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1UP COVER STORY
1UP COVER STORY | WEEK OF JUNE 25 | VIDEO GAME MUSIC FESTIVAL
Professor Sakamoto: Real-Life Game Music Superhero
Cover Story: Japan’s most intriguing musical prodigy has built a career around memories of chiptunes.
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alaryman by day, part-time musical superhero by night; this is the 8-bit and beyond pitch perfect prodigy known as Professor Sakamoto. You may not have heard of this Japanese underground video game legend, but we’re about to change all that. Possessed of superpowers that enable him to sightread/hear/perform any piece of music, he’s acquired the staggering ability to perform a nerd’s dream library of game music from memory, which he does regularly in nightclubs around Tokyo.
But his repertoire isn’t just limited to aping other people’s tunes; he’s released a number of albums, EPs, singles, and even a book, and his fanbase is growing. We recently caught up with the elusive, caped, Famicom-helmet-wearing superhero to take photos of him all around Shibuya, Harajuku, and Omotesando, before settling down for a lengthy chat that explores his origin, inspirations, and influences. We also talk about games. If you love music and you love games, you’re going to love Professor Sakamoto.
