Power Hall

Power Hall (パワー・ホール) is a song pseudonymously composed and performed by Susumu Hirasawa, and the entrance theme of professional wrestler Riki Choshu since 1980.

Background
The AdBalloon (KKアドバルーン) company was in charge of creating the album New Japan Pro-Wrestling Super Fighter's Themes (新日本プロレス・スーパー・ファイターのテーマ), released in 1980. Right after a P-Model album came out, one of their employees, Henmi (辺見), approached the four-member Electro Sound Corporation, co-founded by his friend Kazutaka Tazaki. Electro Sound was hired to provide three songs, also meant to serve as the respective wrestlers' entrance music. The job was assigned to its other employees, each in charge of one. Hirasawa, who worked there, claims they were hired specifically for employing a member of the band and believes the pick came—when techno-pop was mainstream—because Japanese pro-wrestlers need cool theme songs when they debut. Actively disinterested in and knowing nothing about professional wrestling, he rejected the job at first but relented "because I was a salaryman".

Composition and recording
At the time, his image of the field was the Rikidozan era, so grasping the idea that wrestlers have theme songs was a struggle. As such, the only reference points for composing were the initial prompt—"I want you to create an entrance theme for a young wrestler"—and a Choshu profile. He created the song aiming for a sense of speed and fearless determination.

Four synths at the Electro Sound Studio were used: the bassline came from a Yamaha CS-30 through an 8-step analog sequencer, the snare (as well as an omitted kick part) from a Mini Moog, the strings from a Solina String Ensemble, and other elements from an ARP 2600. Most had "rich" tones, which Hirasawa—who prefers dark and decayed sounds—found disgusting. Because of that repulsion, he recorded all the layers of the song on just three tape tracks.

The entire songwriting and recording process was completed in a single day; unwilling work that Hirasawa has called "obviously shoddy". Talking to pro-wrestling press much later, he would have spent more time on it, given the constant usage.

Attribution and copyright
The client wanted to use Hirasawa's name; "sulky" at the idea, he refused. "Hanmyo Ibo" (異母犯妙) is the credited writer, surname pronounced identically to the Japanese term for "tiger beetle" (斑猫). By happenstance, Hirasawa brought an illustrated insect encyclopedia in his bag to the synth clinic which was left open at the alias giving moment; he thought it perfect for his current mood. "Z.Z.Z." is the credited performer.

Hirasawa's involvement was not public knowledge for some time. In the '80s he was "trying to hide" that fact, in the '90s most of his musician acquaintances that were wrestling fans did not know.

Hirasawa, who "would have been rich" otherwise, sold his rights and does not earn royalties from the song. It was used by multiple promotions in matches featuring Choshu, the likely owner. Hirasawa considers it "not my song". King Records, who released the album it was made for, seem to own the rights to the original recording.

Legacy
Choshu's popularity grew as his wrestling career evolved, and he became a mainstream celebrity. "Power Hall" is used in his matches as well as media coverage, making it the most exposed song of Hirasawa's career. Covers in many styles exist and it was used to promote works such as the live-action Hollywood adaptation of Ghost in the Shell (in a promotional short and a public event starring Choshu as Batou). The title "Power Hall" itself has become a brand of Choshu's, used as the name for a series of Victor Entertainment VHS/LD releases made to commemorate the 20th anniversary of his debut in 1994, as well as a series of wrestling events in 2018 and 2019 he produced.

Connections

 * "Gipnoza" has been noted to have a similar structure, instrumental riff (the first four notes in particular), and synth tone.
 * The other two Electro Sound songs are "Saber Tiger" (サーベル・タイガー) and "Giant Press" (ジャイアント・プレス). The latter a band name used for their collective "planned output" (企画物), credited for both writing and performance. Takahasi calls it an Akiro Kamio Arishima song with Hirasawa assistance. Kokubo, whose memories of it are hazy, thinks it has "a very Hirasawa-like sound", and that maybe he was involved.
 * New Japan Pro-Wrestling Super Fighter's Themes is the second King wrestling album with the clinic. The first, 1979's Pro-Wrestling Super Fighter's Themes, featured Hirasawa in covers of Pink Floyd's "One of These Days" and Banzaii's "Chinese Kung-Fu".
 * Hirasawa made another wrestler entrance theme, under another alias, in 1986: "Hurricanes Bomb".

Trivia

 * Choshu rival Shinya Hashimoto once made up lyrics to the song mocking the size of his limbs.