Which film/game soundtrack composers do you follow?

[Bebpo]

Which composers are you a fan of to the point where you actually purchase (as in actually pay $$$, not download) their cds?

I've been a fan of various composers in the past (mostly game), but most have basically retired (Uematsu) or become jobless (Hirota).  These days I'm a fan of:

Shoji Meguro (Shin Megami Tensei and spinoffs) - Always been impressed by how Meguro could take on various genre (jazz, metal, rock, electronic) while still maintaining the SMT feel in every one.  The guy's been making music for quite a while now and doesn't seem to be losing his edge as the P3 soundtrack showed.

Takeharu Ishimoto (World Ends with You, Crisis Core, soon Dissidia, then FFXIII Agito) - The best upcoming game composer IMO.  He came out of nowhere last year with two extremely different soundtracks that were both game soundtrack of the year worthy.  Judging by his FF7 mixes in Crisis Core, his new mixes of songs from FF1-10 in Dissidia should be pretty freaking awesome.

Naoki Satou (X, Eureka Seven, Sword of the Stranger) - I didn't even know Satou did all these soundtracks when I first bought them separately because they were such great compositions.  Later on when I learned that I already owned most of this guy's major compositions I realized how amazing of a composer he is and so now I'm a fan.

Those are pretty much the only composers I'm happy with 100% of the time anymore.  There are a lot of composers that do good stuff/bad stuff but those 3 are pretty darn consistent.  I would put Yasunori Mitsuda as he's my favorite composer but he makes a lot of just above average stuff in between the rare releases of a major AAA soundtrack like Xenogears, Chrono Cross, Xenosaga, Soma Bringer.

[Greatness Gone]

You're such a nerd. You're almost at Himuro level nerdiness.

[duckman2000]

Whoever the composer behind the SOTC OST; it's the only game soundtrack I listen to regularly. But that's just genuinely good music. I was pretty impressed with the greater portion of the God of War soundtrack, and I thought Fable had a spot on sound, but I don't particularly enjoy much of it outside of the games. Although, the God of War soundtrack went remarkably well with stoned chess.

[demi]

You're such a nerd. You're almost at Himuro level nerdiness.

Shush, son. Let the boy enjoy his music

[Bebpo]

Whoever the composer behind the SOTC OST; it's the only game soundtrack I listen to regularly. But that's just genuinely good music. I was pretty impressed with the greater portion of the God of War soundtrack, and I thought Fable had a spot on sound, but I don't particularly enjoy much of it outside of the games. Although, the God of War soundtrack went remarkably well with stoned chess.

SoTC guy was Kou Otani.  He also did the music for Haibane Renmei among other things.  Great composer.  The main climbing theme in SoTC is incredible.

[Rman]

Yoko Kanno-Macross Plus, Cowboy Bebop.

Danny Elfman-Batman, Batman Returns, various Burton scores

John Williams-Cliche, I know.  His Jurassic Park score is fantastic.

Of more recent films, I enjoyed the Speed Racer, Wall-E, and The Dark Knight scores. 

[Akala]

Yoko Kanno is fucking awesome.
[youtube=425,350]thdb0hDjcrA[/youtube]

[youtube=425,350]EIVgSuuUTwQ[/youtube]

[HyperZoneWasAwesome]

while we're involved in Japafaggory stuff here, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention my huge love-on towards Joe Hisaishi, who's so fucking good Miyazaki uses nobody else, and the only reason Takashi Kitano stopped hiring him is because he too expensive for his films anymore.  I've yet to see a film he was involved with that didn't have neigh-perfect musical accompaniment, it isn't just that his music is frequently beautiful, its that he really, really works well with others and is able to help amplify whatever emotional impact the director is going for.  I just plain love the guy's work.

  Sonatine score

[tiesto]

Games:
-Sasha (did some music for Wip3out)
-Yuzo Koshiro (a lot of his stuff is kind of mediocre, honestly... but Actraiser is awesome and Streets of Rage 1 and 2 have WYKD soundtracks)
-Hip Tanaka ( Wrecking Crew Theme )
-YUUKICHAN'S PAPA (Mega Man 2)
-Yasunori Mitsuda (actually, I only really like his CT soundtrack, but CT is my favorite game soundtrack of all time not including Wip3out)
-Falcom Sound Team JDK
-Nobuo
-Koichii Sugiyama
-Hiroki Kikuta
-Shoji Meguro

Films:
-John Digweed (did some of the soundtrack for "Stark Raving Mad" so I'm not sure if that counts)
-BT (he's done film scores as well)
-Phillip Glass
-Joe Hisaishi

[Joe Molotov]

You're such a nerd. You're almost at Himuro level nerdiness.

Shush, son. Let the boy enjoy his music

If the question was "What film/game soundtrack composers do you listen to while having multiple penises thrust repeatedly into your anus?" GG would probably have a list. SMH

[Solo]

Film (dont really follow game music), although some of these guys are dead, and thus, cannot be followed anymore:

- Ennio Morricone
- Bernard Herrmann
- John Barry
- Bill Conti
- Maurice Jarre
- Jerry Goldsmith
- Clint Mansell
- Basil Poledouris

[Don Flamenco]

I have an ennio morricone album, but otherwise, I can't really enjoy game/film music out of its context. 

[recursivelyenumerable]

I've been a fan of various composers in the past (mostly game), but most have basically retired (Uematsu)

huh?  still seems pretty active to me, though he mostly works in collaboration with Satoshi Henmi & Hiroyuki Nakamura these days.

[Robo]

I have an ennio morricone album, but otherwise, I can't really enjoy game/film music out of its context. 

Same.  When I listen to soundtrack compositions, I just end up connecting it with particular scenes in the film/game.  So then, what's the point?  It's not a knock to the actual composition, it's the original intention -- I get too caught up in it and it throws me off.

I do have some Jon Brion stuff, and a few Clint Mansell's, and Air's Virgin Suicide soundtrack, but that's it.

[Mandark]

I really dig the old pop jazz soundtrack stuff from the 60's.  Henry Mancini, Lalo Schiffrin, Laurie Johnson.

I'm too lazy to actually follow anyone.  I've been meaning to get the old NFL Films soundtracks for years but never get around to it.

[xnikki118x]

I loved what Elton John did for The Lion King.

[TakingBackSunday]

howard shore

a thousand times yes

[Oblivion]

I'm a HUGE music cigarillo.

Vidya games:

Koji Kondo
Kou Otani
Motoi Sakuraba
Inon Zur
Mahito Yokota (recently)


Telemavision:

Shuki Levy (though he hasn't done anything in years, sadly )
Joseph Lo Duca
Michael Tavera
Guy Moon
Tom Chase
Ron Jones
Christopher Stone

Movie:

John Williams
Howard Shore
Danny Elfman
George S. Clinton (though to be honest, I've only liked his Mortal Kombat soundtracks)
Basil Poledouris

Fuck there's a bunch I'm missing, but I'll fill em up later.

[recursivelyenumerable]

anyway, for games I like Uematsu, Kikuta, Mitsuda, Shimomura, Hamauzu, Sakimoto, Sugiyama, Hibino, the usual suspects basically.

[Bebpo]

I've been a fan of various composers in the past (mostly game), but most have basically retired (Uematsu)

huh?  still seems pretty active to me, though he mostly works in collaboration with Satoshi Henmi & Hiroyuki Nakamura these days.

Whoops, I totally forgot he did the Mistwalker games.  Yeah Uematsu's still showing a lot of talent. 

I have an ennio morricone album, but otherwise, I can't really enjoy game/film music out of its context. 

I can enjoy soundtracks for the music itself and for the contextual nostalgia.  For instance I won't play any of the Gust games (Eternal Mana, Ar Tonelico) but I really like the soundtracks.  I've never played FFXI and never will since I don't play MMOs, but I love the FFXI ost to death.

[Bloodwake]

Film composers:

Howard Shore
Ennio Morricone
John Williams (give credit where credit's due)
Michael Giaccino

Also, magic happens whenever Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard get together.