P.S. Swashbuckler, re: Ifukube -- his classical stuff is often quite similar to his film work, though usually not as heavy. Depending on what you like of his film work, I'd still say you can't go wrong with BUDDHA, SALOME, LAUDA CONCERTATA PER ORCHESTRA E MARIMBA (which is AMAZING, and still virtually unknown), BALLATA SINFONICA and -- depending how eclectic you want to get, but this one's available from a US manufacturer -- as are most of the abovemenioned -- BINTATARA.

A lot of his choral renditions of traditional Ainu themes have been showing up in the US as well. Not sure why. (They're very challenging to perform -- I know an American soprano approached Mr. Ifukube about recording them over here, but that fell through on the financing side.) But happy to have em. You'll find the most surprising prefigures of later popular themes in such work as that -- the same ideas show up again in works as various as THE BURMESE HARP and UNDERSEA BATTLESHIP (aka ATRAGON).

There are two things sacred to me in this world...
Film Music
Ben Folds Five music
Piano & Composition
My Calculator

So far I only downloaded MP3's of them ("Angel", "Exchange", "Dissolved Girl", "Teardrop", and "Three" are the ones I kept).

I'm considering buying a CD of theirs.