Ryuichi Sakamoto

Ryuichi Sakamoto's first solo album appeared before he formed Yellow Magic Orchestra in late 1978, after the young keyboardist had earned his M.A. in music from Tokyo University. Six long instrumentals make up this CD, but apart from a taste for Asian-sounding synth lines, they hint at very little of what was to come in YMO. "Thousand Knives" is a long disco-lite jazzy workout with a very un-synthesized guitar solo by Kazumi Watanabe (who would later join YMO on tour and have his solo album produced by Sakamoto). Side two's "Da Neue Japanische Electronische Volkslied" and "The End of Asia" (later revamped in YMO) are closest to the new wave of Japanese electronic music that he would spawn. "Island of Woods" and "Grasshoppers" trade in rhythm for sound landscapes, and the sort of cheeriness that would pop up later in Sakamoto's childrens movie scores. Harry Hosono turns up on one track, and generally the album is a pleasant, if unadventurous, listen.

Ryuichi Sakamoto's death in March, 2023 at age 71, left a gaping hole for anyone touched by his legendary compositions—a long list of people. Sakamoto initially rose to fame as a member of the much loved and pioneering Yellow Magic Orchestra, influencing virtually all genres with an electronic element, from synth pop to house to hip-hop and beyond. After YMO's hiatus in 1984, Sakamoto's focus shifted to his solo career and composing scores. He created a string of film scores for renowned directors such as Bernardo Bertolucci, Brian DePalma, Takashi Miike, Alejandro G. Iñárritu, and others, all while composing music for video games, working on collaborative albums, and even writing a song for the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.

"async - immersion 2023" is a sound installation that appeals to the eyes, ears, and nose. The sound of the album ``async'' released in 2017 by the late Professor Ryuichi Sakamoto will be experienced in a special multi-channel sound environment, and will be shown along with visuals and art by Shiro Takatani.

"Forbidden Colours" is a 1983 song by David Sylvian and Ryuichi Sakamoto. The song is the vocal version of the theme from the Nagisa Oshima film Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence (in certain territories retitled Furyo). It appears on the film's soundtrack album and was released as a single on Virgin Records in 1983 (the second collaborative single release by Sylvian and Sakamoto, following 1982's "Bamboo Houses")…