ACE

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Tomori 'TOMOri' Kudo
Tomori Kudo.jpg
Gender Male
Role Composer
Arranger
Musician
Recording Coordinator
Affiliations Universal Music
Contributions Xenoblade Chronicles
Xenoblade Chronicles 2
Torna ~ The Golden Country
Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition
Xenoblade Chronicles 3
v • t • e
Hiroyo 'CHiCO' Yamanaka
CHiCO.jpg
Gender Female
Role Composer
Arranger
Musician
Recording Coordinator
Affiliations Universal Music
Contributions Xenoblade Chronicles
Xenoblade Chronicles 2
Torna ~ The Golden Country
Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition
Xenoblade Chronicles 3

ACE is a music group consisting of TOMOri Kudo and CHiCO. They have composed, arranged, and performed music for the Xenoblade Chronicles series and other game and film soundtracks, as well as producing original music for themselves and others.

Biography[edit]

TOMOri Kudo[edit]

Tomori Kudo (stylised as 'TOMOri Kudo') was brought up listening to pop music on Japanese radio and television, and later on, metal, blues and jazz bands.[1] He initially learnt to play piano and electronic organ in primary school, and later learnt guitar in high school. He joined a pop music band and took on various music projects, including the video game Minna de Tamagotchi, a 1997 game for the Nintendo 64 by Bandai[2] which he worked on alongside CHiCO.

CHiCO[edit]

CHiCO, born Hiroyo Yamanaka, grew up making music in a classically-trained household; she played violin and piano, and wrote short pieces based upon her mood.[1] CHiCO's first job was working as an actress and assistant choreographer, which entailed selecting appropriate music for performances. She started composing at this time, writing the music for such performances herself. CHiCO followed this career by transitioning to one more music-oriented: she participated in bands, including one with TOMOri Kudo (where the two met). Minna de Tamagotchi, which she worked on with Kudo, was her first video game music project.[2]

The pair's first work together under the name ACE was in 2009 with their single あの流星の空の向こう 君とつながるアーカイブ. They first worked with the Xeno series on the music of Xenoblade Chronicles in 2010, and have composed music for all releases in the Xenoblade Chronicles series besides Xenoblade Chronicles X. The two have continued to work together until present.

ACE+[edit]

When ACE works with Kenji Hiramatsu, the resulting trio is known as ACE+. Besides making compositions of his own, Hiramatsu's contributions to the group entail 'tapping into his vast store of knowledge' about video games, and finding the significance of subtle details about a game's story to approach music-making from beyond a basic acoustic perspective.[2] ACE+ worked together on the music of Xenoblade Chronicles, and all of the tracks composed by any of the three are credited under the name 'ACE+'.

Relevance to the Xeno series[edit]

ACE compose music for the numbered Xenoblade Chronicles games. Their contributions are varied; their music is frequently used as cutscene themes, area themes, and/or battle themes.

Xenoblade Chronicles[edit]

Both members:[note 1]

TOMOri Kudo:

  • Musician: Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar

CHiCO:

  • Musician: Vocals

Xenoblade Chronicles 2[edit]

Both members:[note 1]

TOMOri Kudo:

  • Musician: Acoustic & Electric Guitar

CHiCO:

Torna ~ The Golden Country[edit]

Both members:[note 1]

TOMOri Kudo:

  • Musician: Guitar

Future Connected[edit]

Both members:[note 1]

Xenoblade Chronicles 3[edit]

Both members:[note 4]

Non-mainline games[edit]

CREID[edit]

Both members:

  • Musicians (clapping, vocals)

TOMOri Kudo:

  • Copyist

Other media[edit]

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In other words, yes we know it's unfinished; we just didn't want to leave it blank in the meantime. You can help complete it.

Gallery[edit]

  • ACE in their natural habitat, wearing appropriate attire.

    ACE in their natural habitat, wearing appropriate attire.

  • Left to right: Manami Kiyota, CHiCO, TOMOri Kudo, Kenji Hiramatsu. The latter three form the group ACE+.

    Left to right: Manami Kiyota, CHiCO, TOMOri Kudo, Kenji Hiramatsu. The latter three form the group ACE+.

Notes[edit]

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Contributions for which both Kudo and CHiCO worked together, or for which it is unknown which of the two played specific roles.
  2. ↑ All compositions by ACE and Kenji Hiramatsu are credited to ACE+; this list contains tracks not later credited to Hiramatsu.[3]
  3. ↑ Contributions later credited to Kenji Hiramatsu.[3] Hiramatsu and ACE worked together during the music-making process, although the extent of this is unknown.
  4. ↑ Both members of ACE are credited without additional clarification on the Xenoblade Chronicles 3 Original Soundtrack. However, only one of the two was credited in the JASRAC copyright data. The extent to which this reflects the composition being by one or the other is unknown. Which composer was specified can be seen on the individual tracks' pages.

External links[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 2010 interview with Chris Greening via squareenixmusic.com
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Iwata Asks: Xenoblade Chronicles, vol. 1: Sound, part 2: 'Towards a Common Goal'
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Procyon Studio: Xenoblade2 Original Soundtrack


v • t • e
Staff of the Xeno series
Credits per game Xenogears
Xenosaga Episode I • Xenosaga Episode II • Xenosaga Episode III
Xeno-comi • Pied Piper • Xenosaga I + II • Xenosaga: The Animation
Xenoblade Chronicles (3D • Definitive Edition • Future Connected) • Xenoblade Chronicles X (Japanese) • Xenoblade Chronicles 2 (Torna ~ The Golden Country) • Xenoblade Chronicles 3 (Future Redeemed)
Writers Lisa Gomamoto • Masato Kato • Soraya Saga • Castro Satoshi • Tetsuya Takahashi • Yuichiro Takeda
Artists CHOCO • Yasuyuki Honne • Tetsuya Nomura • Masatsugu Saito • Kunihiko Tanaka
Composers Mariam Abounnasr • ACE • Kenji Hiramatsu • Shinji Hosoe • Yuki Kajiura • Manami Kiyota • Satoru Kosaki • Yutaka Kunigo • Yasunori Mitsuda • Hiroshi Okubo • Ayako Saso • Hiroyuki Sawano • Yoko Shimomura • TWO FIVE • Kousuke Yamashita
Arrangers Rio Fujii • Natsumi Kameoka • Ivan Linn • Tsutomu Narita • Ryotaro Yagi • Takayuki Yoshimura
Singers Sarah Àlainn • ANÚNA • Emily Bindiger • Jen Bird • Aimee Blackshleger • CHiCO • Emily Curtis • Cyua • Margaret Dorn • Mayumi Gojo • Joanne Hogg • Eri Itoh • Manami Kiyota • Mika Kobayashi • Deb Lyons • Ai Maeda • mpi • Rumi Shishodo • Mariko Suzuki • Tokyo Philharmonic Chorus • Sara Weeda • David Whitaker
Other Hirohide Sugiura • Monopon
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