Ryuichi Sakamoto

Composer, keyboardist

Formed Group; Began Recording and Touring

New Times, New Media

Selected discography

Sources

Ryuichi Sakamoto cites Debussy and Kraftwerk as his biggest influences but his style is far more than a peculiar hybrid of classical impressionism and technopop. He is known for his combination of melodic touch and technological mastery, but the depth of his work is derived from his comprehensive interest in multi cultural sources. His work combines musical influences from Asia, Indonesia, the West Indies, Latin America, and other cultures with the classicism of Europe and American pop. Some see this cultural integration as an influential precursor to the world music of the 1990s, arguing that his electronic lyricism broke ground for contemporary ambient and new age movements.

Ryuichi Sakamoto was born in Japan in 1952. By age 11, his musical interests ranged from the Beatles to Beethoven and he began to study under Professor Matsumoto at the Tokyo University of the Arts. In 1971, he entered the university, where he earned a bachelor of arts in composition and a master’s degree with a concentration in electronic and ethnic music. In 1977, he began work as a composer, arranger, and studio musician with some of Japan’s most popular rock, jazz, and classical artists. Within a few years, he became a noted producer, arranger, and keyboardist. “Piano is my main instrument. It is like the extension of my body and brain.” he said during an America Online chat, qualifying his classical leanings with the comment: “I’m basically a gadget victim, I always like new things!” Inthe 1970s and 1980s, Sakamoto became known as an innovator in electronic keyboard work and worked with such equipment as Fairlight 2, Prophet 5, and Arp Odyssey.

Formed Group; Began Recording and Touring

In 1978, Sakamoto released his first solo album, Thousand Knives, and, along with Haruomi Hosano and Yukihiro Takahashi, formed Yellow Magic Orchestra (YMO). In 1979, YMO’s second album sold well over a million copies, leading to the first of many world tours. While touring, Sakamoto witnessed firsthand the origin of those influences that had fascinated him as a youth.

YMO released 13 albums between 1978 and 1984, also releasing another 13 albums of other material and remixes over the over next 12 years. YMO remains popular to this day, with several Internet Web sites devoted to the group. YMO’s music shows Sakamoto’s influence by such diverse sources as jazz, classical, Jamaican dub, Latin Bossa Nova, and Indonesian gamelan, as well as his interest in pioneering electronic equipment. YMO continues to have a devoted following and its influence on technopop and ambient new age music is still widely recognized.

For the Record…

Born c. 1952 in Japan. Education: Studied under Professor Matsumoto at Tokyo University of the Arts as a youth; Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music, B.A. in music composition, 1974; M.F.A. in electronic and ethnic music, 1977.

Released first solo album and, along with Haruomi Hosano and Yukihiro Takahashi, formed Yellow Magic Orchestra (YMO), 1978; left YMO to pursue a solo career, writing film scores, producing and arranging albums, developing his own albums, and working with other artists such as Brian Wilson, Iggy Pop, Robbie Robertson, David Byrne, David Sylvain, and Caetano Veloso as well as the writers William Burroughs and cyberpunk pioneer William Gibson, 1983; toured the world several times and performed at a variety of multimedia events including live broadcasts on the Internet; formed his own publishing company Hon Hon Doh, 1984.

Awards: Oscar, Grammy, and Golden Globe awards, and New York, Los Angeles, and British Film Critics Association awards for best original score for Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence, 1983; Academy, Golden Globe, Los Angeles, New York Film Critics Association, and British Academy Awards for best original score for The Last Emperor, 1988; Golden Globe and Los Angeles Film Critics Association award, for best original music score for The Sheltering Sky, 1991.

Addresses: Record company —Alfa, c/o FTC, P.O. Box 27245, Los Angeles, CA 90027. Publicity— KAB America, Inc., 48 Eighth Ave.,#413, New York, NY 10014.

In 1983, Sakamoto left YMO to begin writing film scores. He created his first soundtrack for the film Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence, in which he also had an acting role. This experience led to a number of other film scores. In 1984, Sakamoto formed his own publishing company Hon Hon Doh and published Long Calls, a dialogue with Yuji Takahashi.

In 1987, Sakamoto’s score for Bertolucci’s The Last Emperor, written in collaboration with Cong Su and Talking Heads founder David Byrne, won an Oscar, a Grammy, a Golden Globe, and The New York, Los Angeles, and British Film Critics Association awards for Best Original Score. He also had an acting role in the film. “The director asked me to act first, then I asked to compose the music so it was a good trade,” he said in an America Online chat. Since that time Sakamoto has worked twice with Bertolucci, as well as Oliver Stone ( Wild Palms), Almodovar (High Heels) and other films. Of his working relationship with Bertolucci, he told America Online, “We’re friends, but when we work, we, of course, fight. I’m always the loser, because it’s his film. That’s what he says, ‘It’s my film.’”

Sakamoto’s film roles also led to an appearance in Madonna’s “Rain” music video, and as a celebrity model for Barney’s New York fashion designer Antonio Miro and the Gap. He has even appeared as a mens-wear model in some of the world’s most prestigious magazines. Sakamoto’s film scores have led to work with such iconic musicians as David Bowie (who also acted in Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence), Iggy Pop, and Jamaican reggae artist Sly Dunbar on his 1987 album Neo Geo.

Other collaborators include Beach Boy Brian Wilson, the Band’s Robbie Robertson, Talking Head’s David Byrne, David Sylvain, and Caetano Veloso, as well as writer William Burroughs and cyberpunk trailblazer William Gibson. Between 1979 and 1996, Sakamoto played on, arranged, or produced 13 albums and 15 singles in collaboration with other artists. He also composed and conducted El Mar Mediterano for the Opening Ceremony of the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, and composed music for the opening ceremony of The World Athletic Championships in Tokyo, in 1991.

New Times, New Media

In addition to his work with YMO, film soundtracks, and collaborative efforts, Sakamoto has engaged in a weighty solo career. Between 1978 and 1996, he released 23 solo albums. His musical interests, always geographically expansive, have broadened in a conceptual sense as well. His solo musical career is not limited to CDs and live performance. Three of his live performances—July 26, 1996 at London’s Royal Festival Hall—June 16, 1996 at the Knitting Factory in New York—and August 28, 1996, at Orchard Hall in Tokyo—were broadcast on the Internet. He also has a radio program in Japan, and his guest lecture at Keio University is available on the Internet as well.

Sakamoto continues to explore new musical concepts and anticipates the music of the next century. In his online diary for September, 1996, he wrote, “I ask myself what the sound of music originating from something as immense as the Internet would sound like. The music would be without a center. Perhaps a key in understanding of what this kind of music would sound like lies in the music of the Pygmy tribes in Africa or in sounds made by whales.” With close to a hundred singles and albums to his credit since 1973, Sakamoto is one of the more prolific artists around. His diversity in style and medium is impressive as well. He has done work in film, viaeo, vinyl, CD, on the radio and Internet. His style encompasses the technopop he pioneered as well as the multi-cultural idioms he has always embraced—Latin, Asian, European Classical, American pop, and a wide variety of constantly evolving interests. Sakamoto’s range, productivity, and ability to constantly grow and explore continue to make him a prominent feature on the musical landscape of the 1990s.

Selected discography

Solo albums

Thousand Knives, Nippon Columbia, 1978.

B-2 Unit, Alfa, 1980.

Left Handed Dream, Alfa, 1981.

Coda, London, 1983.

Illustrated Musical Encyclopedia, Midi 1984.

Esperanto, Midi, 1985.

Future Boy, Midi, 1986.

Media Bahn Live, Midi, 1986.

Neo Geo, CBS Sony/Epic, 1987.

Playing the Orchestra, Virgin, 1988.

Beauty, Virgin, 1988.

Gruppo Musicale, Midi, 1989.

Ryuichi Sakamoto in the 90’s, Mark Plati remix, Alfa, 1991.

Heartbeat, Virgin, 1992.

Gruppo Musicale II, Midi, 1993.

Ryuichi Sakamoto Soundtracks, Toshiba EMI 1993.

Ryuichi Sakamoto Virgin Tracks, Toshiba EMI 1993.

Sweet Revenge, For Life/Gut-Elektra, 1994.

Hard Revenge, For Life/Gut, 1994.

Sweet Revenge Tour 1994, For Life/Gut, 1994.

Smoochy-Japanese Version, For Life/Gut, 1995.

Snooty, For Life/Gut, 1996.

1996, For Life/Gut, 1996.

Smoochy, Milan/BMG, 1997.

Stalker: Nigekirenu Ai, For Life/Gut, 1997.

With Yellow Magic Orchestra

Yellow Magic Orchestra, Alfa, 1978.

Yellow Magic Orchestra U.S. Remix, Alfa, 1979.

Solid State Survivor, Alfa, 1979.

Public Pressure from Live Performance, Alfa, 1980.

Multiples—with Snakeman Show—10 inch vinyl, Alfa, 1980.

Multiples—Album Version, Alfa, 1980.

BGM, Alfa, 1981.

Technodelic, Alfa, 1981.

Naughty Boys, Alfa, 1983.

Naughty Boys—Instrumental, Alfa, 1983.

Service, Alfa, 1983.

Sealed limited edition compilation, Alfa, 1984.

After Service from Live Performance, Alfa, 1984.

YMO Mega Mix, Alfa, 1990.

YMO in the 90’s—Peter Lorimar remix, Alfa, 1991.

Faker Holic, YMO World Tour Live, Alfa, 1991.

Techno Bible YMO, Alfa, 1992.

YMO vs. The Human League, Alfa, 1993.

Technodon, Toshiba EMI, 1993.

Technodon Remixes remix by Tel Towa and Go Hotoda, Toshiba EMI, 1993.

Technodon Remixes remix by the Orb, Toshiba EMI, 1993.

Technodon Live, Toshiba EMI, 1993.

Live at Budhokkan 1980, Alfa, 1993.

YMO—Winter—Live—1981, Alfa, 1995.

YMO/Over Seas Collection, Alfa, 1995.

YMO World Tour 1980, Alfa, 1996.

Collaboration albums

Summer Nerves, with The Kakutogi Session, CBS Sony, 1979.

The End of Asia, with Danceries, Nippon Columbia, 1982.

The Arrangement, with Robin Scott, Alfa, 1982.

Hope in a Darkened Heart, (Producer/Arranger) Virginia Astley, WEA, 1986.

Let It Be, with Aki Takahashi, Toshiba EMI, 1992.

A Chance Operation—A Tribute to John Cage, Koch Classics, 1993.

Asian Games, with Yosuke Yamashita and Bill Laswel, Mercury, 1993.

Dreamland, (Producer/Arranger) Aztec Camera, Sire/WEA, 1993.

The Geisha Girls—Remix, with The Geisha Girls, For Life/Gut, 1994.

The Geisha Girls Show, (Producer) The Geisha Girls, For Life/Gut, 1995.

The Geisha “Remix” Girls Show, with The Geisha Girls, For Life/Gut, For Life/Gut, 1995.

Syokumotsu-rensa, (Producer) Miki Nakatani, For Life/Gut, 1996.

E Preciso Perdoar—Red Hot + Rio, with Caetano Veloso and Cesaria Evora, AntillesA/erve, 1996.

Soundtrack albums

Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence, London/Milan, 1983.

Kitten Story (Koneko Monogatari), Midi, 1986.

Aile De Honneamise, Midi, 1987.

The Last Emperor, Virgin, 1988.

The Handmaid’s Tale, Japan Record, 1990.

The Sheltering Sky, Virgin, 1990.

High Heels, IslandA/irgin, 1992.

Peach Boy (Momotaro), Rabbit Ear Productions, 1992.

Wuthering Heights, Capitol, 1992.

Wild Palms, Capitol, 1992.

Little Buddha, Milan, 1993.

Sources

Books

Murakami Ryu and Ryuichi Sakamoto, A Writer’s Sonata; A Musician’s Story, Shinchosha, 1996.

Periodicals

Billboard, June 29, 1996.

Online

Web site: http://www.kab.com./m/siteskmt, November 21, 1996.

American Online, transcript from chat with Ryuichi Sakamoto, June 13, 1996.

Other

Tokyo Melody, documentary by French National TV, 1985.

Additional information for this profile was obtained from RZO advisory press material, 1996.

—Link Yaco