He is best known for his work on the Silent Hill series for which he composed all the music and sound effects in all seven current games (excluding Silent Hill Play Novel for Game Boy Advance). Some of the music from the first four games was also remixed and used in the Silent Hill movie. He also played a doubly important role as producer of the third and fourth Silent Hill games (which were available for PlayStation 2/PC and PlayStation 2/Xbox/PC). His music from Silent Hill 2 was performed live in 2005 at the third Symphonic Game Music Concert in Leipzig, Germany and at the world-premiere of PLAY! A Video Game Symphony Live! on May 27, 2006 in Chicago, Illinois, where Yamaoka himself accompanied the orchestra with an electric guitar. As well, Yamaoka actively composes music for Konami's Bemani line of games, particularly, the Beatmania IIDX series.
His first original, non-soundtrack album, iFUTURELIST, was released in January 2006.
Career
He joined Konami on September 21, 1993 after previously being a freelance music composer. He is most well known for his work for the Silent Hill series of video games, for which he composed all the music and sound effects in the whole series (excluding Silent Hill Play Novel for the Game Boy Advance and Esperándote in Silent Hill, composed by 村中りか (Rika Muranaka)). Since Silent Hill 3, he is playing a more important role as the series' producer, also continuing with his music composition working.
Yamaoka's sound commonly contains strong melancholy undertones and generally identifies with the dark ambient, industrial, trip-hop and rock genres. Since Silent Hill 3, he also started working in collaboration with Mary Elizabeth McGlynn and Joe Romersa for vocal compositions.
Much of his work from previous titles has been compiled for the 2006 Silent Hill movie adaptation, directed by Christophe Gans.
His music from Silent Hill 2 was performed live in 2005 at the third Symphonic Game Music Concert in Leipzig, Germany. Yamaoka also performed music from Silent Hill at the world-premiere of PLAY! A Video Game Symphony Live! on May 27, 2006 in Chicago, Illinois, and accompanied the orchestra with an electric seven-string guitar. He also composed songs for Konami's Bemani series, which has also featured tracks from Silent Hill.
His first original album, iFUTURELIST, was released in January 2006. He also wrote the theme of 101%, the main show of the French TV channel Nolife.
On December 2, 2009, it was announced that Yamaoka was leaving his long term employer Konami.
Personal Life
Before working as a video game composer, Yamaoka initially sought a career as a designer, but instead became a musician after studying product design at Tokyo Art College.
In 1993 he joined Konami to work on the game Rocket Knight Adventures 2. When Konami began searching for a musician to compose Silent Hill's score, Yamaoka volunteered because he thought he was the only one capable of making the soundtrack.
Yamaoka stated in a 2009 interview that his favorite game creator is Suda 51 and his favorite video game is No More Heroes.
Hole In The Sky
Akira Yamaoka Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I can see it with eyes closed
Shadows that look like blood
Dead as far as the mind goes
Fear that comes from my head
Lives in the mirror
Why won't you let me out?
Haven't you had enough?
Does the feeling control you?
Just when I think I'm okay
Shadows surround me
All of the monster you are
I can feel in my head
Let me out, let me out
Let me out, let me out
Let me out, let me out
Let me out, let me out
No more, I'm through
You win, I'm dead
You're sorry, sorry?
No you're a lie!
It's over,
Nothing here left alive
Let me out, let me out
Let me out, let me out
Let me out, let me out
Let me out, let me out
The lyrics of Hole in the Sky are rich with evocative imagery and powerful emotions. The song seems to be exploring the experience of being trapped in a cycle of fear and anxiety, unable to escape the shadows that haunt your mind. The singer describes feeling like they've been here before, as if they're trapped in a recurring nightmare that they can't wake up from. The shadows that surround them are described as "looking like blood," suggesting a sense of danger and foreboding.
The singer addresses someone, perhaps a therapist or a loved one, who seems to be keeping them trapped in this state. They ask why they can't be let out of the cycle, and whether the other person is somehow enjoying the power they have over them. Despite their pleas, the singer seems resigned to their fate, acknowledging that the monsters that haunt them will always be there. The repeated refrain of "let me out" is a powerful expression of the singer's desperation and sense of entrapment.
Overall, Hole in the Sky is a deeply introspective and emotional song that explores themes of fear, powerlessness, and the struggle to escape our own inner demons.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh yeah, I've been here before
I have encountered this situation before
I can see it with eyes closed
I am familiar with the darkness of this place
Shadows that look like blood
The shadows are unnerving and disturbing
Dead as far as the mind goes
The mind is unable to process any further
Fear that comes from my head
The fear is generated within my own mind
Lives in the mirror
It is reflected in my own image
Why won't you let me out?
Why are you preventing me from escaping?
Does the evil excite you?
Does the malevolence arouse you?
Haven't you had enough?
Don't you think it's gone too far?
Does the feeling control you?
Are you driven by your own emotions?
Just when I think I'm okay
Despite my attempts to resolve things
Shadows surround me
The gloom persists
All of the monster you are
You are entirely monstrous
I can feel in my head
The horror is palpable
Let me out, let me out
Allow me to escape
No more, I'm through
I've reached my limit
You win, I'm dead
You have defeated me completely
You're sorry, sorry?
Are you truly remorseful?
No you're a lie!
Your contrition is insincere
It's over,
This is the end,
Nothing here left alive
Nothing remains that is still living
Let me out, let me out
Please let me go
Let me out, let me out
Release me from this torment
Let me out, let me out
I can't bear this any longer
Let me out, let me out
Free me from this prison
Contributed by Makayla R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Karla Citlaly Martinez Perez
Oh yeah, I've been here before
I can see it with eyes closed
Shadows that look like blood
Dead as far as the mind goes
Fear that comes from my head
Lives in the mirror
Why won't you let me out?
Does the evil excite you?
Haven't you had enough?
Does the feeling control you?
Just when I think
I'm okay
Shadows surround me
All of the monster you are
I can feel in my head
Let me out, let me out
Let me out, let me out
Let me out, let me out
Let me out, let me out
No more, I'm through
You win, I'm dead
You're sorry, sorry?
No you're a lie!
It's over, Nothing here left alive
Let me out, let me out
Let me out, let me out
Let me out, let me out
Let me out, let me out
Karla Citlaly Martinez Perez
Oh yeah, I've been here before
I can see it with eyes closed
Shadows that look like blood
Dead as far as the mind goes
Fear that comes from my head
Lives in the mirror
Why won't you let me out?
Does the evil excite you?
Haven't you had enough?
Does the feeling control you?
Just when I think
I'm okay
Shadows surround me
All of the monster you are
I can feel in my head
Let me out, let me out
Let me out, let me out
Let me out, let me out
Let me out, let me out
No more, I'm through
You win, I'm dead
You're sorry, sorry?
No you're a lie!
It's over, Nothing here left alive
Let me out, let me out
Let me out, let me out
Let me out, let me out
Let me out, let me out
Sumire Kotaniyama
Imagine having an animated video of Motoko Kusanagi signing these lyrics. That would be Heaven.
stranger1
КРУТОТА!!!!!!!!!!
missy w
theres not a song i dont like by akira
mergan
🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤
Jose Olegs
3:04 Me getting bored with the quarantine
DoriMartin
So so so deep
DoriMartin
@AlexKyrylivk yes bawls n all I still remember that day in the fog my public hairs in her from my bawls
AlexKyrylivk
That's what she said
Jose M. Figueroa Jr.
This song sounds like something that Heather Mason would dance to at a strip club. Some of you might think that I have a dirty mind. You're right, I do. Said people might be thinking dirty thoughts themselves. No use denying it.