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Norihiko Hibino
| Overview | Biography | Discography | Game Projects | Interviews |
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Date of Birth: | September 3, 1973 (Osaka) |
| Education: | Human Sciences Degree, Masters at Berklee | |
| Musical Influences: | Shogo Hamada | |
| Instruments: | Saxophone, Piano, Guitar, Tuba | |
| Game Works: | Metal Gear Solid, Ninja Blade, Etrian Odyssey CDs |
Employment History
| Company | Tenure | Role |
| Konami | 1999 - 2004 | Composer |
| GEM Impact | 2005 - | Founder, President, Composer |
Brief Profile
Norihiko Hibino became a virtuosic saxophonist while studying human sciences at Osaka. He decided to settle in Kansas as an independent jazz musician following a year at the Berklee college of music, resulting in some appearances at jazz festivals and the release of several albums under his label Boylstone Records. After moving back to Japan, he was employed at Konami in late 1999 and soon started work on the Metal Gear Solid series.
Hibino has been integral to defining the dark symphonic jazz sound of the Metal Gear Solid series. After shadowing Harry Gregson-Williams on Sons of Liberty, he led the music for the remake The Twin Snakes and received widespread recognition of his music on Snake Eater. Also at Konami, Hibino was the principle composer of the original Boktai and worked on the Zone of the Enders and Yu-Gi-Oh! series. After leaving Konami at the end of 2004, he released the solo jazz album Akashi.
Since 2005, Hibino has developed the music production company GEM Impact into one of the most reputable in Japan. Their works have included Yakuza 2, Elvandia Story, Commando 3, Metal Gear Solid 4, Ninja Blade, and the anime Ninja Blade. Hibino has also appealed to the game music community with his work on Etrian Odyssey's arranged albums and Extra: Hyper Game Music Event. He is also the saxophonist of the jazz band The Outer Rim and the founder of a vocal music institute.
