The Outerhaven had the opportunity to conduct a text interview with composer Hiroyuki Sawano ahead of his upcoming Hiroyuki SAWANO Live in Los Angeles 2025 concert! Below you will find the transcript of the interview!
Outerhaven: Hello, Sawano-san! First, I would like to thank you for taking the time out of your very busy schedule to answer our questions! It is very much appreciated!
To start, a lot of anime fans here in the West consider you as one of the “holy trinity of anime composers.” In other words, they associate you alongside composers Yuki Kajiura and Yoko Kanno as being able to produce some of the most memorable soundtracks in all of anime. Each composer has a unique style, and most of your style focuses more on rock mixed with synth, along with powerful vocals. What made you choose that style?
Hiroyuki Sawano: I think it happened naturally over time, but I’ve always liked American rock and have also been influenced by Hollywood soundtracks and composers who take an epic, cinematic approach to music. Composers like Hans Zimmer and Danny Elfman have also had a big influence on me. I even feel a rock essence in Zimmer’s work. On the synth side, I also enjoy EDM-style sounds, which have influenced me as well. I suppose my current style came from mixing together the kinds of music I personally love.
That said, it’s not like I created this style from scratch; similar approaches are already common overseas, and I think I’ve been greatly influenced by those as well.
The Outerhaven: You’ve also been known to use orchestral instruments as well, such as on the track Vogel Im Kafig from Shingeki no Kyojin. How do you determine what instruments are best for those tracks? Is the type of scene or moment that the show is trying to produce, or just a feeling that tells you, “This style is the best fit?”
Hiroyuki Sawano: During the music meetings, the anime production team gives me a music cue sheet. From there, I start creating my own instrumentation plan. Deciding whether it should be a band piece, a vocal track, or an orchestral one. I do make music that fits the tone of the scenes and direction, but I also like to include sounds or ideas that I personally find interesting, even if they weren’t specifically requested.
The Outerhaven: Have there been any major influences on you when growing up? A favorite band, or maybe an event that made you decide to get into composing music?
Hiroyuki Sawano: The main inspirations that made me want to become a composer were ASKA from CHAGE and ASKA, and Tetsuya Komuro.
As for overseas artists, Hans Zimmer and Danny Elfman have influenced me, as well as bands like Aerosmith, OneRepublic, and, more recently, Imagine Dragons.
The Outerhaven: One of the things you’ve been known for is the infamous “Sawano Drop.” That moment where the music fades out and then comes back at full force. Many have associated this with pivotal moments in fight scenes where it seems that the drop happens at the perfect moment every time. Can you tell us a little bit about how you create these moments? For example, do you see the storyboard first, or is it something you include in a track and the animators just match it up to the music?
Hiroyuki Sawano: It’s probably the latter. When I compose, I don’t usually sync the music directly to the visuals. I build in pauses or breaks within the structure of the piece, which I think helps editors match the powerful parts to the visuals more effectively later on.
The Outerhaven: While many associate you with anime soundtracks, you’ve also produced soundtracks for video games such as Xenoblade Chronicles X, League of Legends (StarGuardian), Blue Protocol, and more. Is it easier to compose a video game soundtrack than it is an anime soundtrack, or are there unique challenges in gaming when it comes to creating music?
Hiroyuki Sawano: I haven’t worked on that many game projects, so this is just my impression — but I don’t feel much difference in the way I compose for them. I think I’m usually approached for game work because of my anime soundtracks, so if I tried to completely adapt to “game music,” it might defeat the purpose.
One difference, though, is that during game music meetings, the client sometimes shows me gameplay footage in real time, which doesn’t usually happen in anime meetings. That visual element can be a great motivator for me.
The Outerhaven: We’ve seen you perform a lot of collaborations over the years, from Tielle, Gemie, T.M.Revolution, Aimer, Sukima Switch, all the way to LiSA for Mobile Suit Gundam Narrative, and most recently, Solo Leveling, which also featured Felix from Stray Kids. (There are too many to list!) Is there anyone that you haven’t collaborated with yet that you would like to?
Hiroyuki Sawano: I’d love the opportunity to collaborate with overseas artists someday.
The Outerhaven: Out of all of the collaborations you’ve done, was there any that holds a special place in your heart?
Hiroyuki Sawano: Definitely my collaboration with ASKA. He was one of the key figures who inspired me to start composing, so that experience was especially meaningful.
The Outerhaven: Speaking of those who collaborated, we will be seeing a few of them on Friday, November 14, in Los Angeles for the Hiroyuki SAWANO Live in Los Angeles 2025 concert at the Peacock Theater! What can fans look forward to when coming to this event?
The Outerhaven: I selected songs and works that I think overseas fans will really enjoy. I hope it’ll be a concert where people can relive the memories of those works and get excited together.
A taste of what is to come
The Outerhaven: Lastly, a fun question. What is something interesting about you that fans may not know?
Hiroyuki Sawano: I’m not sure if it’s surprising, but although I tend to talk a lot when I’m around people, I’m actually pretty quiet at home.
We would, again, like to thank Hiroyuki Sawano for taking the time to answer our questions!
You can see Hiroyuki Sawano in Los Angeles on Friday, November 14, at the Peacock Theater. Tickets are on sale now via the following link: https://www.axs.com/jp/events/1016669/hiroyuki-sawano-tickets?skin=peacock
For those who missed the Hiroyuki SAWANO LIVE [nZk]008 concert, Crunchyroll has a carefully selected list of songs performed for you to watch here: https://www.crunchyroll.com/watch/concert/MC3619CEF2
In addition, if you would like to see Hiroyuki Sawano perform, he will be holding a paid livestream concert on October 20 via Stagecrowd! If you are unable to make that date, the archived stream will become available starting on October 27! You can find more information about the Stagecrowd concert via the following link: https://www.sh-nzk.net/artist/sawanohiroyukinzk/info/577390
To stay up-to-date on everything Hiroyuki Sawano, you can follow him through his various official websites and social media accounts:
Hiroyuki SAWANO Official Site: http://www.sawanohiroyuki.com/
SawanoHiroyuki[nZk] Official Site: http://www.sh-nzk.net/
SawanoHiroyuki[nZk] Official YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/SawanoHiroyukiSMEJ
Hiroyuki SAWANO Official X: @sawano_nZk
Hiroyuki SAWANO Official Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hiroyukisawano.official
Hiroyuki SAWANO Official TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hiroyukisawano.official
