Engineer
Yoichiro Ishino / Born in Kobe, Hyogo, Japan
Profile
He studied violin from early childhood and received lessons in music theory, ear training, and related subjects at the kindergarten department of Osaka College of Music. During this period, he acquired absolute pitch.
Later, influenced by rock and heavy metal, he began playing electric guitar. With the metal band AREA51, for which he handled composition, arrangement, guitar, and production, he released four full albums. They received high acclaim, especially from media in Europe and North America.
The albums featured world-class musicians such as Rob Rock (IMPELLITTERI), Dirk Verbeuren (Megadeth, Soilwork), Mike LePond (Symphony X), and Matt Guillory (James LaBrie).
Through this process, he gained production experience with top overseas producers and engineers such as Jens Bogren (Dragonforce, Arch Enemy, Angra, Dir en Grey), Fredrik Nordstrom (In Flames, Arch Enemy, Hammerfall), Jacob Hansen (Amaranthe, Primal Fear, Pretty Maids), and Mika Jussila (Stratovarius, Sonata Arctica, Children of Bodom).
He has also given many interviews to Japanese media including YOUNG GUITAR, BURRN!, Guitar Magazine, Natalie, and BARKS, as well as overseas media such as BW&BK and Fireworks Magazine.
In January 2016, he launched Crunch Studio in Shinagawa, Tokyo, where he has been engaged in sound production, recording, mixing, and mastering for a wide variety of titles ranging from metal and rock to hip-hop and idol music.
He has also appeared in interviews and roundtable features in media such as Sound & Recording Magazine, Sound Designer, WeRock, and the HOOK UP blog.
Guitar Performance Videos
TOPICS
・Handled the recording of ANTHEM’s new album “CRIMSON & JET BLACK,” released in 2023
・A long interview was published on the HOOK UP blog
・Handled the recording and mixing of SHOW-YA’s new album “SHOWDOWN,” released in 2021
・Handled the mixing and mastering of the latest work by LA metal vocalist Paul Shortino, featuring renowned members from Pantera, Ozzy Osbourne, Whitesnake, and others
・An article explaining “Metal Mixing Technique” was published in the September 2019 issue of the recording magazine “Sound Designer”
・Handled the recording, mixing, and mastering for the super band PUNISH (Yoko Kubota, Shinichiro Ishihara, Koichi Terasawa, Ryuichi Nishida), formed by veteran musicians from the Japanese metal and hard rock scene
・A dialogue article with world-renowned producer Jens Bogren was published in the July 2019 issue of “Sound & Recording Magazine”
・Participated as director and engineer in guitarist Nozomu Wakai’s DESTENIA new album “Metal Souls,” featuring world-class members from Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow and WHITESNAKE. Mixing was done with Fredrik Nordstrom (In Flames, Arch Enemy, At The Gates etc.) at Studio Fredman in Gothenburg, Sweden, and mastering was done with Jens Bogren at Fascination Street Studios
・Handled the vocal recording, mixing, and reamping for the 3rd mini album “Innocent Emotion” and 1st full album “Vampiress” by symphonic metal diva Mai Yajima
・Handled the recording, mixing, and mastering of the latest work “RAINBOW LOOP” by KISS THE WoRLD, the band formed around DIE (Key) of hide with spread beaver and former ANTHEM drummer MAD Ohuchi