Trends in Asian Movie Soundtracks

Sonic storytelling in Asia continues to include more modern styles and cross-cultural collaborations 

The global cinematic landscape got a wake-up call in 1954 when Japan released two all-time classics: the original Godzilla and the critically acclaimed Seven Samurai. In the 1970s, Hong Kong cinema caught fire with martial arts icons Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan, and a decade later, John Woo films like A Better Tomorrow revolutionized armed choreography and inspired future filmmakers like Quentin Tarantino and Chad Stahelski (John Wick). At the turn of the century, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon became the first non-English film to receive 10 Oscar nominations and break the $100 million mark in the United States. 

Asian cinema has always produced great content and enjoyed waves of international attention, but it's now firmly staked its place on the world stage with a continuous flood of global hits. A major part of its evolution can be heard in the work of Sonic Conductors, the musical architects for film and TV and the spark behind several sonic trends in Asia. 

Modern Music in Asian Films 

The fusion of traditional Asian music with modern and western genres is one of the most prominent trends in Asian cinema. This sonic innovation helped create more points of contact with younger, international and music savvy audiences. 

In Japan, for example, the rock band Radwimps crafted the soundtrack for Your Name (2016), while Demon Slayer: Mugen Train (2020) featured rock and pop songs that complemented its record-breaking success. In India, Gully Boy (2019) helped modernize Bollywood by integrating hip-hop, rap and traditional Indian music. In South Korea, the rise of Hallyu (Korean Wave) inspired a crossover between film and K-pop. BTS member V even contributed songs to Korean television, including "Sweet Night" for Itaewon Class (2020) and "Even If I Die, It's You" (with BTS mate Jin) for Hwarang (2016). 

Helping pave the way in the late '80s, the cyberpunk Akira created a futuristic soundscape that captured the film's dystopian vision of Neo-Tokyo. Akira soundtrack avant-garde influence inspired a second soundtrack, an electronica tribute and lots of sampling for Asian hip-hop and EDM artists. As a testament to its sonic legacy, an official remix album – overseen by Akira's writer-director – just came out in 2024. 

Cross-Cultural Collaboration in Film

By modernizing their sonic palettes, Asian films deepened their cultural resonance and enhanced their global appeal, optimizing the role that music can have in sonic storytelling. This inspired more cross-cultural collaboration across all film markets, with several great examples. 

Crazy Rich Asians (2018) featured Chinese versions of English-language songs like Madonna's "Material Girl" and the Motown classic "Money (That's What I Want)." The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift (2006) got loud with Japanese garage rockers The 5.6.7.8's and rap-rock Dragon Ash, and the follow-up Fast & Furious 4 featured "Rising Sun" by the K-pop group TVXQ. Slumdog Millionaire (2008) earned an Oscar for its music, which included a collaboration between M.I.A. and Indian composer A.R. Rahman. Marvel's Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021) even paired artists from different countries on the same track, such as "Nomad" by South Korea's Zion.T and Japan's Gen Hoshino. 

Asian composers also drove this change in film scores. Japanese music legend Ryuichi Sakamoto fused eastern and western music in films like The Revenant (2015) and Snake Eyes (1998). Epitomizing his cross-cultural influence, Sakamoto won both an Oscar and a Grammy for the music in The Last Emperor (1987), which he created alongside Chinese composer Cong Su and Talking Heads frontman David Byrne.  

Joe Hisaishi, another musical titan, combined Western orchestration with traditional Japanese elements in his work for Studio Ghibli, the legendary animation studio behind The Boy and the Heron (2023), My Neighbor Totoro (1988) and Spirited Away (2001). Similarly, Chinese composer Tan Dun drew from Eastern and Western styles in his scores for Hero (2002) and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000), earning an Oscar for the latter. 

Digital Music Technology in Asia

The rise of digital music technology is another driving force behind these transformative trends. Advanced digital audio workstations (DAWs), virtual instruments, sound libraries and other software tools have empowered a wider range of sonic textures. These tools democratized music production, enabling creators with almost any budget to create intricate sound design, precise synchronization and immersive soundscapes. For this reason, Sonic Conductors should be well-versed in all the tools available to achieve sonic storytelling objectives. 

Learn How to Create Cinematic Soundtracks

In film, television and gaming, the Sonic Conductor shapes the entire auditory experience, overseeing everything from music selection and scoring to original songs and soundtracks. With the rise of streaming platforms, opportunities in this field have never been greater, and aspiring professionals now have the chance to learn from the very best – the master Sonic Conductor behind the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe and beyond. 

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