Though Akira Ifukube (1914-2006) wished to be known as a classical composer, he is best known for writing the score for Ishirō Honda’s Godzilla and the numerous sequels and spinoff movies that it spawned. The son of a police officer in Hokkaido, he cited the music of Falla, Stravinsky, and the Ainu people of northern Japan as formative influences. In addition to his successful career in Japanese films, he also created the sound of Godzilla’s trademark roar by rubbing a resin-covered leather glove along a double bass' strings.