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In a celebration of Miyazaki’s first three films with longtime co-conspirators Studio Ghibli (Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, Castle in the Sky and My Neighbor Totoro), Hisaishi’s symphonic scores have been reissued on vinyl. They show both the original brilliance of this sweeping work and reorchestrate particular sections into breathtaking suites. Certain scores are only there to enhance the movie, fading insubstantially on their own, while others aim for shimmering brilliance by themselves. Hisaishi has always asked “why not both?” Simply put, film music doesn’t get better than this.

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The reissues aren’t just an excuse to binge anime classics. They’re also a fresh study in just how much influence Hisaishi has spread in the last three decades. That mainly comes down to his ability to write a rousing, soul-piercing anthem. The elegant “Mushi mezuru hime” is Faure-style pomp with a hint of James Bond sexiness. That is of course before Hisaishi happily flips the thing on its head and debarks on a nutty synth-pop romp that’s led by a sitar of all things. The the Bric-a-brac pop of Shugo Tokumaru or Cornelius wouldn’t be around without Hisaishi. The two leading lights of Japan’s indie scene took heaping helpings of Hisaishi for their albums. “Nekobus” sounds straight out of the laughing gas bounce of Tokumaru’s recent, and excellent, TOSS. And the constant smile that seems to accompany his work reflects Hisaishi as well.

And on the fully orchestral side, you can practically hear a whole generation of composers being born. – Spectrum Culture