When it comes to choosing the best video game opening of all time, there are a lot of great candidates. But one of the songs that has always stayed in our memory the longest is the opening track of Namco’s weapon-based fighting game, Soul Blade. Specifically, the version that launched in 1997 for the original PlayStation.

Not only did the PlayStation version of the game boast cutting-edge CG graphics and introduce each character’s story in action-packed episodes, but it also came with a fantastic opening theme. The song is called “Edge of Soul,” and it’s still absolutely catchy after all these years. That’s why we tracked down its composer to find out more.

Believe us when we say that this was no easy task. KHAN’s identity remained a mystery for many years. Some members of the gaming community speculated that this was the name of an internal group at Namco. However, by getting in touch with a former Namco employee, we were able to disprove this theory and learn more about KHAN’s true identity. We were able to track down the main composer, Masahiro Oki (better known as Bentenmaru), who is now a solo artist and music teacher based in Chiba Prefecture.

According to Ohki, who responded to an interview by email, KHAN is a Japanese rock band that combines traditional Japanese and Chinese instruments with classic rock. Formed by members of another rock band called A. JYOTA, the band formed in 1991 and released two albums, “Troublesome” and “Tilt,” and the single “He Got The Power,” before disbanding.

In 1996, some of the members, including singer Mickey and composer Ohki Masahiro, reunited and decided to reform the band as KHAN. That’s where Namco came in.

Ohki recalls: That was the first time we worked together on a game. First, I was given some images of the characters that appear in the game as reference. After that, I started storyboarding the intro. The production of the music and the CG intro were done almost simultaneously.

KHAN contributed two memorable songs to the soundtrack, “Edge of Soul” and “On Our Way Home.” Both feature traditional instruments such as the koto and flute, as well as vocals. Modern instruments such as keyboards and electric guitars. The lyrics for these two songs were written by Ohki, but he was not the only one to contribute. Songwriter Suzie Kim provided the lyrics, and freelance musician Kazunori Miyake assisted with the arrangement and provided the song’s catchy koto solo. Ohki loved the collaborative process of writing and recording songs with other musicians.

“My fondest memories during production are the experiences of exchanging creative ideas with musicians and collaborators late into the night over delicious food and drinks,” says Oki. “The sessions with top musicians were really fun, and there was something else too. We also invited music students to the studio to show them the background of recording and production, and I’m sure it was a very good experience for them.” , Soulcalibur – the latter still one of the highest-rated games of all time on Metacritic – but we still think that the original game sets the benchmark for first impressions for the series. To conclude our conversation, we decided to ask Oki something we’ve wondered about for years, ever since we first played the game. What does the phrase “Edge of Soul” actually mean? Here’s his answer:

“In the game, strong men from all over the world travel and fight in search of a legendary sword called Soul Edge,” he explains. In the hands of someone with a good heart, Soul Edge becomes a sword of justice that saves the world, but in the hands of an evil person, it can also become a sword of destruction. We too are standing on the edge of this abyss and must look back and examine ourselves. That’s what it means.”