Hiroshi Kawaguchi

Japan · Born 1965 · Composer

The Sega composer behind the music of Out Run, Space Harrier and After Burner — the sound of Yu Suzuki's mid-1980s arcade hits.

Hiroshi Kawaguchi, known as Hiro, was born in Choshi, Chiba, on 12 April 1965. He joined Sega in 1984 as a programmer and moved to the sound department the following year, which makes him one of the most senior members of Sega's sound team. In 1985 and 1986 he wrote the music for a run of Yu Suzuki's arcade games: the main theme of Hang-On, the score of Space Harrier with Suzuki, and the soundtrack of Out Run. He also scored Fantasy Zone and Enduro Racer in 1986 and After Burner and After Burner II in 1987. Kawaguchi was a member of Sega's S.S.T. Band and later led his own sound unit, [H.]. He has continued to work at Sega, as a sound director and as a composer on recent Like a Dragon and Sonic games.