Moonriders
Keiichi Suzuki | |
|---|---|
| Born | Tokyo, Japan |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, vocalist, record producer, composer, actor |
| Years active | 1970s–present |
| Known for | Member of Moonriders; compositions for EarthBound Beginnings/Mother and EarthBound/Mother 2; film scores for The Blind Swordsman: Zatōichi, Tokyo Godfathers, Uzumaki, Chicken Heart, Outrage trilogy |
is a Japanese artist, vocalist, and record producer who helped establish the Moonriders, recognized as one of Japan's most pioneering rock ensembles. He achieved global acclaim for his compositions in the video games EarthBound Beginnings/Mother (1989) and its sequel EarthBound/Mother 2 (1994), both of which appeared on several soundtracks. His work in film scoring includes titles such as The Blind Swordsman: Zatōichi, Tokyo Godfathers, Uzumaki, Chicken Heart (2009), and the Outrage trilogy directed by Takeshi Kitano.
Career
Born in Tokyo, Japan, Suzuki is the son of actor Akio Suzuki and has a brother, Hirobumi Suzuki, who plays bass. During the early 1970s, he became a member of the Japanese group Hachimitsu Pie, which released a single album in 1973. Subsequently, he took the lead role as vocalist and frontman of the Moonriders, whose first album was released under the name "Keiichi Suzuki and the Moonriders." Additionally, he partnered with Yellow Magic Orchestra co-founder Yukihiro Takahashi to form the duo The Beatniks, and was also involved in the trio known as Three Blind Moses.
Suzuki's acting credits include appearances in films such as Body Drop Asphalt, Shunji Iwai's Swallowtail, and Love Letter spanning the 1980s through the early 2000s.
In 1989, he co-created the soundtrack for the video game EarthBound Beginnings/Mother, followed by additional compositions for its 1994 follow-up EarthBound/Mother 2. He also composed music for the audio game Real Sound: Kaze no Regret.
His song "Satellite Serenade" was remixed by The Orb and included on compilation albums such as Sasha & Digweed's Northern Exposure and The Orb's Auntie Aubrey's Excursions Beyond the Call of Duty.
In February 2008, Suzuki launched his solo album Captain Hate & First Mate Love alongside Keiichi Sokabe, followed by concert tours in spring 2008. Later releases include Pirate Radio Seasick (2009) and In Retrospect (2011).
Influences
Among Suzuki’s primary inspirations are John Lennon of the Beatles, the Beach Boys, Van Dyke Parks, Andy Partridge from XTC, Godley & Creme, Miklos Rozsa, and Harry Nilsson, particularly influencing his compositions for the Mother series.
with Hachimitsu-Pie
- Sentimental Dohri ("Sentimental Street") (1973)
with Moonriders
- MOONRIDERS (1977)
- Istanbul mambo (1977)
- NOUVELLES VAGUES (1978)
- MODERN MUSIC (1979)
- CAMERA EGAL STYLO (1980)
- Aozora Hyakkei ("100 spectacular views of the blue sky") (1982)
- MANIA MANIÈRA (1982)
- AMATEUR ACADEMY (1984)
- ANIMAL INDEX (1985)
- DON'T TRUST OVER THIRTY (1986)
- Christ, Who's gonna die first? () (1991)
- A.O.R. (1992)
- Moonriders No Yoru ("Night of the Moonriders") (1995)
- Bizarre Music For You (1996)
- GetsuMen Sanka ("Lunar anthem") (1998)
- dis-covered (1999)
- Dire Morons TRIBUNE (2001)
- P.W Babies Paperback (2005)
- MOON OVER the ROSEBUD (2006)
- Tokyo7 (2009)
- Ciao! (2011)
- it's the moooonriders (2022)
The SUZUKI (collaboration with brother Hirobumi Suzuki)
- The Suzuki meets GREAT SKIFFLE AUTREY (1990)
- The Suzuki ’95 (1995)
- The Suzuki meets Kuricorder Quartet (1998)
No Lie-Sense (partnered with Keralino Sandorovich)
- First Suicide Note (2013)
- JAPAN'S PERIOD (2016)
- Dadalogue ～駄々録～ (2020)
Controversial Spark
- After Intermission (2019)
Suzuki-Matsuwo (with Kiyonori Matsuo)
- One Hit Wonder (2023)
Solo studio albums
- Hyi No Tama Boy (1976, credited to Keiichi Suzuki and the Moonriders)
- S.F. (1978), also known as 宇宙からの物体X
- Suzuki White-Report (1991)
- Tokyo Taro Is Living in Tokyo (1993, under the name Tokyo Taro)
- Satelliteserenade (1994), released as Suzuki K1 >> 7.5cc
- Yes, Paradise, Yes | M.R.B.S. (1999), also as Suzuki K1 >> 7.5cc
- No.9 (2004), with Moonriders
- Captain Hate & First Mate Love (2008)
- Pirate Radio, Seasick シーシック・セイラーズ登場! (2009)
- In Retrospective ヘイト船長回顧録 ラヴ航海士抄 (2011)
- Keiichi Suzuki: Music for Films and Games (2010, compilation of soundtracks)
- Records and Memories (2015)
- Mother Music Revisited (2021)
Video games
| Title | Details |
|---|---|
| EarthBound Beginnings/Mother | Co-composed with Hirokazu Tanaka |
| EarthBound/Mother 2 | Collaborated with Hirokazu Tanaka, Hiroshi Kanazu, and Toshiyuki Ueno |
| Real Sound: Kaze no Regret | |
| Mother 1+2 | With Hirokazu Tanaka, Hiroshi Kanazu, and Toshiyuki Ueno |
| Super Smash Bros. Brawl | |
| Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U | |
| Super Smash Bros. Ultimate |
Film
- Swallowtail Butterfly (1996)
- Uzumaki (2000)
- The Blind Swordsman: Zatōichi (2003)
- Tokyo Godfathers (2003)
- Chicken Heart (2009)
- For the Plasma (2014)
- His (2020)
- Last Letter (2020)
- Just Remembering (2022), role: Nagura
- Call Me Chihiro (2023), portraying an elderly musician
- Plastic (2023)
- Kyrie (2023)
- Ghost Cat Anzu (2024), voice of a Buddhist monk
- Paradise of Solitude (2024)
- Gosh!! (2025)
- BAUS: The Ship's Voyage Continues (2025), character: Takuo
- First Kiss (2025)
- Spirit World(2025)
Television
- Bullets, Bones and Blocked Noses(2021), role: Shimura
External links
- Short description with empty Wikidata description
- 1951 births
- 20th-century Japanese composers
- 20th-century Japanese male actors
- 21st-century Japanese composers
- 21st-century Japanese male actors
- Composers from Tokyo
- Japanese film score composers
- Japanese male film actors
- Japanese male film score composers
- Japanese male television actors
- Japanese record producers
- Japanese rock musicians
- Japanese video game composers
- Living people
- Male actors from Tokyo
- Musical groups disestablished in 2011