God bless him