Susumu Hirasawa

Biography

Susumu Hirasawa is a Japanese musician and composer known for his innovative contributions to progressive and electronic rock. He began playing the electric guitar in elementary school, later forming the progressive rock band Mandrake in 1973, which incorporated elements of heavy metal and krautrock but did not achieve commercial success. In 1979, he reformed the band as P-Model, which initially found success before shifting towards post-punk and experimental rock. Hirasawa's solo career began in 1989, allowing him to explore various musical styles without the constraints of a band. He has continued to release new music while also working with different iterations of P-Model until its disbandment in 2000. Hirasawa is recognized in Japan for his early P-Model albums and has gained international acclaim for his soundtracks, particularly for the manga adaptation of Berserk and works by anime director Satoshi Kon.