The Album Celebrates the Japanese Composer’s Illustrious 35+ Year Career
Joe Hisaishi, the celebrated Japanese composer known for his beloved film scores and his work with acclaimed filmmakers Hayao Miyazaki and his Studio Ghibli as well as 'Beat' Takeshi Kitano, announces a new 2-disc compilation album ‘Dream Songs: The Essential Joe Hisaishi’ out February 21 on Decca Gold.
The collection celebrates Hisaishi’s diverse and distinguished catalog of compositions spanning his nearly 40-year career, including selections from Miyazaki classics ‘Spirited Away,’ ‘My Neighbor Totoro,’ and more, as well as recordings never before released in the US.
‘Dream Songs: The Essential Joe Hisaishi’ includes several beloved Hisaishi compositions, many of which soundtrack the most famous moments in all of anime: “One Summer’s Day” (‘Spirited Away’), “My Neighbor Totoro” (‘My Neighbor Totoro’), “Princess Mononoke Suite” (‘Princess Mononoke’), and more. Deeper cuts include the playful “Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea” and the tender “Il Porco Rosso.” The compilation also features “Nostalgia” and “The Wind of Life” from Hisaishi’s solo piano works.
Joe Hisaishi - hailed by Pitchfork as “the John Williams of Japan” - has won countless awards for his achievements in composition and film scoring. He is the 8-time winner of the Japanese Academy Award for Best Music; he was awarded the Japan Medal of Honour award in 2009; and he has composed soundtracks for 2 Academy Award-winning films, ‘Departures’ (2008) and ‘Spirited Away’ (2002).
Hisaishi’s body of work, comprised of nearly 100 film scores and solo albums, draws inspiration from the canon of American minimalist compositions, experimental electronic music, and European and Japanese classical music. He has scored all but one of Hayao Miyazaki’s Studio Ghibli films, including 3 of the top 5 highest-grossing anime films (worldwide).