Akira Ifukube

Akira Ifukube Born May 31, 1914 Hokkaido, Japan Occupation Musical Composer First work Ginrei no hate (1947) Notable work Godzilla (1954)

“	The Ainu, with their improvisational style of both composing music and dancing, greatly influenced me. I became very different from the other music students, who had been raised with European pieces, because of this. They had been taught that composition is very difficult, but to me, it seemed relatively easy because of the freedom allowed for by the improvisational style of the Ainu.	„
	— Akira Ifukube, as quoted by David Milner and translated by Yoshihiko Shibata, "Akira Ifukube Interview I", Kaiju Conversations (December 1992)

“	Unlike American film score composers, Japanese film score composers are given only three or four days in which to write the music for a movie. Because of this, I have almost always been very frustrated while writing a score. I therefore can't select any of my scores as favorites.	„
	— Akira Ifukube, as quoted by David Milner and translated by Yoshihiko Shibata, "Akira Ifukube Interview I", Kaiju Conversations (December 1992)

Akira Ifukube (伊福部昭,   Ifukube Akira) was a Japanese musician that was born in 1914 and died in 2006. He is considered to be one of Japan's most revered classical composers.

In the 1940's, during World War II, Ifukube was asked to compose nationalistic themes for the islands liberated by Japan. (One such theme was played by the band when Japan officially surrendered in 1945). Starting in 1947 with the film Snow Trail, Ifukube became prominent in film composition. In 1954, he worked on Godzilla. After that, he scored 11 more Godzilla films (and his themes were added to many others), as well as 13 other sci-fi/ fantasy films. In total, Ifukube scored 43 films in his entire career.

His final Godzilla film was Godzilla vs. Destoroyah, and although he never composed the scores of any of the subsequent movies, his most famous theme, Godzilla's theme, was used in some capacity in most of the subsequent films, and many other pieces of his music were remixed in Godzilla: Final Wars.

He died on February 8th, 2006, from multiple organ failure. However, he left behind a legacy that will always be remembered in the form of his music.

Kaiju Scores

• Godzilla (1954)
• Rodan (1956)
• The Mysterians (1957)
• Varan (1958)
• The Birth of Japan (1959)
• Battle in Outer Space (1959)
• Kujira Gami (1962)
• King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962)
• Atragon (1963)
• Mothra vs. Godzilla (1964)
• Dogora (1964)
• Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster (1964)
• Frankenstein vs. Baragon (1965)
• Invasion of Astro-Monster (1965)
• Daimajin (1966)
• War of the Gargantuas (1966)
• Return of Daimajin (1966)
• Wrath of Daimajin (1966)
• King Kong Escapes (1967)
• Destroy All Monsters (1968)
• Latitude Zero (1969)
• Space Amoeba (1970)
• Godzilla vs. Gigan (1972) [stock music]
• Terror of Mechagodzilla (1975)
• Godzilla vs. Biollante (1989) [selected tracks from the album Ostinato]
• Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah (1991)
• Godzilla vs. Mothra (1992)
• Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II (1993)
• Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla (1994) ["Godzilla's Theme"]
• Godzilla vs. Destoroyah (1995)
• Godzilla 2000: Millennium (1999) ["Godzilla's Theme"]
• Godzilla vs. Megaguirus (2000) ["Godzilla's Theme"]
• Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack (2001) ["Godzilla's Theme," "Great Monster March"]
• Godzilla: Final Wars (2004) ["Godzilla's Theme"]
• Geharha: The Dark and Long Hair Monster (2009) [from King Records’ "Artistry of Akira Ifukube" CDs]
• Shin Godzilla (2016) ["Godzilla Comes Ashore" and "Godzilla Title" from Godzilla (1954), "Battle in Outer Space" from Battle in Outer Space, "Return of Godzilla" from King Kong vs. Godzilla, "Main Title" from Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster, "Main Title" from Invasion of Astro-Monster, "Godzilla Appears" from Terror of Mechagodzilla, "Main Title" from Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II]

Gallery

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  Akira Ifukube with the MogeGoji

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  Akira Ifukube with the KiryuGoji to celebrate his 90th birthday

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  Akira Ifukube with a Godzilla 1984 Maquette

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Trivia

• Ifukube is credited as one of the composers of the score for Shin Godzilla, despite passing away a decade before the film's release.

External Links

• Official English-language website
• Official English Twitter
• Interview by David Milner (December 1992)
• Interview by David Milner (December 1993)
• Interview by David Milner (December 1995)