Lucas Blackmore-Lee - Genealogy Tree by

Junichi Masuda

1032350_1_2 — 2024-03-11 03:55:14 UTC

Junichi Masuda is the primary composer for the Pokemon series, games of which are some of my favourites. I am personally fascinated by the technology they used to compose the music within the old hardware (most of which is obsolete in today's day and age). His compositions themselves are also major influences on the music that I like to write.

Lucas Blackmore-Lee

1032350_1_2 — 2024-03-11 03:56:04 UTC

One of my primary interests in music is that of soundtracks for media. video game and musical theatre are chief among these. Another musical interest of mine is comedy music, with the likes of Bo Burnham and Tim Minchin being among my favourites.

Bo Burnham

1032350_1_2 — 2024-03-11 03:56:55 UTC

Albeit not being a particularly important figure to the legacy of comedy music as a whole, he is the person that first introduced me to the genre that I now love so much. Although his old work hasn't aged particularly well, As he's progressed, he has gotten significantly better at the subtle yet humourous social commentary that professional comedians convey through satire.

Igor Stravinsky

1032350_1_2 — 2024-03-11 03:59:26 UTC

Masuda has said in an interview in 2014 (A Conversation with Pokémon’s Musical Maestro - PocketMonsters.Net, n.d.) that he was majorly influenced by the simplistic beauty of classical music, citing Russian composer Igor Stravinsky specifically as a primary one. Notably, however, He was almost anti-influenced by Stravinsky's work when composing for games, in that he drew a contrast between Stravinsky's more heavy music and his more light-hearted chiptune music.

Koji Kondo

1032350_1_2 — 2024-03-11 04:00:14 UTC

Koji Kondo is a highly influential figure in the sphere of video game music, being almost a pioneer for the Nintendo style that many composers after him have emulated for their own IPs. Masuda has stated that he was inspired by the way Kondo linked his music to what was happening within the game itself, in particular how the music in the original Super Mario would get more urgent as the player approached the end of the level. (published, 2009)

Dmitri Shostakovich

1032350_1_2 — 2024-03-11 04:00:48 UTC

The second Classical musician that inspired Masuda, Shostakovich's Symphony no. 5 and Symphony no. 7 were very specific influences on his musical style. Masuda has attributed their works as what taught him how to compose music. (How Pokemon 8-Bit Music Was Inspired by Classical Music, n.d.).

Steve Martin

1032350_1_2 — 2024-03-11 04:01:24 UTC

Steve Martin is an enduring influence on Bo's comedic style, and Burnham credits him as the comedian that he most tries to emulate while performing. One factor that set Martin apart from comedians during the 70s was his willingness to "break away from the rules that most other comedians followed, bringing a brand of absurdist humour that separated him from the pack. (Bo Burnham Lists “My Favorite Comedians,” and Releases a Confessional Video: “Art Is Dead” | the Comic’s Comic, n.d.)

Tim Minchin

1032350_1_2 — 2024-03-11 04:02:01 UTC

If Steve Martin is Burnham's greatest comedic influence, then Tim Minchin is in turn his greatest musical influence (Burnham Aims for Witty Humor, 2010). Minchin's success in comedy music with the piano helped Burnham realise that he can play keyboard on stage without thinking of himself as a hack. (Historian, 2022)

Tom Lehrer

1032350_1_2 — 2024-03-11 04:02:29 UTC

Although not as impactful as Steve Martin or Tim Minchin, Lehrer has been noted as a significant influence for Burnham, particularly in his earlier years. Burnham even wrote "New Math" as a tribute to Lehrer's song of the same name (Thorpe et al., 2008). Bo's deadpan delivery of jokes in his 2000s era songs can be attributed in part to Lehrer's influence.