Tohru Okada, known as the Japanese musician and producer who created the iconicPlayStationlogo sound, died at age 73. He had an extensive career in Japanese music, working in several ads, as well as in the local rock scene, and will be missed by manyPlayStationfans.Okada was born in Tokyo in 1949 and has participated in the Japanese music industry since his 20s, composing and practicing countless tunes during his career. He rose to prominence after he started the band Moonriders in 1975, which was an innovative rock band for its time. Critics have considered it very influential in the genre. The musician also participated in several commercials, but it’s hard to argue that any of his works were more widely known globally than the PlayStation logo sound, which can be still heard today onPlayStation start screensor in commercials of the brand.RELATED:God of War Ragnarok Music Production Intern States She Wasn’t Credited for WorkAccording to reports from multiple Japanese news media, Tohru Okada died of heart failure on February 14 at 73. The news was reported by his management today and was widely reported in the local Japanese media. On social media, several users have shown their grief and respect for his work, which has appeared in games since the launch of theoriginal PlayStation in 1994. His former band, the Moonriders, were some of the profiles that paid their respects to the musician master.
While most people in the West may know Okada’s work only for the PlayStation logo, his participation in Moonriders was key to his success, as it allowed him to master his craft and work with some prominent names in the Japanese music scene. The band launched its first album in 1976 under the nameKeiichi Suzuki and theMoonriders. If the name sounds familiar, it’s because Keiichi Suzuki was also the co-composer for thewidely known Nintendo’sMotherseries, including the score for the original game in 1989 andEarthboundin 1994.
Okada has been an unforgettable part of PlayStation history so far, and most fans will be sad to see him go. However, his work still is enduring now and in the upcoming days. The Playstation 5 allowed players toautomatically skip the PlayStation console’s logoafter booting up for the first time, but this doesn’t mean that the classic sound will be forgotten. Most Sony commercials also use the score, and will probably continue to do so for the following years. In the end, Tohru Okada’s legacy lives on.
