Progressive rock sprang up at the cusp of the 70s, nurtured by the late-60s worship of “virtuosos” like Jimi Hendrix and Cream and the move away from pure rock ‘n’ roll song forms that followed Sgt.

After graduating from the Osaka College of Music in 1988, Yoko Shimomura was torn between career paths. Classically trained since the age of 3 and raised in a family of piano players, Shimomura had ...