Nick Wood is a British composer and producer, born in 1964. He begins composing and producing music at the age of 19 and is signed to Virgin Music by Mark Dean.

Syn and work with Simon Le Bon

Wood develops a long creative partnership with Simon Le Bon. The two collaborate on the soundtrack for the documentary film Drum in 1987, then establish Syn in London in 1988. In 1991, after Wood’s early success in Japan writing hit songs for Japanese pop idols, they move Syn’s headquarters to Tokyo. He is associated with Syn Records and Syn Songs.

Commercial music and chart success

Wood composes and produces music for hundreds of commercials over two decades. His single Passion, the theme for Kirin’s Love Sports campaign, reaches number one on Japan’s Oricon chart in 2002. Passion is first aired during the 2002 World Cup and is later used again by Kirin during the 2006 Winter Olympics and World Cup.

Albums, labels and mobile release

He releases full-length albums on several labels, including Victor Entertainment (JVC), Sony Music Entertainment, Toshiba EMI and Syn Records. In 2004, his single Free is pre-installed on au/KDDI’s Talby phone, becoming the first soundtrack released for a mobile phone. The Talby device, designed by Marc Newson, also includes ten ring tones produced by Wood.

Film scores and collaborations

Wood writes scores for feature films, including Dream Island, directed by Wim Wenders, and Coo, an animated film whose title song is sung by Julian Lennon. He also co-writes the score for Mario Van Peebles’ Love Kills with Simon Le Bon. His other collaborators include Dr. John, Robert Palmer, Stevie Salas, Van Dyke Parks and Chris Corner.

Activity in Japan

Wood builds an extensive network of composers in Japan and internationally, and Syn works with these contacts on a daily basis. His catalogue and collaborations place him across pop, soundtrack and easy listening contexts.