Studio Ghibli Japan Vinyl & CDs

Review: Joe Hisaishi is one of the most successful composers in the history of Japanese film and television, best known for providing soundtracks to a string of much-loved anime movies, as well as tie-in "image albums" - musical scores inspired by a particular anime character, and designed to give an impression of their personality. Ponyo on the Cliff By The Sea is one such endeavour: a cheery, playful celebration of the lead character from 2008 flick Ponyo. Across the "image album", you'll find plenty of jaunty songs sung by both adults and children, sweeping orchestral pieces in the usual film score style, and jaunty pieces that draw a surprising amount of influence from non-Japanese popular music styles

Review: Grave Of The Fireflies is arguably the saddest of all the films in the peerless Studio Ghibli canon - a pinnacle of emotional impact in the world of Japanese anime. The soundtrack is of course a major part of that, and so we come to the latest edition in the beautifully presented Image Album Collection series, which goes in deep on the soundtrack to a Ghibli classic. The music itself was composed by Michio Mamiya, and their work is interspersed with dialogue from the film. Alongside the music itself is an extensive set of liner notes which feature round-table discussions between the film's director Isao Takahata and the composers involved in the soundtrack.