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.

平沢進 [Susumu Hirasawa].

Background
Hirasawa was commissioned to write this song while he was working as a music composer and sound designer for the Electro Sound Corporation; the offer came right after a P-Model album was released; the synth clinic approached specifically for employing a member of the band. He believes he was approached to make it because Japanese pro-wrestlers need cool theme songs when they debut and techno-pop was massively popular at the time. He didn't want to do it, since he has absolutely no interest in or any knowledge about professional wrestling, rejecting the job at first, but ultimately accepted it "because I was a salaryman".

Composition and recording
At the time, Rikidozan was the only thing that came to his head with regards to pro-wrestling, and he had difficulty in comprehending the idea that that wrestlers have their own theme songs. As such, his only reference point for the composition was the initial prompt—"I want you to create an entrance theme for a young wrestler"—and a profile that was sent to him. He wrote the song aiming for a sense of speed and fearless determination.

It was recorded with a variety of electronic instruments at the Electro Sound Studio: 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 of the instruments had "rich" tones, which Hirasawa found disgusting (since it is opposite to his general affinity for "dark" and "gritty" sounds). Because of that repulsion, he recorded all the layers of the song on just 3 tracks of tape.

The entire songwriting and recording process was completed in a single day; unwilling work that Hirasawa has called "obviously shoddy". When interviewed for a pro-wrestling mook years after the fact, he commented that had he known how often it would be used, he would have spent more time on it.

Attribution and copyright
Hirasawa's client wanted him to use his name, but he refused due to being "sulky at the idea". Writing is credited to "Hanmyo Ibo" (異母犯妙), the surname pronounced identically to the Japanese term for "tiger beetle" (斑猫). According to Hirasawa, this came about because he happened to bring an illustrated insect encyclopedia in his bag to the studio and it was left open at the moment he was asked for a pen name; he thought the name was perfect for his current mood. Performance is credited to "ZZZ". Hirasawa's involvement was not public knowledge for some time; at one point stating that he was "trying to hide" that fact. In 1996, he remarked that most of the musicians he personally knew that were fans of wrestling did not know that he made it.

Owing to his disinterest in the song, he took a "punk stance" and sold his rights to the client. New Japan Pro-Wrestling, Choshu's promotion, owns all rights to the composition, meaning that Hirasawa receives no royalties from its use; he once referred to it as "not my song".

Legacy
"Power Hall" is the most widely-broadcast song of Hirasawa's career, used not just in Choshu's matches, but in media coverage of him as well. Covers of the song have been made by artists as high profile as Ken Ishii, and it has been 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 4 notes in particular), and synth tone.
 * Hirasawa would go on to make another wrestler entrance theme, once again under a pseudonym, 6 years later with "Hurricanes Bomb".

Trivia

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