Jun Chikuma

Jun Chikuma
竹間淳[nb 1]
Also known as
  • June Chikuma
  • Chiki
BornJapan
Genres
Occupations
  • Musician
  • composer
  • arranger
Instruments
Years active1985–present

Jun Chikuma (竹間 淳, Chikuma Jun)[nb 1] is a Japanese music composer and musician. She is most known for her various contributions to the Bomberman series, amongst other video game soundtracks.[2]

She has studied ney performance and Tunisian style composition under professors Slah Manaa, Ali Sriti and Zakia Hannashi at l'Institut Superieur de la Musique de Tunis, and studied riq under Haytham Farghaly of the same institute.[3] She currently curates arab-music.com, and has also made music for many T.V. shows, films and commercials.[3] She is also a part-time lecturer at Kokushikan University,[3] and has since performed many concerts with the classical Arabic music ensemble Le Club Bachraf, with oud player Yoshiko Matsuda and darbuka player Takako Nomiya.[4]

Musical style

Her soundtrack for Bomberman Hero features drum and bass and acid techno styles, heavily incorporating fast breakbeats and sub-bass lines from the former genre.[5][6]

She has stated in interviews that she approaches her music with the philosophy of ‘art suprematism’ or ‘absolute music.’[7]

Works

Video games

Year Title Notes
1985 Bomberman (NES version)
1986 Adventure Island
Doraemon
1987 Faxanadu
1988 Jaseiken Necromancer
The Legendary Axe With Toshiaki Takimoto
1989 Military Madness
Cratermaze (Japanese version)
Wonder Boy III: Monster Lair
1990 Atomic Punk With Noriyuki Nakagami and Yasuhiko Fukuda
Bomberman
1991 Bomberman II
1992 Bomberman '93
1993 Super Bomberman
Bomberman '94
1994 Bomberman: Panic Bomber
1995 Super Bomberman 3 With Keita Hoshi
1996 Bomberman B-Daman Supervisor
Ginga Ojousama Densetsu Yuna: Mika Akitaka Illust Works
DoReMi Fantasy: Milon no Dokidoki Daibouken
Super Bomberman 4
Saturn Bomberman
1997 Nectaris
Super Bomberman 5 With Yasuhiko Fukuda
Saturn Bomberman Fight!! With Yoshio Tsuru
Pocket Bomberman With Shinya Yano
1998 Bomberman World With Hironao Yamamoto
Bomberman Hero
Bomberman Party Edition
Bomberman Quest With Keiji Ueno and Goro Takahashi
2001 Bomberman Tournament With Koichi Seiyama
2007 Sonic and the Secret Rings With various others.

Anime

Other works

  • "Samai Bayati Al Aryan" on Music Design (1994) - with Le Club Bachraf
  • "Ismael Hayat" on Ten Plants (1998)
  • Musique classique de Tunisie et d'Egypte (2000) - with Le Club Bachraf
  • Concert at Dar Rachidia (2013) - with Le Club Bachraf
  • Les Archives (2019)
  • The Midas Touch (2022)
  • The Lantern Wheel (2024)

Notes

  1. ^ a b She often writes her first name in katakana, i.e. Jun Chikuma (竹間 ジュン, Chikuma Jun).[1]

References

  1. ^ "Chikuma Jun purofiiru" 竹間ジュン・プロフィール [Jun Chikuma profile] (in Japanese). Arab-music.com. Retrieved September 17, 2018.
  2. ^ Ten Plants (booklet) (in Japanese). Various Artists. Biosphere Records. 1998. p. 16.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  3. ^ a b c "Jun Chiki Chikuma, Nay player and Composer". Arab-music.com. Retrieved September 17, 2018.
  4. ^ "Imēji no chikara - Kokuritsu Minzoku-gaku Hakubutsukan korekushon ni saguru: Kaimaku kinen ibento miru・kiku・asobu imēji no chikara uiikuendo" 「イメージの力-国立民族学博物館コレクションにさぐる」開幕記念イベント みる・きく・あそぶ イメージの力ウィークエンド [The Power of Image — National Ethnographic Museum Collection: Opening Event — See, Listen, Play — The Power of Image Weekend] (in Japanese). The National Art Center, Tokyo. 2014. Retrieved September 17, 2018.
  5. ^ Corcoran, Nina (August 1, 2016). "Nintendo 64's Hidden Musical Gems". Pitchfork. Conde Nast. Retrieved September 17, 2018.
  6. ^ Stabler, Brad; Twells, John; Bowe, Miles; Wilson, Scott; Lea, Tom (April 28, 2015). "The 100 Best Video Game Soundtracks of All Time". Fact. The Vinyl Factory. sec. 80. Bomberman Hero. Retrieved September 17, 2018.
  7. ^ Tieryas, Peter (2021-12-25). "The Unique Artist Behind Bomberman's Catchy Beats". Kotaku. Retrieved 2023-08-21.