Deaf Resident Evil composer admits to using ghostwriters for more than 10 years

MarkDarkness

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From what I have been reading, he barely knows how to write sheet music at all.
But... how did this happen? Even if he was a fake at first, he would have 20 years to learn... did he spend those 20 years dicking around? Man, somebody needs to write a REAL biography on him now. That would be an interesting read.
 

Hadrian

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So basically if he can't write or read music, did he just go to another person "do der do do do do der dee da da dooooo" and they'd it in the game? Seems no different from what some people in the music industry do...only yeah they credit the other person...mostly.
 

Ryukouki

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I read somewhere yesterday that he isn't really deaf either lol, on Kotaku I think...


The ghost writer is saying that they had many normal conversations and that he wanted to be deaf to fool the public into believing in his "deaf musician" virtuoso persona. :(
 

Issac

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Wow, this is shocking. I don't have any emotional connection to his music though, and can honestly say that I don't know any single song from RE. The game just never stuck with me, and I was more into Silent Hill, and that music.

Pathetic.
 

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"Modern Beethoven". I guess that's why the Moonlight Sonata is such a memorable part of Resident Evil 1.
 

Obveron

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I wonder how many knew about this from the start? I find it hard to believe the publishers/developers/marketers knew nothing about it. If I had to guess, I'd say some of them were fully aware about the fraud, but kept silent, because listing a deaf virtuoso on the credits was good publicity.
 
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WhiteMaze

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I wonder how many new about this from the start? I find it hard to believe the publishers/developers/marketers knew nothing about it. If I had to guess, I'd say some of them were fully aware about the fraud, but kept silent, because listing a deaf virtuoso on the credits was good publicity.

Agreed.
 

WhiteMaze

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Not much different from what Pop stars and Rappers do...

Still, I think it is not EXATCLY the same.

I mean, being compared to Beethoven is an unmeasurable honor in every single way.

Being compared to Beyonce is an unmeasurable disgrace in every single way.

So I think there is a slight difference. Still laughed at your post though XD
 
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total_split

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Surely a ghost writer's job is to write - or compose - on behalf of another person, in exchange for a fee, and giving the rights to the created works to the person who commissioned them? Do you think all these celebrities who write autobiographies actually write them themselves?

If I was to pay some talented but unknown musician say, $100 to write me a song, then I go and publish and sell that tune as my own creation and make $100,000 then thats my business! It might not be strictly ethical, but thats business, and its my business if I go public about using a ghost writer or not...

But then for the ghost writer to turn around later on and say, oh hang on... that song I wrote you for $100 that did really well, actually I've change my mind and now I want $25,000 instead, or I'll go public and ruin you?

sounds like sour grapes
 
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Gahars

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Not much different from what Pop stars and Rappers do...


While a lot of musicians perform music written/composed/made by others, they still have to give credit. Trying to cover that up is pretty heavily frowned upon. Just look at Milli Vanilli (or what's left of Milli Vanilli, at least).
 

Maxternal

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It's interesting that my brain repeatedly doesn't put the "resident" and "evil" words together and recognize the game title.

I keep seeing something like "Famed Evil Composer Commits Fraud." and thinking "If he's famous for being 'Evil' then why is it so newsworthy that he committed fraud?" (With the fact that he's a "resident" only registering in my brain as pointless, extra information)

It always sinks in after a few seconds ... but then it happens again the next time I see the title :glare:
 

FAST6191

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It appears we have a sound customer.

If I was to pay some talented but unknown musician say, $100 to write me a song, then I go and publish and sell that tune as my own creation and make $100,000 then thats my business! It might not be strictly ethical, but thats business, and its my business if I go public about using a ghost writer or not...

But then for the ghost writer to turn around later on and say, oh hang on... that song I wrote you for $100 that did really well, actually I've change my mind and now I want $25,000 instead, or I'll go public and ruin you?

sounds like sour grapes

Err no. You may well be able to cook up a deal like that but by and large that is not how things work, similarly most music publishers will kind of expect you to do have actually done the bulk of the work.

There have been some interesting cases where session musicians have tried it on when a song they helped out on got mega successful but that is tangentially related, at best.
 

Wisenheimer

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Just a comment about the Beethoven bit; I think it was in reference to the fact that Beethoven was almost deaf by the end of his career, a time when he actually composed some of his most complete and moving pieces.

I do not think anyone would compare him to Beethoven in terms of his contribution to music as a whole.
 

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