Takayuki Aihara

Nice thread. He's not actually a Super Sweep composer, owner of Studio Carnaval, but has been known for endless collaborations with Ayako Saso and Shinji Hosoe. The Super Sweep page was to be renovated, but SquareSound is going to be 'changing'.

Anyway, Takayuki Aihara is one of my favourite composers. He's immensely versatile, having worked on everything from Drag-on Dragoon to Street Fighter EX to Hajime no Ippo, but constantly stands out for being innovative, creative, and refined.

I agree Phantom Kingdom, "The Labyrinth", and Sledge Blow are excellent. His arrangements on Phantasy Star Online Premium Arrange, Mahou Shoujou Ai 2 ''transformation'''s arrange album, and Street Fighter Tribute Album are interesting too.

He's well-known for intense and somewhat inaccessible electronica, though, so it'd be interesting if you like his Namco, Street Fighter EX, and Square works. Drag-on Dragoon should be interesting for you. Not sure how the heck you'll take it.

You can be guaranteed another soundtrack from him. He's been a massive name for over one and half decades now.

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I have to admit that I've never heard T·O·U·R·S, but really want to. It's interesting to see how Hayato Matsuo (Imagine), Hitoshi Sakimoto (Basiscape), Shinji Hosoe and Ayako Saso (Super Sweep), Takayuki Aihara (Studio Carnaval), Ken'ichi Koyano (Eighting/Raizing), and many others are interlinked by Troubadour Records. I guess the earliest Troubadour albums explains many of their various collaborations in the future in the general game music field.

As for Iwata's involvement, you make it sound like a bad thing. At least in my perspective, it's not. Iwata's one of my favourite composers and I vastly prefer he and Aihara to Ito.

EDIT: Oh, I forgot about Famicom Anniversary. I hated that album, but Yack and Aihara made it just about worthwhile.

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I think you misunderstood the post. He was contracted for two years by Yamasa hence why he was less prominent in the industry for a while. However, now that contracted is finished (not about to start), he will probably become freelance again.

How ya doing, buddy?