2022年8月4日

“Capcom Fighting Collection” : Let’s talk about the concept for the sound making and the remix versions made by CAP-JAMS!

Hello again its Tan-Tan! “Capcom Fighting Collection” was just released on June 24th! Today we have a short interview with the Audio Director Tsujino and with the CAP-JAMS members who were involved in the arranging and recordings of the 8 new remixed songs!
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▲“Capcom Fighting Collection”: Announce Trailer▲

A brief message from Audio director Tsujino!

Tsujino: Hello everyone! I am Tsujino, I am the audio director and sound designer in charge on the game. This time the concept for the sound was HIP-HOP. I made most of the sound effects and the music while thinking in all the cool designs in the interface so they would feel catchy and well balanced.
I do really have in mind the sound of the old versions of the music that were in the game in the 90s because I used to go to the arcades to play all the time. I also have a good understanding in how sample based HIP-HOP sounds so I focused in giving a pleasant experience for those who like that kind of textures. A lot of the music that was sampled was based on famous Funk songs, we also actually sampled a lot of the music from old vinyl records to keep the analog feeling. Still, there were a lot of sources that we could not use because of the copyright… (I know, it’s sad because there were really good pieces there…)
So that actually left us in a weird spot where “We want sampled based HipHop layers but actually sampling songs it’s a big NO NO…”. We put a lot of efforts with the other members of the sound team so we could have pieces that would be cool enough to put in big parties or just to play them live. We hope we have that opportunity soon enough!

▲Capcom Fighting Collection: Museum Sound Player▲

Tsujino: Well, I don’t want to start talking about how much I do love this series and how much passion I put through putting the soundtrack list together because I feel it may take more than an entire day to say everything I want to say (laughs). In Capcom Fighting Collection we actually re-recorded the original tracks from the old games and made them available for the players. During the development we were very eager to create an environment where the old music pieces and the new ones could coexist in harmony. I asked to some of the veteran members who were involved in RED EARTH who can handle the “AC Boards” and they taught us how to use the “CPS-3 Board” that was used at that time. I am afraid I cannot give you much more information on that since is classified information (chuckles).
In Capcom Fighting Collection you can listen to the “Museum Sound Player” where all the music is available. You can listen to the remixes from the super artist who collaborated or the remixes made by CAP-JAMS too.
(*1: An example of the arcade games board that is referenced) (*2: An example of the game boards that were used during the development)

▲A pre-release interview with the Audio Director Tsujino and Mr. Okada from CAP-JAMS:▲

From this point we will focus on the remix versions made by CAP-JAMS and the comments from the staff involved. Be sure to check it!

OPENING DEMO: HYPER STREET FIGHTER II CAP-JAMS ver.

Arranger:Kitagawa: The main points for the arrangement were keeping the original feel of speed through the song, then I tried to extract some… actually, I think I used all the usable phrases from the original song and combined them in a way that was comfortable to perform. As this is a new arrangement, I wanted to increase the length with some new parts that I made but I was somehow worried about users understanding the intention of the changes. That being said, I also added my own voice in the intro where it says “HYPER” with a lightning bolt sound effect that plays in the end. I hope you all get it and enjoy it (laughs)
Guitar:Ogawa: I wanted to spice up a little what Mr. Kitagawa did with the arrangements so I added some ideas from my guitar point of view. For example, I used some cool harmonic sounds while bending to enhance the sense of speed, also I used some cutting ghost notes while playing through an 8th notes delay (hoping it wouldn’t break the atmosphere of the song). I did everything I could think off and I felt really pleased with the results.
I think the most difficult part was the guitar solo. Mr. Kitagawa put some sort of solo as a reference at the beginning, it had the roughness that made it sound cool while having a more mature sound with jazzy notes and I was just thinking “wait, shouldn’t we just use this?”. Still I wanted to take the challenge so I tried some tapping and some other techniques to show what I could do. In the end I was lucky enough we got to use my solo.
As I am younger I know I don’t have the experience and the “adult’s touch” but I am confident I did a good job. The team is full of talented members who are daily making sounds and music for different games. It makes us happy to show a little of what happens backstage to all the players. Maybe you can enjoy the game and the music a little more knowing those little details… Also, sorry for the technical guitar language! (laughs)
Bass:Terayama: I’m Terayama, the bassist who loves playing fighting games. This time I also had the opportunity to participate in the remixes. I am grateful for that. I instantly knew this was Mr. Kitagawa’s arrangement just with a glance. When we put together the sound of all members in it is the moment where “CAP-JAMS sound” comes to life. It’s great… I was completely lost in the bassist mood. I am more than happy to know you all are enjoying it.

Akuma's Theme: HYPER STREET FIGHTER II CAP-JAMS ver.

Arranger:Ohki: This time was not only the in game songs, but we also had the Museum Sound Player where you can just listen to the music. I just thought “It doesn’t matter if it’s a little nostalgic, I want to leave Akuma with its original tone”. I decided for an ambience sounding rock track with some lyrics in there. I wanted to add some layers and phrases easy to understand so players could sing along, overall, I think it felt different but fresh. The other members did also help a lot with the arrangement. I hope you all can enjoy listening this new version of “Akuma”.
Guitar:Fujisawa: I was really moved by the emotional arrangement that Ohki made for us. It has a melodious and also melancholic feeling that evoked some kind of nostalgia. We also had rough and loud drums with transparent layers of piano… I just wanted to put in a nostalgic solo to add more nostalgia to the already nostalgic performance of everyone. I played the guitar shaking and stretching the sound as much as I could. I also hope you enjoy the high speed full picking phrases on the guitar, it enhances the emotions and the scale of the sound. I know I am not good explaining my music theory of how to make guitar solos so I will just leave it up to you to listen to it (laughs).
Drums:Ohno: At the beginning we thought about going for a loud rock feeling so I played more aggressively but when we were recording I felt something was missing… Then, I changed the sound for a snare with a little bitter tone while focusing in having a good sounding base. It turned out being a great song! This really reflects the “Akuma” character we wanted to make. The nostalgia feelings with loud rock made a perfect mix for a PURE NOSTALGIA AKUMA.

Cammy's Theme: HYPER STREET FIGHTER II CAP-JAMS ver.

Arranger:Ikeda: I put a lot of the characteristic phrases of the original song all around, aiming for a more stylish and bold sound that would represent Cammy. It was a process of trial and error at the beginning and I managed to put everything together in the end. There is a solo part for each instrument since I wanted to give all members the space to go crazy. Please pay attention and listen to their performances! Also enjoy the other fresh and nostalgic songs as well!
Bass:Ohmoto: I couldn’t stop myself wanting to play this song when I listened to the demo. It seemed pretty hard at the beginning since it was so dense and full of cool little arrangements. That made me want to put phrases as connectors during the song. Thankfully I was allowed to play the bass, so I did my best while talking with the arranger so many times. I practiced like mad to be able to record and I really enjoyed myself playing. Please also listen to Ikeda’s gorgeous and stylish piano solo too!
Guitar:Fujisawa: When I listened to the first demo, I was really impressed in how much detail Ikeda-kun put into the arrangement. The texture of the rhythm, the chord progression and the overall arrangement was outstanding! Still, it was a little difficult to perform, so we talked a lot and put a lot of efforts in a trial error period, we discussed almost every part of the arrangement in detail.
We were concerned that if we made the song way too easy to play the quality of the arrangement would lose its beauty, but as a result, every performer was able to put a layer of individuality and taste to their parts. It’s top quality CAP-JAMS sound! Please enjoy Cammy’s theme!
Drums:Ohno: When I received the arrangement from Ikeda-kun I just wanted to play the drums. It had this sense of speed and evoked different feelings… But the more I listened to it I realized it would be difficult to play. I had to match fine “Fusion” little details with some more hard-hitting rock styles. It had to be a pretty tight but still punchy sound. During the recordings, there were many parts where we changed drum parts just by feeling and it put me in a constant state of excitement of what would come nest. I hope that feeling will be translated to the players!

Demitri Stage: Night Warriors CAP-JAMS ver.

Arranger:Kimura: To be honest, I had to remake the entire arrangement once (laughs) At the beginning it was an EDM arrangement with slow tempo, but as we talked with the other members it slowly started to become what it is now. Thanks to everyone, it became a cool song and I am really satisfied with the result.
Also, when I was arranging this song it was my first year working in Capcom so I had a lot of work that was new to me. It was also the first time I got to record drums in a studio and I was really nervous! This was my first time arranging Drum'n'Bass and I was unsure of how it would play with a band… I am relieved to know it actually works. Please enjoy this speedy and catchy arrangement from CAP-JAMS.
Keyboard:Okada: I played the piano for this masterpiece that has been arranged so many times! Actually, I have always had a good relationship with my senior Okugawa (the composer who made the original song). He asked me to put more and more power into it (laughs). I talked with the arranger since I wanted to add a “Dark Electro” feel combined with the Drum’n Bass style in a CAP-JAMS way, with a sense of speed and raw textures, it is a good arrangement. The drums and the bass were also on point! I also got to play with Lai, as we both played the keyboard I wanted to give him space to play some of his phrases. We had a lot of avant-garde solo interactions that I hope to play live someday!
Keyboard:Lai: For my first time playing with Cap'Jams, I played the synth portion of "Demitri Stage". While listening to the mockup of the song, I worked on finding the right synth sounds that would fit. With some experimenting and feedback from Miss.Kimura, I finally managed to get a good melody and background synth sound going! Since Mr.Okada's electric piano parts were recorded before mine so I managed to have the honor of listening to it before recording any of mine. His parts were wonderful, so much that it served to inspire my own solo. Without even thinking about anything while recording, My solo and his backing naturally became a call and response kind of thing which lead to a great performance. Music really is mysterious at times. Either way, definitely had a lot of fun recording and I hope everyone will enjoy listening to the song!

Green Scream: VAMPIRE SAVIOR CAP-JAMS ver.

Arranger:Suzuki: While valuing the fashionable chords and rich melody of the original song, we aimed to create a "cool and tight" song for our more adult audience. This time, I was looking forward to the fact that the CAP-JAMS members would play the track, but when we actually tried it, they came back with so many new ideas!! They added nuances and presence that only live performers can give to the sounds, those nuances cannot be expressed by words… maybe the only words I had to say were "it just feels good!"! Since I'm a member who usually makes game sounds, having a space to try new music ideas is exquisite! !! I hope you enjoy this arrangement and the atmosphere that is a little different from the original song!
Keyboard:Okada: As always Mr. Suzuki’s arrange was amazing. It has some piano rock and some “jazz, latin, funk, classical” textures that overflow through the sound. Each part is so exquisitely intertwined. I know you will enjoy this approach! The phrases are well spaced out and the performance is actually harder than what you can hear (laughs). If you are a pianist, you should try to play it! This was also Ohno-kun’s debut with CAP-JAMS and he played a delicate beat that feels perfect with the tune. Enjoy this new face of CAP-JAMS
Drums:Ohno: I had a hard time since I was not used to the genres that were used through the song. The drum set was also covered with a blanket so the sound would be tighter and would feel smoother. This recording felt pretty good and matched the overall sound really well.

Pyron Stage: DARKSTALKERS CAP-JAMS ver.

Arranger:Sato: The aim was trying to create an “overwhelming last boss feeling”. Since I never played the original game I listened to a lot of videos and different sound sources while using the original elements. I thought a lot “how can I incorporate new elements that bring fun that the original ones do not have?” I used a lot of the motifs from the original song while using the original in-game sound effects from the game and parts from other songs. As each sound itself was simple it helped a lot to make room for the performers to add new elements to the mix. Please enjoy the beautiful performance of the CAP-JAMS members!
Drums:Nakayama: This time the genre is somewhat “Industrial rock”… I think? Mr. Sato’s arrange was wonderful! At the demo stage the structure was simple enough to let us give ideas and express our own personalities into the sound. When we put everything together it gradually started to take shape. I asked a lot “What kind of drum sounds do you want? Pure groove or more wild drumming?” to Mr. Sato and taking his opinions in mind I chose the drum set to fulfill it. At first glance it seems to be a simple beat, but when it becomes simpler it is even more important to have control in the release and attack of each sound. This time my drumming is fully aware of those points, I put a lot of ideas back there and I hope you all like it.
Guitar:Fujisawa: I did not want to play lead guitar with the same tone as always since it would be monotonous and boring… I thought about using a WAH pedal to add more dynamics and new textures to the sound. As I was practicing, I became more comfortable with it and then I was able to play the solo that Mr. Sato was aiming for (chuckles). A tricky sound that growls in a heavy beat! This is the boss sound you always wanted!

Those who Show the Way: RED EARTH CAP-JAMS ver.

Arranger:Miyata: Since the original song was only a 16 second loop song, there was not so much I could play with so I felt pretty lost at the time. “How can I make this take shape into a full length song? The melody was very catchy so I used that as the main motif. Then it started to develop into a larger structure. The melody was easy to use to adding elements.
I made the foundation for the arrangement, changing the instrumentation and the sound was a really fun process. I felt amazed when I got to hear something new coming to shape. I have to thank the other members; it is a miracle to see how everyone’s individuality comes into a single piece of music. The result was really “Cool and Pop” with some elements of funk and jazz. Please enjoy it.
Keyboard:Okada: I think that Miyata-san style is the best. I got to perform with a moody feel reminiscent of “Free Soul” styles. By putting the piano and clavinet on Sakurai-kun’s electric piano we got this “good ol’ soul” feeling that everyone loves. It has this taste of 70’s soul that never gets old. Personally, the lightly shuffled middle tempo piano feels great in a swing style. Enjoy this fashionable arrange of the song with great bass lines from Miss Ohmoto.
Keyboard:Sakurai: I played the electric piano and the organ. It was really cool and funky. This was a genre that I personally love so I was happy to be involved in this arrangement. I usually do sound programming so I am honored to participate in a musical project like this! I was able to make a comfortable groove with the other members and have a good synergy with the drums and the bass. Mr. Tsujino’s Wah guitar was the best! Please enjoy it.
Drums:Ohno: The arrangement and the performance of everyone were wonderful. It had a comfortable feeling of the live analog sound. I was able to record with no problems during the practice and the studio recordings! I want you all to be aware of the sense of unity of the band, this was the glue that made everything come together. Miss Ohmoto’s bassline is great and the keyboards are flashy and funky. So many cool phrases in a song that never gets tiring no matter how many times you listen to it.

MEGALOPOLIS: CYBERBOTS CAP-JAMS ver.

Arranger:Narita: The original composer of this piece is a master of the “heavy metal” sound. I decided to arrange it since I could not play the guitar of some of the other songs. I’m not particularly proud of it, but the electric guitar riffs that I made with MIDI at the beginning were not cool at all. I felt embarrassed and anxious when I showed the demo to the other members of CAP-JAMS. The guitar members did an amazing job making the heavy metal sound come to life. Mr. Nakayama playing the drums made the difficult parts seem like a walk in the park. I was surprised and excited to see how smooth it came together.
By playing the keyboard, the pure metal taste elements were combined with some fusion layers that are the flagship sound from CAP-JAMS.
Bass:Terayama: This song is mainly played on down picking to give the heavy feeling and a solid bottom to the bass. I tried to play tight and sometimes rough to match the kick energy. The guitar riffs were also really cool and it was a good opportunity since its been a while since I played with only down picking. When I play like that I remember my childhood when I wanted to be a metal rockstar desperately (laughs)
Guitar:Fujisawa: I played both lead and rhythm guitars (the one on the left side, Mr. Tsujino played the one on the right). Mr. Tsujino’s clean arpeggios in the middle part are excellent. I have this feel of melancholy that I cannot reproduce myself. In this song you will definitely listen to the lead guitar but take your time to listen to the rhythm one as well!

▲CAP-JAMS: A peek into the discussions of the arrangements between Mr. Okada and Mr. Fujisawa▲

A quick message for the fans!

Manager:Koike: I am Koike, sound manager and audio producer. This time I am in charge of supporting CAP-JAMS, adjusting the schedules for the remix songs and booking the recording studios. I make sure every member can give their 120% when performing. Still, I think that even if I did my best the members still got to give their 200% performance making such great songs! Those who listen to CAP-JAMS for the first time, and those who have been supporting us for a long time surely will be please with the new remixes. Please enjoy them while playing the game
Tsujino: We put a lot of efforts with the AC board sound, the new songs and the new Super Artist’s Remix songs from so many great artist. The performances from the CAP-JAMS members were top class too. We got to give that luxurious and stylish touch to “Capcom Fighting Collection”. Go and have fun with everyone!

▲Finally, Tsujino Audio Director who poses with a guitar! ▲

This time we got new members from the sound staff participating in the project, from the younger members to the more veteran ones. CAP-JAMS made possible for use to join composers, sound programmers and sound designers to have a space to create sound that transcends their singular jobs! Certainly, we will keep trying to bring a new twist to the game audio industry! Please look forward to whatever comes next!