Princess Mononoke (Image Album) by Joe Hisaishi (Studio Ghibli)

Image Album recorded ahead of the soundtrack by Joe Hisaishi, based on the notes which Director Miyazaki wrote about music when he was planning the movie.

An “image album” is an LP created specifically for Japanese animations, to give a sense of characters’ personalities.

In Japan, sound is as important as visuals. Characters in every film and animation, even inanimate objects or feelings, have their own songs created for them. Protagonists have entire albums created for them. These audio impressions are equally as important as visual and tangible physical elements. What results is a multi-sensory experience.