Geinoh Yamashirogumi is a Japanese musical collective known for their experimental compositions that blend instruments and musical traditions from around the world—particularly Asia. Their work often incorporates ritualistic and ceremonial music styles, which can be difficult for the average listener to digest, but that's part of what makes them so fascinating.
Their crowning achievement, in my opinion, is the soundtrack to Akira, the 1988 anime film adaptation of Katsuhiro Otomo's manga. The music they composed for this film isn’t just background—it’s a central part of the experience. It’s haunting, ritualistic, and unlike anything found in most modern anime scores.
Where many contemporary series, like My Hero Academia, lean on generic electronic music, overly dramatic orchestras, or jarring J-pop tracks that often feel disconnected from the story, Akira’s soundtrack takes a different path. Almost 40 years ago, Geinoh Yamashirogumi created a masterpiece that still feels fresh and bold today.
A defining element of the soundtrack is the use of gamelan, a traditional Indonesian musical ensemble. Gamelan uses scales unfamiliar to most Western listeners, which contributes to the soundtrack's eerie and hypnotic quality. It’s ceremonial, powerful, and deeply atmospheric.
Take the track Tetsuo, for example. This chaotic theme reflects the unraveling psyche and god-like power of the character Tetsuo. It features Gamelan Gong Kebyar, known for its dramatic dynamic shifts and metallic percussion (gongs and metallophones). Combined with chanting, the track feels both psychedelic and sacred—fitting for a character whose story blends the scientific and the divine.
Contrast that with Kaneda, the theme of the film’s protagonist. This track features Gamelan Jegog, using deep bamboo marimbas and interlocking rhythms known as kotekan. It feels more energetic and uplifting. You can even hear the word “racer” and the names of Kaneda’s biker gang being chanted.
Both tracks use gamelan, but the different styles and vocal approaches give them distinct emotional tones—one light and kinetic, the other dark and spiritual.
Perhaps the most technically impressive pieces on the soundtrack are the vocal-based tracks. These showcase spectacular polyphony and innovative vocal layering, something rarely attempted on this scale in anime music.
Take Shōmyō—a nearly 10-minute composition that is almost entirely a cappella. It features a female vocal line that sounds ancient, possibly sung in a proto- or old form of Japanese, surrounded by an evolving chorus. Despite its roots in Buddhist music, it’s oddly catchy. This track may also make use of the hypersonic effect, a concept in psychoacoustics involving ultrasonic frequencies that influence brain activity—another sign of Geinoh Yamashirogumi’s scientific and sonic ambition.
My personal favorite track is Mutation. It opens with intense Buddhist chanting—deep, heavy, and oppressive. Later, another vocal layer is added: instead of syllables, full sentences are chanted, adding a storytelling element. Around 1:02, kecak enters—a traditional Balinese chant most famously used in Indonesian rituals (and, interestingly, the end credits music of Avatar: The Last Airbender).
You’ll even hear the names Kaneda, Kaori, and Tetsuo subtly embedded within the chanting. This layering turns the piece into something that feels like an apocalyptic ceremony. It might not be as complex as some Japanese Buddhist chanting (shōmyō), but it more than makes up for it in weight and atmosphere.
Another standout is Doll’s Polyphony. This track might be the weirdest and most experimental of all. It starts with chaotic chanting of Japanese onomatopoeia like "vroom vroom," then gradually transforms into a complex, ominous vocal harmony. It’s bizarre, but it works.
In conclusion,
Akira’s soundtrack is not just one of the best in anime history—it’s a milestone in cinematic music. Its creativity, originality, and cultural depth make it stand far above more conventional anime scores. Few soundtracks are so deeply rooted in traditional music, and fewer still manage to reinvent those traditions into something this futuristic and experimental.
While most anime today rely on predictable tropes like epic orchestras, EDM, or out-of-place pop songs, Akira dares to sound like a ritual from a world that never existed—but somehow feels real. Even decades later, it remains unmatched.
Ask yourself: how often do you hear gamelan? Or kecak? How many anime use hypersonic vocal polyphony as a serious storytelling tool? Akira doesn’t just use music as support—it uses it to reshape your entire sense of time, space, and emotion.
@Fantasea @PersonalityChad @WorthlessSlavicShit
Their crowning achievement, in my opinion, is the soundtrack to Akira, the 1988 anime film adaptation of Katsuhiro Otomo's manga. The music they composed for this film isn’t just background—it’s a central part of the experience. It’s haunting, ritualistic, and unlike anything found in most modern anime scores.
Where many contemporary series, like My Hero Academia, lean on generic electronic music, overly dramatic orchestras, or jarring J-pop tracks that often feel disconnected from the story, Akira’s soundtrack takes a different path. Almost 40 years ago, Geinoh Yamashirogumi created a masterpiece that still feels fresh and bold today.
A defining element of the soundtrack is the use of gamelan, a traditional Indonesian musical ensemble. Gamelan uses scales unfamiliar to most Western listeners, which contributes to the soundtrack's eerie and hypnotic quality. It’s ceremonial, powerful, and deeply atmospheric.
Take the track Tetsuo, for example. This chaotic theme reflects the unraveling psyche and god-like power of the character Tetsuo. It features Gamelan Gong Kebyar, known for its dramatic dynamic shifts and metallic percussion (gongs and metallophones). Combined with chanting, the track feels both psychedelic and sacred—fitting for a character whose story blends the scientific and the divine.
Contrast that with Kaneda, the theme of the film’s protagonist. This track features Gamelan Jegog, using deep bamboo marimbas and interlocking rhythms known as kotekan. It feels more energetic and uplifting. You can even hear the word “racer” and the names of Kaneda’s biker gang being chanted.
Both tracks use gamelan, but the different styles and vocal approaches give them distinct emotional tones—one light and kinetic, the other dark and spiritual.
Perhaps the most technically impressive pieces on the soundtrack are the vocal-based tracks. These showcase spectacular polyphony and innovative vocal layering, something rarely attempted on this scale in anime music.
Take Shōmyō—a nearly 10-minute composition that is almost entirely a cappella. It features a female vocal line that sounds ancient, possibly sung in a proto- or old form of Japanese, surrounded by an evolving chorus. Despite its roots in Buddhist music, it’s oddly catchy. This track may also make use of the hypersonic effect, a concept in psychoacoustics involving ultrasonic frequencies that influence brain activity—another sign of Geinoh Yamashirogumi’s scientific and sonic ambition.
My personal favorite track is Mutation. It opens with intense Buddhist chanting—deep, heavy, and oppressive. Later, another vocal layer is added: instead of syllables, full sentences are chanted, adding a storytelling element. Around 1:02, kecak enters—a traditional Balinese chant most famously used in Indonesian rituals (and, interestingly, the end credits music of Avatar: The Last Airbender).
You’ll even hear the names Kaneda, Kaori, and Tetsuo subtly embedded within the chanting. This layering turns the piece into something that feels like an apocalyptic ceremony. It might not be as complex as some Japanese Buddhist chanting (shōmyō), but it more than makes up for it in weight and atmosphere.
Another standout is Doll’s Polyphony. This track might be the weirdest and most experimental of all. It starts with chaotic chanting of Japanese onomatopoeia like "vroom vroom," then gradually transforms into a complex, ominous vocal harmony. It’s bizarre, but it works.
In conclusion,
Akira’s soundtrack is not just one of the best in anime history—it’s a milestone in cinematic music. Its creativity, originality, and cultural depth make it stand far above more conventional anime scores. Few soundtracks are so deeply rooted in traditional music, and fewer still manage to reinvent those traditions into something this futuristic and experimental.
While most anime today rely on predictable tropes like epic orchestras, EDM, or out-of-place pop songs, Akira dares to sound like a ritual from a world that never existed—but somehow feels real. Even decades later, it remains unmatched.
Ask yourself: how often do you hear gamelan? Or kecak? How many anime use hypersonic vocal polyphony as a serious storytelling tool? Akira doesn’t just use music as support—it uses it to reshape your entire sense of time, space, and emotion.
@Fantasea @PersonalityChad @WorthlessSlavicShit
