Susumu Hirasawa has composed the soundtracks for both the anime and video games, using an eclectic selection of instruments (such as piano, bagpipes, violin, harp, flute, classic guitar, electric guitar, drums, harpsichord, synthesizer, and Amiga as well as voices). He received the offer to compose music for the series due to Miura being a fan of his works and listening to them while he works on Berserk, that also led to Miura almost never requesting a specific composition to Hirasawa. Hirasawa has said that Berserk doesn't feel like a self-restrained story, and that composing for the series is similar to the sensation of unlocking one of his inner restraints, leading to compositions on a "Berserk" style.[1]
The opening theme is "Tell Me Why" by PENPALS, the ending theme is "Waiting So Long" by Silver Fins, and the "next episode theme" is "BERSERK -Forces-" by Susumu Hirasawa.
Similarities to other Susumu Hirasawa works[]
- "BERSERK -Forces-" bears some resemblance to the Susumu Hirasawa track "TAKE THE WHEEL" from the AURORA album from 1994.
- "Ghosts" bears some resemblance to the Susumu Hirasawa + InhVmaN track "Tetragrammaton" from the Tetragrammaton album from 2008.
- "Monster" and "Fear" are variations on a composition, which was re-utilised to make "ZODDO II" from the "Sword of the Berserk: Guts' Rage" soundtrack from 1999 and the Susumu Hirasawa + InhVmaN track "No Mourn... " from the Tetragrammaton album from 2008 (based on the "Monster" arrangement).
- "Gats" bears some resemblance to the Susumu Hirasawa track "Echoes" from the Sim City album from 1995.
- "Murder" bears some resemblance to the Syun (90s revival of the 80s experimental project Shun, both lead by Susumu Hirasawa) track "Kun Mae #3" from the Kun Mae on a Calculation album from 1996 (which was re-utilised again for the Millennium Actress soundtrack).
- "BERSERK -Forces-" was remixed by Susumu Hirasawa in the P-MODEL kernel as "BERSERK - Forces 1.5" for the album SOLAR RAY Hirasawa best recycling album Recycled by P-MODEL kernel. The single's four tracks were re-released on 2009 as bonus tracks for the HQCD version of the Susumu Hirasawa album Technique of Relief. The single and the soundtrack (except "BERSERK -Forces- (Original Karaoke)", "TELL ME WHY" and "Waiting so long") were re-released as part of the Susumu Hirasawa box set HALDYN DOME, they were put on CD 10, with the soundtrack to Sword of the Berserk: Guts' Rage and the "Sign" ("Berserk Theme Song Collection"/"Theme tunes for Berserk video game (PS2)") single.