Yuzo Koshiro

Yuzo Koshiro (古代 祐三 Koshiro Yūzō?, born December 12, 1967 in Hino, Tokyo) is a Japanese video game music composer and audio programmer. He is regarded as one of the most influential innovators in chiptune music and video game sound design. He has produced music in various genres, including electronic music (dance, Eurobeat, house, jungle, techno, trance), hip hop, jazz, classical/orchestral, and synth rock.

According to Nintendo Power, Koshiro was "arguably the greatest game-music composer of the 16-bit age" and created "some of the most memorable game music of the late '80s and early '90s." He has produced some of the most influential role-playing video game scores, for titles such as Nihon Falcom's Dragon Slayer and Ys series, as well as ActRaiser (1990) and Eye of the Beholder (1994). According to GameAxis Unwired, his "progressive, catchy, techno-style compositions" for games such as The Revenge of Shinobi (1989) and Streets of Rage series were "far more advanced than what players were used to" and set a "new high watermark for what music in games could sound like."

His influence also extends to the popular music industry. His work remains highly regarded within the chiptune community, and has influenced artists outside of it, including Ikonika, Frente!, Labrinth, Martyn, Joker, Darkstar, Childish Gambino, and Danger. Koshiro's Streets of Rage soundtracks in particular has been compared to later grime music, and has influenced electronica and dubstep producers.