Tohru Okada, the Japanese musician behind the distinctive sound that has accompanied the PlayStation emblem in commercials for 1 / 4 century, has handed away.
The information of Okada’s passing was confirmed at this time by his bandmates on Twitter in addition to the Japanese information web site, Excite. In keeping with Excite, Okada handed away on the age of 73 on account of coronary heart failure on the morning of February 14th.
Of us won’t have identified the composer by identify previous to his passing, however they’ve positively heard his sound all through the various years of PlayStation commercials. Okada not solely contributed to PlayStation’s emblem jingle, however he additionally composed a track that was used in some madcap, early Crash Bandicoot commercials in Japan, as famous by GameSpot. In case you’re in want of a visit down reminiscence lane, right here’s a video chronicling the evolution of the enduring emblem sound that’s punctuated the tip of so many PlayStation commercials from the previous 25 years.
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Exterior of his contribution because the creator of the PlayStation emblem sound impact, Okada additionally served as a founding member of the influential Japanese rock band, The Moonriders. Serving because the band’s keyboardist, Okada carried out alongside fellow founder Keiichi Suzuki. Like Okada, Suzuki left a heavy influence on video video games and anime together with his music contributions to traditional Nintendo RPGs like Mom (higher identified within the West as EarthBound Beginnings) and EarthBound in addition to composing the rating to Satoshi Kon’s award-winning anime movie, Tokyo Godfathers.
Final 12 months, Okada introduced his hospitalization on account of a compression fracture, in line with Excite. Throughout that point, Okada’s company launched a press release from him saying that his aim was to rehabilitate in time to carry out on the Hyde Park Music Competition in Sayama, Japan, the place he used to dwell, on April 29 and thirtieth. In keeping with The Moonriders’ official Fb web page, the band’s efficiency has been canceled however its members plan to share their ideas on Okada through the occasion.