Yuki Kajiura

Yuki Kajiura (梶浦 由記, Kajiura Yuki, born August 6, 1965) is a Japanese musician, composer and record producer. She has provided the music for several popular anime series, such as the final Kimagure Orange Road movie, Noir, .hack//Sign, Aquarian Age, Madlax, My-HiME, My-Otome, Pandora Hearts, Puella Magi Madoka Magica, Fate/Zero, Sword Art Online, Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba and the Kara no Kyoukai movies (amongst others). She also assisted Toshihiko Sahashi with Mobile Suit Gundam SEED and Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny. Kajiura has also composed for video games, including the cutscene music for Xenosaga II and the entire Xenosaga III game soundtrack. She composed the music for NHK's April 2014 morning drama (asadora) Hanako to Anne.[1]

Yuki Kajiura
梶浦 由記
Yuki Kajiura at Anime Expo 2012
Background information
Born (1965-08-06) August 6, 1965
OriginTokyo, Japan
GenresAnison, baroque pop, contemporary classical music, world music, electronic, folk music, orchestral, new-age music, ambient music, electronica, dark ambient, progressive rock, progressive metal, operatic pop, progressive pop, chamber pop, gregorian chant, experimental
Occupation(s)Musician, composer, record producer
InstrumentsKeyboard/piano
Years active1992–present
Labels
  • Space Craft Produce (1993 - 2018)
  • FictionJunction Music (2018-present)
Associated acts
Websitewww.fictionjunction.com

Biography

She was born on August 6, 1965, in Tokyo, Japan. She has been into music since 1972 and accompanying her father on the piano. Her family later moved to West Germany because of her father's work. Kajiura wrote her first composition when she was seven years old titled " Thank you, Good-bye" as a farewell for her grandmother before leaving Japan.

Kajiura moved back to Japan when she was in middle school and later graduated from college. She began working as a systems engineering programming until 1992 that she decided to focus more on music.[2]

In 2002, See-Saw participated in another Mashimo's project, .hack//Sign During the production of the series, Kajiura met Emily Bindiger and impressed by her vocals, offered her to perform over 10 of the series' insert songs. She has also jokingly called Bindiger "her English teacher" at Anime Expo 2003.[3]

One of Kajiura's solo projects includes FictionJunction. The project involves collaboration with artists such as Yuuka Nanri, Asuka Kato, and Kaori Oda. FictionJunction Yuuka, with Nanri as the vocalist, is the most prolific of these collaborations. In 2004, the duo produced the opening and ending songs for Kōichi Mashimo's Madlax and in the next year, published their first collaborative album, Destination.

In October 2007, it was announced that Yuki Kajiura would be attending the performances of the Eminence Orchestra's concert, 'A Night in Fantasia 2007 – Symphonic Anime Edition', as a special guest.[4]

The 2014 series Aldnoah.Zero's opening theme "Heavenly Blue" was composed by Kajiura and was performed by Kalafina.[5]

In July 2016, Aniplex of America announced that the “Yuki Kajiura LIVE ~featuring SWORD ART ONLINE~” concert that took place in March 2016 in Japan would be having an additional date on January 14, 2017, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, California, but was later canceled due to visa issues.[6]

In December 2017, a source reported to a news site, Sponchi Annex that Kajiura was planning to leave her agency, Spacecraft Produce, over contract disputes. In February 2018, Kajiura herself confirmed via her Twitter that she has officially left her agency.[7][8][9]

Kajiura has performed internationally at various anime conventions including Anime Expo 2003, Anime Boston 2009 (with Kalafina), Anime Expo 2012 (with FictionJunction), and Anime Expo 2018 (as part of Anisong World Matsuri).[10]

On February 22, 2018, her contract ended with SpaceCraft Produce after being a talent for 25 years.[11] She is now represented by FictionJunction Music, a talent agency she founded herself.

Discography

Anime soundtracks
TitleYear of releaseDirector
Kimagure Orange Road: Summer's Beginning1996Osamu Kobayashi
Eat-Man1997Kōichi Mashimo
Noir2001Kōichi Mashimo
Aquarian Age2002Yoshimitsu Ohashi
.hack//Sign2002Kōichi Mashimo
.hack//Liminality2002Kōichi Mashimo
Le Portrait de Petit Cossette2004Akiyuki Shinbo
Madlax2004Kōichi Mashimo
My-HiME2004Masakazu Obara
My-Otome2005Masakazu Obara
Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle2005–2006Kōichi Mashimo
Hiroshi Morioka
Elemental Gelade2005Shigeru Ueda
My-Otome Zwei2006Masakazu Obara
Fist of the North Star: The Legends of the True Savior2007Toyoo Ashida
El Cazador de la Bruja2007Kōichi Mashimo
Tsubasa Tokyo Revelations2007–2008Shunsuke Tada
Tsubasa Shunraiki2009Shunsuke Tada
Pandora Hearts2009Takao Kato
Puella Magi Madoka Magica2011Akiyuki Shinbo
Yukihiro Miyamoto
Fate/Zero2011–2012Ei Aoki
Sword Art Online2012Tomohiko Itō
Sword Art Online II2014Tomohiko Itō
Erased2016Tomohiko Itō
Zaregoto series2016–2017Akiyuki Shinbo
Yuki Yase
Princess Principal2017Masaki Tachibana
Sword Art Online Alicization2018-2020Manabu Ono
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba2019Haruo Sotozaki
The Case Files of Lord El-Melloi II: Rail Zeppelin Grace Note2019Makoto Katō

Movie soundtracks
TitleYear of releaseDirector
Tokyo-Kyodai1995Jun Ichikawa
Ruby Fruit1995Takumi Kimiduka
Rainbow1999Naoto Kumazawa
Boogiepop and others2000Ryu Kaneda
Moon2000Takumi Kimiduka
Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle Movie: Princess in Birdcage Kingdom2005Itsuro Kawasaki
Kara no Kyoukai series2007–2009, 2013Ei Aoki
Takuya Nonaka
Mitsuru Oburai
Tomonori Sudō
Achilles and the Tortoise2008Takeshi Kitano[12]
Puella Magi Madoka Magica the Movie Part I: Beginnings2012Akiyuki Shinbo
Yukihiro Miyamoto
Puella Magi Madoka Magica the Movie Part II: Eternal2012Akiyuki Shinbo
Yukihiro Miyamoto
Puella Magi Madoka Magica the Movie Part III: Rebellion2013Akiyuki Shinbo
Yukihiro Miyamoto
Sword Art Online: Extra Edition2013Tomohiko Itō
L.O.R.D: Legend of Ravaging Dynasties2016Guo Jingming
Sword Art Online The Movie: Ordinal Scale2017Tomohiko Itō
Fate/stay night: Heaven's Feel I. presage flower2017Tomonori Sudō
Fate/stay night: Heaven's Feel II. lost butterfly2019Tomonori Sudō
Fate/stay night: Heaven's Feel III. spring song2020Tomonori Sudō
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba the Movie: Mugen Train2020Haruo Sotozaki
Princess Principal: Crown Handler2021Masaki Tachibana
Sword Art Online the Movie -Progressive- Aria of a Starless Night2021Ayako Kawano

Game soundtracks
TitleGame platformYear of releaseCompany
Double Cast (ダブルキャスト, Daburukyasuto)PlayStation1998Sony Computer Entertainment
Meguri-aishite (めぐり愛して)PlayStation1999SME
Blood: The Last VampirePlayStation 22000Sony Computer Entertainment
Xenosaga Episode II: Jenseits von Gut und Böse (Movie scenes)PlayStation 22004Namco
Xenosaga Episode III: Also sprach ZarathustraPlayStation 22006Namco

Musicals
TitleYear of release
Sakura-Wars1998
Fine1998
Funk-a-Step1998
Funk-a-Step II1999
Christmas Juliette1999–2000
High-School Revolution2000
Christmas Juliette2000
Shooting-Star Lullaby2001
Love's Labour's Lost/Set2002
Angel Gate2006

Solo albums
TitleYear of release
Fiction2003
Fiction II2011

Produced albums
TitleArtistYear of release
I have a dreamSee-Saw1993
See-SawSee-Saw1994
Early BestSee-Saw2003
Dream FieldSee-Saw2003
melodySaeko Chiba2003
everythingSaeko Chiba2004
DestinationFictionJunction Yuuka2004
CircusFictionJunction Yuuka2007
Re/obliviousKalafina2008
Everlasting SongsFictionJunction2009
Seventh HeavenKalafina2009
Red MoonKalafina2010
After EdenKalafina2011
ConsolationKalafina2013
ElementalFictionJunction2014
far on the waterKalafina2015

Compilation albums
TitleYear of release
The Works for Soundtrack2011

Other involvements
GenreProjectInvolvementYear
AnimeJura TripperEnding theme "Sunday Island" by Mariko Kouda [13]1995
AnimeMobile Suit Gundam SeedClosing theme & insert songs2002
AnimeChrono CrusadeClosing theme song (Sayonara Solitaire)2003
Game.hack//QuarantineSong "Yasashii Yoake" (also used in .hack//Sign)2003
AnimeThe World of NarueClosing theme2003
AnimeMobile Suit Gundam Seed DestinyClosing theme & insert songs2004
Anime.hack//Legend of the TwilightClosing theme2004
AnimeLovelessTheme song2005
AnimeShōnen OnmyōjiOpening theme song2006
Anime.hack//RootsOpening theme song2006
AnimeBakumatsu Kikansetsu IrohanihohetoOpening theme song2006
AnimeMy-Otome ZweiEnding theme songs 2–32007
AnimeBaccano!Ending Theme song "Calling" featuring Kaori Oda [14]2007
AnimeAmatsukiEnding Theme song2008
TV DramaNegima (Live Action)Ending Theme song2008
AnimeKuroshitsujiEnding Theme Song "Lacrimosa" by Kalafina [15]2008
DocumentaryUnknown Episodes of History – HistoriaSoundtrack[16]2009
AnimeSo Ra No Wo ToOpening Theme song2010
AnimeŌkami KakushiTheme song2010
AnimeEve no JikanEnding Theme Song2010
GameNobunaga's AmbitionTheme song2010
AnimeKuroshitsuji IIInsert theme song2010
TV Drama15 Sai no ShiganheiMusic2010
Game.hack//LinkPreviously written songs contributed: Edge, (from .hack//Liminality Volume 1: In the Case of Mai Minase) Obsession from .hack//Sign and Silly-Go-Round. (from .hack//Roots)2010
DocumentaryUnknown Episodes of History – Historia 2Soundtrack2011
AnimeSacred SevenOpening theme song2011
GameSenritsu no StratusOpening theme song2011
AnimeFate/ZeroOpening theme song, Ending theme song2011
TV DramaHanako to AnneMusic2014
AnimeAldnoah.ZeroOpening theme song2014
AnimeFate/stay night: Unlimited Blade WorksGuest Composer, Ending theme song2014
AnimeThe Heroic Legend of ArslanEnding theme song2015
AnimeErasedEnding theme song2016
AnimeThe Heroic Legend of Arslan: Dust Storm DanceEnding theme song2016
AnimeFate/stay night: Heaven's Feel I. presage flowerTheme song2017
AnimeFate/stay night: Heaven's Feel II. lost butterflyTheme song2019
TV DramaEien no NispaMusic2019
MusicJAM Project song “To the Next Era”Composition and arrangement2020

References
  1. 連続テレビ小説 (in Japanese). NHK, Japanese Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved November 25, 2018.
  2. "Yuki Kajiura Biography". Biography. Canta-Per-Me.net. January 26, 2016. Retrieved March 23, 2020.
  3. "Yuki Kajiura Concert". Anime Source. Anime-Source.Com. September 25, 2003. Retrieved June 4, 2012.
  4. "AU: Eminence Orchestra Returns to Sydney!". IGN Music. IGN Entertainment, Inc. October 10, 2007. Retrieved June 4, 2012.
  5. "DISCOGRAPHY｜Kalafina OFFICIAL WEBSITE". www.sonymusic.co.jp. Retrieved March 8, 2018.
  6. "Yuki Kajiura to Hold Sword Art Online-Themed Concert in Hollywood in January". Anime News Network. July 2, 2016. Retrieved August 22, 2016.
  7. "Anime Music Composer Yuki Kajiura Leaves Agency After 25 Years". Anime News Network. February 21, 2018. Retrieved February 21, 2018.
  8. "アニメ業界で事務所トラブル　梶浦由記氏退社、カラフィナも活動休止へ　20億円超の打撃". sponichi.co.jp. December 23, 2017. Retrieved February 21, 2018.
  9. "アニメ音楽界のカリスマ・梶浦由記氏事務所退社、「カラフィナ」活動は白紙". sponichi.co.jp. February 21, 2018. Retrieved February 21, 2018.
  10. "Yuki Kajiura". AnimeCons.com. Retrieved December 27, 2018.
  11. "Anime Music Composer Yuki Kajiura Leaves Agency After 25 Years". animenewsnetwork.com. February 21, 2018. Retrieved March 23, 2020.
  12. Berra, John, ed. (2010). Directory of World Cinema: Japan. Intellect Books. p. 10. ISBN 9781841503356.
  13. "Yuki Kajiura". Sunday Island. Canta-Per-Me.net,Yuki Kajiura Discograpy. Retrieved March 23, 2020.
  14. "Yuki Kajiura". Calling performed by Kaori Oda. Canta-Per-Me.net,Yuki Kajiura Discograpy. Retrieved March 23, 2020.
  15. "Yuki Kajiura". Lacrimosa performed by Kalafina (in Japanese). FictionJunction.com, Yuki Kajiura Official Website. Retrieved March 23, 2020.
  16. "Yuki Kajiura". Casting Profile (in Japanese). NHK, Japanese Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved June 4, 2012.
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