菊地成孔

Naruyoshi Kikuchi is a saxophone player, composer, songwriter, critic, journalist, university lecturer, and music producer from Japan. In regards to his influences, Kikuchi takes a lot of inspiration from Miles Davis and Jean-Luc Godard, calling himself a "graduate from the Miles Course in the Godard Department." and while this particular duo of influences consisting of one the most revolutionary Jazz players of all time and a iconoclastic figure from the french new wave movement helps in the understanding of his body of work, it's not enough to explain the versatility that Kikuchi has shown over the years, from experimenting with Dub, Free Jazz, R&B, Acoustic Jazz, Samba-Jazz and even Noise Rock. This wide array of experimentation can be seen in full display in his participation in the Ground-Zero Band and in the ost of Mobile Suit Gundam Thunderbolt, which he composed, the ost consists of frenetic Free Jazz songs and Pop ballads. Kikuchi also participated in many anime soundtracks playing his titular saxophone, such as .hack//, Trigun, Cowboy Bebop, Brain Powerd, Arjuna and Ghost in The Shell.