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| Born = {{birth date and age|mf=yes|1952|1|17}}<br />Tokyo, Japan
| Born = {{birth date and age|mf=yes|1952|1|17}}<br />Tokyo, Japan
| Instrument = [[Electronic keyboard|Keyboard]], piano
| Instrument = [[Electronic keyboard|Keyboard]], piano
| Genre = [[Avant-garde music|Avant-garde]], [[Classical music|Classical]], [[Electronic music|Electronic]] ([[Electro]], [[Electronica]], [[Electropop]], [[Techno]]), [[Experimental music|Experimental]], [[House music|House]], [[J-pop|J&#8209;pop]], [[New Wave music|New&nbsp;Wave]], [[Synthpop]], [[World music|World]]
| Genre = [[Electropop]], [[Synthpop]], [[Electronica]], [[World music|World]], [[Classical]]
| Occupation = Musician, composer, record producer, actor
| Occupation = Musician, composer, record producer, actor
| Years_active = 1977–present
| Years_active = 1977–present
| Label = [[Columbia Music Entertainment]](1978–1979)<br />[[Alfa Records]](1979–1983)<br />[[:ja:ミディ|MIDI]](1984–1986)<br />[[Sony Music Entertainment Japan]](1986–1987)<br />[[EMI Music Japan|EMI]](1989–1991,1993)<br />[[For Life Records]](1994–1997)<br />[[Warner Music Group]](1998–2006)<br />[[Avex Group|commmons]](2006–present)<br />[[A&M Records]]<br />[[Restless Records]]
| Label = [[Columbia Music Entertainment]] (1978–1979)<br />[[Alfa Records]] (1979–1983)<br />[[:ja:ミディ|MIDI]] (1984–1986)<br />[[Sony Music Entertainment Japan]] (1986–1987)<br />[[EMI Music Japan|EMI]] (1989–1991,1993)<br />[[For Life Records]] (1994–1997)<br />[[Warner Music Group|Warner Music]] (1998–2006)<br />[[Avex Group|commmons]] (2006–present)<br />[[A&M Records]]<br />[[Restless Records]]
| Associated_acts = [[Yellow Magic Orchestra]], [[Kiyoshiro Imawano]]
| Associated_acts = [[Yellow Magic Orchestra]], [[Kiyoshiro Imawano]]
}}
}}
{{Nihongo|'''Ryuichi Sakamoto'''|坂本 龍一|Sakamoto Ryūichi|born January 17, 1952}} is a [[Music of Japan|Japanese musician]], [[composer]], [[record producer]], [[writer]], [[singer]], and [[actor]], based in [[Tokyo]] and [[New York]]. He began his career in 1978 as a member of the pioneering [[electronic music]] band [[Yellow Magic Orchestra]] (YMO),<ref name="allmusic_ymo"/><ref name="guardian_ymo"/> where he played the keyboards and occasionally sang the vocals. The band was an international success, with worldwide hits such as "[[Yellow Magic Orchestra (album)|Computer Game / Firecracker]]" (1978) and "[[Behind the Mask (song)|Behind the Mask]]" (1978),<ref name="crawdaddy"/> the latter [[Songwriter|written]] and sung by Sakamoto. At around the same time, he began pursuing a solo career in [[pop music]], debuting with an [[Experimental music|experimental]] electronic [[Fusion (music)|fusion]] album ''The Thousand Knives of Ryūichi Sakamoto'' (1978), and later released the pioneering [[electro music]] album ''B-2 Unit'' (1980).<ref name="broughton_2007"/><ref name="mantronik_interview"/><ref name="wire_1996"/> After YMO disbanded in 1983, he produced more hit solo records, including collaborations with various international artists, through to the 1990s.
{{Nihongo|'''Ryuichi Sakamoto'''|坂本 龍一|Sakamoto Ryūichi|born January 17, 1952}} is an [[Academy Award]]-winning Japanese musician, composer, record producer and actor, based in New York and Tokyo. He plays keyboards in the influential Japanese [[electropop]] band [[Yellow Magic Orchestra]]. His 1999 musical composition "Energy Flow", also known as the alternative title of the single disc ''Ura BTTB'', is the first number-one [[instrumental]] single in Japan's [[Oricon]] charts history.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.allbusiness.com/retail-trade/miscellaneous-retail-retail-stores-not/4608556-1.html|title=Sakamoto's 'energy Flow' Enlivens Japan|publisher=[[AllBusiness.com]]|date=July 2, 1999|accessdate=November 29, 2008}}</ref>

He began acting and film composing with ''[[Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence]]'' (1983), which he starred in and composed the score for; the song "[[Forbidden Colours]]" which he composed for it became a worldwide hit and he won a [[British Academy Film Awards|BAFTA Award]] for the film's score.<ref name="imdb_sakamoto"/> He later won an [[Academy Award]] and [[Grammy Award]] for [[Film score|scoring]] ''[[The Last Emperor]]'' (1987),<ref name="boston_sullivan">{{citation|title=RYUICHI SAKAMOTO GOES AVANT-CLASSICAL|work=[[Boston Globe]]|author=Jim Sullivan|date=February 8, 1998|page=8|url=http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/boston/access/26130789.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Feb+08%2C+1998&author=Jim+Sullivan%2C+Globe+Staff&pub=Boston+Globe&desc=RYUICHI+SAKAMOTO+GOES+AVANT-CLASSICAL|accessdate=2011-05-27}}</ref> and has also won two [[Golden Globe Award]]s for his work as a film composer.<ref name="imdb_sakamoto"/> In addition, he also composed music for the 1992 [[Barcelona Olympics]] opening ceremony. In the early 1990s, he briefly reunited with YMO, playing an instrumental role in the [[techno]] and [[acid house]] movements of the era, before parting ways again shortly afterwards.<ref name="UGO"/> His 1999 musical composition "Energy Flow", also known as the alternative title of the single disc ''Ura BTTB'', was the first number-one [[instrumental]] single in Japan's [[Oricon]] charts history.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.allbusiness.com/retail-trade/miscellaneous-retail-retail-stores-not/4608556-1.html|title=Sakamoto's 'energy Flow' Enlivens Japan|publisher=[[AllBusiness.com]]|date=July 2, 1999|accessdate=November 29, 2008}}</ref> He has also occasionally worked on [[anime]] and [[video game]]s, as a composer as well as a [[scenario writer]]. In the late 2000s, he reunited once again with YMO, while continuing to compose film music. In 2009, he was awarded the [[Ordre des Arts et des Lettres]] from France's [[Minister of Culture (France)|Ministry of Culture]] for his musical contributions.<ref name="crawdaddy">{{cite web|title=What Makes A Legend: Ryuichi Sakamoto|author=Denise Sullivan|work=[[Crawdaddy!]]|date=May 13, 2011|url=http://www.crawdaddy.com/index.php/2011/05/13/what-makes-a-legend-ryuichi-sakamoto/|accessdate=2011-05-31}}</ref>


==Biography==
==Biography==
===Early years and Yellow Magic Orchestra===
===Early years and Yellow Magic Orchestra===
{{main|Yellow Magic Orchestra}}
⚫
Sakamoto attended the [[Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music]], where he earned a B.A. in music composition and an M.A. with special emphasis on both electronic and ethnic music.


⚫
Sakamoto attended the [[Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music]], where he earned a [[Bachelor of Arts|B.A.]] in [[Musical composition|music composition]] and an [[Master of Arts (postgraduate)|M.A.]] with special emphasis on both electronic and [[Traditional music|ethnic music]].
After working as a session musician, he formed the internationally successful [[synthpop]] trio [[Yellow Magic Orchestra]], with [[Haruomi Hosono]] and [[Yukihiro Takahashi]].

After working as a session musician, he formed the internationally successful [[electronic music]] trio [[Yellow Magic Orchestra]] (YMO), with [[Haruomi Hosono]] and [[Yukihiro Takahashi]], in 1978. Known for their seminal influence on electronic music, the group were pioneers of various [[List of electronic music genres|electronic genres]] such as [[Electropop|electropop/technopop]],<ref name="allmusic_ymo">{{cite web|url={{Allmusic|class=artist|id=p5886|pure_url=yes}}|title=Yellow Magic Orchestra profile|publisher=[[Allmusic]]|accessdate=2009-06-03}}</ref><ref name="guardian_ymo">{{cite web|last=Lewis|first=John|title=Back to the future: Yellow Magic Orchestra helped usher in electronica - and they may just have invented hip-hop, too|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2008/jul/04/electronicmusic.filmandmusic11|work=[[The Guardian]]|accessdate=25 May 2011|date=4 July 2008}}</ref> [[synthpop]],<ref name="scaruffi">{{citation|title=A history of rock music 1951-2000|author=Piero Scaruffi|publisher=[[iUniverse]]|year=2003|isbn=0595295657|page=234|url=http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=04KtwVkHNv0C&pg=PA234|accessdate=2011-05-26}}</ref> [[cyberpunk]] music,<ref>{{cite web|last=Lester|first=Paul|title=Yellow Magic Orchestra|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2008/jun/20/culture.electronicmusic|work=[[The Guardian]]|accessdate=26 May 2011|date=20 June 2008}}</ref> [[ambient house]] [[House music|music]],<ref name="allmusic_ymo"/> and [[electronica]].<ref name="guardian_ymo"/> The group's work has had a significant lasting impact across many different genres, ranging from [[Hip hop music|hip hop]]<ref name="guardian_ymo"/> and [[techno]]<ref name="bogdanov_1996">{{cite book|last=Bogdanov|first=Vladimir|title=All music guide to electronica: the definitive guide to electronic music|year=2001|publisher=[[Hal Leonard Corporation|Backbeat Books]]|isbn=0879306289|url=http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=GJNXLSBlL7IC&pg=PT582|edition=4th|accessdate=26 May 2011|page=582}}</ref><ref name="UGO"/> to [[acid house]]<ref name="UGO">{{cite web|title=Ryuichi Sakamoto|publisher=[[UGO Networks]]|url=http://www.ugo.com/channels/music/features/bandsondemand/artist.aspx?artist=ryuichisakamoto&cat=electronica&full=Ryuichi%20Sakamoto|accessdate=2011-05-27}}</ref> and general [[melodic music]].<ref name="scaruffi"/>

Sakamoto was the songwriter and composer for a number of the band's hit songs, including "[[Yellow Magic Orchestra (album)|Yellow Magic (Tong Poo)]]" (1978), "[[Solid State Survivor|Technopolis]]" (1979), "[[X∞Multiplies|Nice Age]]" (1980), "[[Technodelic|Seoul Music]]" (1981), "[[Naughty Boys|Ongaku]]" (1983), and "[[Service (album)|You've Got to Help Yourself]]" (1983), while playing the keyboards for most of their other songs, including international hits such as "[[Yellow Magic Orchestra (album)|Computer Game / Firecracker]]" (1978), and singing in several songs such as "[[Naughty Boys|Kimi ni Mune Kyun]]" (1983). He also composed the international hit "[[Behind the Mask (song)|Behind the Mask]]" (1978), for which he sang the vocals through a [[vocoder]], and which would later be [[Cover song|covered]] by a number of international artists, including [[Michael Jackson]] and [[Eric Clapton]].


===Solo career===
===Solo career===
Sakamoto released his first solo album, ''The Thousand Knives of Ryūichi Sakamoto'', in 1978. The album includes the songs "Thousand Knives" and "The End of Asia".
Sakamoto released his first solo album, ''The Thousand Knives of Ryūichi Sakamoto'', in 1978. The album includes the songs "Thousand Knives" and "The End of Asia", which experimented with [[Fusion (music)|fusing]] electronic music with traditional [[Music of Japan|Japanese music]], and "Grasshoppers", a [[piano]] song. He would later [[remix]] the song "Thousand Knives" using the new [[Roland TR-808]] [[drum machine]] as "1000 Knives" for his band's album ''[[BGM (album)|BGM]]'' (1981), while the song "Grasshoppers" would later be [[Sampling (music)|sampled]] in [[Ghostface Killah]]'s "[[Ghostdini: Wizard of Poetry in Emerald City|Baby]]" (2009).

{{Listen
|pos=right
|filename=Riot in Lagos.ogg
|title="Riot in Lagos"
|description=A sample of "Riot in Lagos" from Ryuichi Sakamoto's 1980 album ''B-2 Unit''. This song is credited for having anticipated the beats and sounds of [[electro music]].
|format=[[Ogg]]
}}

In 1980, he released the solo album ''B-2 Unit'', which is considered to be his "edgiest" record.<ref name="buckley"/> It is known for the electronic classic "Riot in Lagos",<ref name="buckley">{{cite book|last=Buckley|first=Peter|title=The rough guide to rock|year=2003|publisher=[[Rough Guides]]|isbn=1843531054|url=http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=7ctjc6UWCm4C&pg=PT908|accessdate=25 May 2011|page=901}}</ref> which is considered an early example of [[electro music]],<ref name="broughton_2007">{{cite book|last=Broughton|first=Frank|title=La historia del DJ / The DJ's Story, Volume 2|year=2007|publisher=Ediciones Robinbook|isbn=8496222799|url=http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=1GMxP6mpRdgC&pg=PA121|accessdate=25 May 2011|page=121}}</ref><ref name="mantronik_interview"/> for having anticipated the beats and sounds of electro.<ref name="wire_1996">{{citation|title=A-Z Of Electro|work=[[The Wire (magazine)|The Wire]]|issue=145|month=March|year=1996|author=David Toop|url=http://www.thewire.co.uk/articles/210/|accessdate=2011-05-29}}</ref> Ryuichi Sakamoto, particularly his song "Riot in Lagos", had an influence on early electo [[Hip hop music|hip hop]] artists such as [[Afrika Bambaata]]<ref name="wire_1996"/> and was cited by [[Kurtis Mantronik]] as a major influence on his [[Electro hop|electro hip hop]] group [[Mantronix]].<ref name="mantronik_interview">{{citation|title=Kurtis Mantronik Interview|work=Hip Hop Storage|date=July 2002|url=http://www.cheebadesign.com/legends/articleX.html|accessdate=2011-05-25}}</ref> In 1982, Sakamoto worked on his first collaboration with [[David Sylvian]], a single entitled "[[Bamboo Houses|Bamboo Houses/Bamboo Music]]".


Following the disbanding of Yellow Magic Orchestra, Sakamoto released a number of solo albums in the 1980s. While primarily focused on the piano and synthesizer, this series of albums boasted a roster of collaborators that included [[David Sylvian]], [[David Byrne (musician)|David Byrne]], [[Thomas Dolby]], [[Nam June Paik]], and [[Iggy Pop]], among others. Sakamoto would alternate between exploring a variety of musical styles, ideas, and genres — captured most notably in his groundbreaking 1983 album ''Illustrated Musical Encyclopedia'' — and focusing on a specific subject or theme, such as the Italian [[Futurism]] movement in ''Futurista'' (1986). At times, Sakamoto would also present varying interpretations of technology's intersection with music: He would present some pieces, such as "Replica", with [[Kraftwerk]]ian rigidity and order, while he would infuse humanity and humor into others — "Broadway Boogie Woogie", for example, liberally lifts samples from [[Ridley Scott]]'s film ''[[Blade Runner]]'' and pairs them with a raucous, sax-driven techno-pop backdrop.
Following the disbanding of Yellow Magic Orchestra in 1983, Sakamoto released a number of solo albums during the 1980s. While primarily focused on the piano and synthesizer, this series of albums boasted a roster of collaborators that included David Sylvian, [[David Byrne (musician)|David Byrne]], [[Thomas Dolby]], [[Nam June Paik]], and [[Iggy Pop]], among others. Sakamoto would alternate between exploring a variety of musical styles, ideas, and genres — captured most notably in his groundbreaking 1983 album ''Illustrated Musical Encyclopedia'' — and focusing on a specific subject or theme, such as the Italian [[Futurism]] movement in ''Futurista'' (1986). At times, Sakamoto would also present varying interpretations of technology's intersection with music: He would present some pieces, such as "Replica", with [[Kraftwerk]]ian rigidity and order, while he would infuse humanity and humor into others — "Broadway Boogie Woogie", for example, liberally lifts samples from [[Ridley Scott]]'s film ''[[Blade Runner]]'' and pairs them with a raucous, sax-driven techno-pop backdrop.


As his solo career began to extend outside Japan in the late 1980s, Sakamoto's explorations, influences, and collaborators followed suit. ''Beauty'' (1989) boasted a tracklist that combined pop and traditional Japanese and [[Ryukyuan music|Okinawan songs]], yet featured guest appearances by [[Jill Jones]], [[Brian Wilson]], and [[Robbie Robertson]]. ''[[Heartbeat (Sakamoto album)|Heartbeat]]'' (1991) and ''Sweet Revenge'' (1994), meanwhile, looked to international horizons and worked with a global range of artists such as [[Roddy Frame]], [[Dee Dee Brave]], [[Marco Prince]], [[Arto Lindsay]], [[Youssou N'Dour]], [[David Sylvian]], and [[Ingrid Chavez]]. 1996 saw the appearance of two notable albums: ''Smoochy'', which fused pop and electronica with [[bossa nova]] and other South American forms, and ''1996'', which featured a number of previously released pieces arranged for solo piano, accompanied with violin and cello.
As his solo career began to extend outside Japan in the late 1980s, Sakamoto's explorations, influences, and collaborators followed suit. ''Beauty'' (1989) boasted a tracklist that combined pop and traditional Japanese and [[Ryukyuan music|Okinawan songs]], yet featured guest appearances by [[Jill Jones]], [[Brian Wilson]], and [[Robbie Robertson]]. ''[[Heartbeat (Sakamoto album)|Heartbeat]]'' (1991) and ''Sweet Revenge'' (1994), meanwhile, looked to international horizons and worked with a global range of artists such as [[Roddy Frame]], Dee Dee Brave, Marco Prince, [[Arto Lindsay]], [[Youssou N'Dour]], [[David Sylvian]], and [[Ingrid Chavez]]. 1996 saw the appearance of two notable albums: ''Smoochy'', which fused pop and electronica with [[bossa nova]] and other South American forms, and ''1996'', which featured a number of previously released pieces arranged for solo piano, accompanied with violin and cello.


Following ''1996'', Sakamoto simultaneously delved into the classical and "post-techno" genres with ''Discord'' (1998), an hour-long orchestral work in four parts. Here he evoked the melodic qualities of his film score work, imbued with the influence of 20th century classical composers and spoken word. The [[Sony Classical]] release also featured an interactive [[CD-ROM]] component and website that complemented the work. Shortly thereafter, the [[Ninja Tune]] record label released a series of remixes of various sections, produced by a number of prominent electronica artists, including [[Amon Tobin]], [[Talvin Singh]] and [[DJ Spooky]].
Following ''1996'', Sakamoto simultaneously delved into the classical and "post-techno" genres with ''Discord'' (1998), an hour-long orchestral work in four parts. Here he evoked the melodic qualities of his film score work, imbued with the influence of 20th century classical composers and spoken word. The [[Sony Classical]] release also featured an interactive [[CD-ROM]] component and website that complemented the work. Shortly thereafter, the [[Ninja Tune]] record label released a series of remixes of various sections, produced by a number of prominent electronica artists, including [[Amon Tobin]], [[Talvin Singh]] and [[DJ Spooky]].
Line 46: Line 62:


===Film composer and actor===
===Film composer and actor===
{{Listen
|pos=right
|filename=Ryuichi Sakamoto - Merry Christmas, Mr Lawrence.ogg
|title="Merry Christmas, Mr Lawrence"
|description=A sample of "[[Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence#Soundtrack|Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence]]" from the 1983 [[Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence|film of the same name]]. It won him a [[British Academy Film Awards|BAFTA]], was the basis for his hit song "[[Forbidden Colours]]", and has had a number of [[Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence#Cover versions of title theme|cover versions]] produced by other artists.
|format=[[Ogg]]
}}


Moviegoers may recognize Sakamoto primarily through his score work on two films: [[Nagisa Oshima]]'s ''[[Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence|Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence]]'' (1983), including the duet "[[Forbidden Colours]]" with [[David Sylvian]], and [[Bernardo Bertolucci]]'s ''[[The Last Emperor]]'' (1987), the latter of which earned him the [[Academy Awards|Academy Award]] with fellow composers [[David Byrne (musician)|David Byrne]] and [[Cong Su]]. In that same year he composed the score to the cult-classic anime: ''[[Royal Space Force: The Wings of Honneamise|Royal Space Force: The Wings of Honnêamise]]''.
Moviegoers may recognize Sakamoto primarily through his score work on two films: [[Nagisa Oshima]]'s ''[[Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence|Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence]]'' (1983), including the title theme and the duet "[[Forbidden Colours]]" with [[David Sylvian]], and [[Bernardo Bertolucci]]'s ''[[The Last Emperor]]'' (1987), the latter of which earned him the [[Academy Awards|Academy Award]] with fellow composers [[David Byrne (musician)|David Byrne]] and [[Cong Su]]. In that same year he composed the score to the cult-classic [[anime]] film ''[[Royal Space Force: The Wings of Honneamise|Royal Space Force: The Wings of Honnêamise]]''.


Frequent collaborator David Sylvian contributed lead vocals to "Forbidden Colours" – the main theme to ''Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence'' – which became a minor hit. Sixteen years later, the piece resurfaced as a popular dance track called "Heart of Asia" (by the group [[Watergate (band)|Watergate]]).
Frequent collaborator David Sylvian contributed lead vocals to "Forbidden Colours" – the main theme to ''Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence'' – which became a minor hit. Sixteen years later, the piece resurfaced as a popular dance track called "Heart of Asia" (by the group Watergate).


Other films scored by Sakamoto include [[Pedro Almodóvar]]'s ''[[Pedro_Almod%C3%B3var#Tacones_Lejanos_.281991.29|Tacones lejanos (High Heels)]]'' (1991); Bertolucci's ''[[Little Buddha|The Little Buddha]]'' (1993); [[Oliver Stone]]'s ''[[Wild Palms]]'' (1993); [[John Maybury]]'s ''[[Love Is the Devil: Study for a Portrait of Francis Bacon]]'' (1998); [[Brian De Palma]]'s ''[[Snake Eyes (film)|Snake Eyes]]'' (1998) and ''[[Femme Fatale (2002 film)|Femme Fatale]]'' (2002), and Oshima's ''[[Gohatto]]'' (1999). He also composed the score of the opening ceremony for the [[1992 Summer Olympics]] in [[Barcelona]], Spain, telecast live to an audience of over a billion viewers.
Other films scored by Sakamoto include [[Pedro Almodóvar]]'s ''[[Pedro_Almod%C3%B3var#Tacones_Lejanos_.281991.29|Tacones lejanos (High Heels)]]'' (1991), Bertolucci's ''[[Little Buddha|The Little Buddha]]'' (1993), [[Oliver Stone]]'s ''[[Wild Palms]]'' (1993), [[John Maybury]]'s ''[[Love Is the Devil: Study for a Portrait of Francis Bacon]]'' (1998), [[Brian De Palma]]'s ''[[Snake Eyes (film)|Snake Eyes]]'' (1998) and ''[[Femme Fatale (2002 film)|Femme Fatale]]'' (2002), Oshima's ''[[Gohatto]]'' (1999), and [[Kiran Rao]]'s ''[[Dhobi Ghat (film)|Dhobi Ghat]]'' (2011).<ref name="crawdaddy"/> He also composed the score of the opening ceremony for the [[1992 Summer Olympics]] in [[Barcelona]], Spain, telecast live to an audience of over a billion viewers.


Several tracks from Sakamoto's earlier solo albums have also appeared in film soundtracks. In particular, variations of "Chinsagu No Hana" (from ''Beauty'') and "Bibo No Aozora" (from ''1996'') provide the poignant closing pieces for Sue Brooks's ''[[Japanese Story]]'' (2003) and [[Alejandro González Iñárritu]]'s ''[[Babel (film)|Babel]]'' (2006), respectively.
Several tracks from Sakamoto's earlier solo albums have also appeared in film soundtracks. In particular, variations of "Chinsagu No Hana" (from ''Beauty'') and "Bibo No Aozora" (from ''1996'') provide the poignant closing pieces for Sue Brooks's ''[[Japanese Story]]'' (2003) and [[Alejandro González Iñárritu]]'s ''[[Babel (film)|Babel]]'' (2006), respectively.


Sakamoto has also acted in several films: perhaps his most notable performance was as the conflicted Captain Yonoi in ''[[Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence]]'', alongside [[Takeshi Kitano]] and British rock singer [[David Bowie]]. He also played the roles in ''[[The Last Emperor]]'' ( as [[Masahiko Amakasu]]) and [[Madonna (entertainer)|Madonna]]'s "[[Rain (Madonna song)|Rain]]" music video.
Sakamoto has also acted in several films: perhaps his most notable performance was as the conflicted Captain Yonoi in ''[[Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence]]'', alongside [[Takeshi Kitano]] and British rock singer [[David Bowie]]. He also played roles in ''[[The Last Emperor]]'' ( as [[Masahiko Amakasu]]) and [[Madonna (entertainer)|Madonna]]'s "[[Rain (Madonna song)|Rain]]" music video.

==Awards==
Ryuichi Sakamoto has won a number of awards for his work as a film composer, beginning with his score for ''[[Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence]]'' (1983) winning him the [[BAFTA Award for Best Film Music]].<ref name="imdb_sakamoto"/> His greatest award success was for scoring ''[[The Last Emperor]]'' (1987), which won him the [[Academy Award for Best Original Score]], [[Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score]], and [[Grammy Award for Best Score Soundtrack Album for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media]],<ref name="boston_sullivan"/> as well as a [[British Academy Film Awards|BAFTA]] nomination.<ref name="imdb_sakamoto"/> His score for ''[[The Sheltering Sky (film)|The Sheltering Sky]]'' (1990) later won him his second [[Golden Globe Award]].<ref name="imdb_sakamoto">{{imdb name|0757098|Ryûichi Sakamoto}}</ref> He also contributed to the [[Academy Award]] winning [[Babel (soundtrack)|soundtrack for ''Babel'']] (2006) with several pieces of music,<ref>{{citation|title=So... what's wrong with this picture?|work=[[Boston Globe]]|author=Ty Burr|date=February 17, 2008|page=12|url=http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/boston/access/1431926951.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Feb+17%2C+2008&author=Ty+Burr&pub=Boston+Globe&desc=So+...+what's+wrong+with+this+picture%3F|accessdate=2011-05-31}}</ref> including the "Bibo no Aozora" closing theme. In 2009, he was awarded the [[Ordre des Arts et des Lettres]] from France's [[Minister of Culture (France)|Ministry of Culture]] for his musical contributions.<ref name="crawdaddy"/>


⚫
The [[music video]] for "Risky", written and directed by Meiert Avis, also won the first ever MTV "[[MTV Video Music Award|Breakthrough Video Award]]". The ground breaking video explores [[transhumanist]] philosopher [[FM-2030]]'s (Persian: فریدون اسفندیاری) ideas of "Nostalgia for the Future", in the form of an imagined love affair between a robot and one of [[Man Ray]]'s models in Paris in the late 1930s. Additional inspiration was drawn from [[Jean Baudrillard]], [[Edvard Munch]]'s 1894 painting "Puberty", and [[Roland Barthes]] " [[Death of the Author]]". The surrealist black and white video uses stop motion, light painting, and other retro in-camera effects techniques. Meiert Avis shot Sakamoto while at work on the score for "The Last Emperor" in London. Sakamoto also appears in the video painting words and messages to an open shutter camera. Iggy Pop, who performs the vocals on "Risky", chose not to appear in the video, allowing his performance space to be occupied by the surrealist era robot.
==MTV Award==
⚫
The music video for "Risky", written and directed by Meiert Avis, won the first ever MTV "Breakthrough Video Award". The ground breaking video explores [[transhumanist]] philosopher [[FM-2030]]'s (Persian: فریدون اسفندیاری) ideas of "Nostalgia for the Future", in the form of an imagined love affair between a robot and one of [[Man Ray]]'s models in Paris in the late 1930s. Additional inspiration was drawn from [[Jean Baudrillard]], [[Edvard Munch]]'s 1894 painting "Puberty", and [[Roland Barthes]] " [[Death of the Author]]". The surrealist black and white video uses stop motion, light painting, and other retro in-camera effects techniques. Meiert Avis shot Sakamoto while at work on the score for "The Last Emperor" in London. Sakamoto also appears in the video painting words and messages to an open shutter camera. Iggy Pop, who performs the vocals on "Risky", chose not to appear in the video, allowing his performance space to be occupied by the surrealist era robot.


==Selected discography==
==Selected discography==
{{see also|Yellow Magic Orchestra#Discography|l1=Yellow Magic Orchestra: Discography}}

===Original studio albums===
===Original studio albums===
Several albums exist in 2 versions, the original Japanese version and the international version, each having differences in tracklistings.
Several albums exist in 2 versions, the original Japanese version and the international version, each having differences in tracklistings.
Line 76: Line 103:
* ''[[Neo Geo (album)|Neo Geo]]'' (1987)
* ''[[Neo Geo (album)|Neo Geo]]'' (1987)
* ''Playing the Orchestra'' (1989)
* ''Playing the Orchestra'' (1989)
* ''Open #1'' (1989)
* ''Beauty'' (1990)
* ''Beauty'' (1990)
* ''[[Heartbeat (Sakamoto album)|Heartbeat]]'' (1991)
* ''[[Heartbeat (Sakamoto album)|Heartbeat]]'' (1991)
Line 104: Line 132:
*''[[Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence]]'' (1983)
*''[[Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence]]'' (1983)
* ''Works I – CM'' (released in 2002, featuring commissioned works from 1981–1984)
* ''Works I – CM'' (released in 2002, featuring commissioned works from 1981–1984)
* ''Koneko Monogatari (A Kitten's Story)'' (1986)
* ''[[The Adventures of Milo and Otis|Koneko Monogatari (A Kitten's Story)]]'' (1986)
* Ôritsu uchûgun Oneamisu no tsubasa – ''[[Royal Space Force: The Wings of Honneamise|Royal Space Force: The Wings of Honnêamise]]'' (1987)
* ''[[Royal Space Force: The Wings of Honneamise|Royal Space Force: The Wings of Honnêamise]]'' (''Ôritsu uchûgun Oneamisu no tsubasa'') (1987)
* ''[[The Last Emperor (album)|The Last Emperor]]'' (1987) (Won Oscar)
* ''[[The Last Emperor (album)|The Last Emperor]]'' (1987) (Won Oscar, Grammy, BAFTA)
* ''Fantasy of Light and Life'' (1989)
* ''Fantasy of Light and Life'' (1989)
* ''[[Black Rain (American film)|Black Rain]]'' (1989) - featuring his song "Laserman"
* ''[[The Sheltering Sky (soundtrack)|The Sheltering Sky]]'' (1990)
* ''[[The Sheltering Sky (soundtrack)|The Sheltering Sky]]'' (1990)
* ''[[The Handmaid's Tale (film)|The Handmaid's Tale]] (1990)
* ''[[The Handmaid's Tale (film)|The Handmaid's Tale]] (1990)
Line 123: Line 152:
* ''[[Gohatto]]'' (1999)
* ''[[Gohatto]]'' (1999)
* ''[[Poppoya]] ''(Main theme) (1999)''
* ''[[Poppoya]] ''(Main theme) (1999)''
* ''[[L.O.L.: Lack of Love]]'' – [[Dreamcast]] video game (2000)
* ''[[L.O.L.: Lack of Love]]'' – [[Dreamcast]] video game (2000), for which he was also the [[scenario writer]]
* [[Zero Landmine]] (2001)
* ''[[Zero Landmine]]'' (2001)
* ''Minha Vida Como Un Filme'' (2002)
* ''Minha Vida Como Un Filme'' (2002)
* ''[[Femme Fatale (2002 film)|Femme Fatale]]'' (2002)
* ''[[Femme Fatale (2002 film)|Femme Fatale]]'' (2002)
* ''Century Of Reform''
* ''Century Of Reform'' (2002)
* ''[[Derrida (film)|Derrida]]'' (2002)
* ''[[Derrida (film)|Derrida]]'' (2002)
* ''[[Japanese Story]]'' (2003) - featuring "Chinsagu No Hana" (from ''Beauty'')
* ''[[Seven Samurai 20XX]]'' – [[PlayStation 2]] game (2004)
* ''[[Seven Samurai 20XX]]'' – [[PlayStation 2]] video game (2004)
* ''[[Shining Boy & Little Randy]]'' (2005)
* ''Shining Boy & Little Randy'' (2005)
* ''[[Tony Takitani]]'' (2005)
* ''[[Tony Takitani]]'' (2005)
* ''[[Babel (film)|Babel]]'' (2006) - featuring "Bibo No Aozora" (from ''1996'')
* ''[[Dawn of Mana]]'' (2006) – PlayStation 2 video game
* ''[[Silk (film)|Silk]]'' (2007)
* ''[[Silk (film)|Silk]]'' (2007)
* Indigo (Short-Film) (2008)
* ''Indigo'' (Short-Film) (2008)
* [[Dhobi Ghat]] (India) (2011)
* ''[[Dhobi Ghat (film)|Dhobi Ghat]]'' (India) (2011)


===With Morelenbaum² ([[Paula Morelenbaum]] and [[Jaques Morelenbaum]])===
===With Morelenbaum² ([[Paula Morelenbaum]] and [[Jaques Morelenbaum]])===
Line 164: Line 196:
* [[David Sylvian]]: ''Dead Bees on a Cake'' (1999, features Ryuichi Sakamoto on 7 tracks)
* [[David Sylvian]]: ''Dead Bees on a Cake'' (1999, features Ryuichi Sakamoto on 7 tracks)
* [[David Sylvian]]: ''Everything and Nothing'' (2000, features Ryuichi Sakamoto on 9 tracks)
* [[David Sylvian]]: ''Everything and Nothing'' (2000, features Ryuichi Sakamoto on 9 tracks)
* [[Senor Coconut]]: ''Yellow Fever'' (2006, features Ryuichi Sakamoto on 1 track)
* [[Senor Coconut]]: ''[[Yellow Fever!]]'' (2006, features Ryuichi Sakamoto on 1 track)
* Willits + Sakamoto: ''Ocean Fire'' (2007, with [[Christopher Willits]])
* Willits + Sakamoto: ''Ocean Fire'' (2007, with [[Christopher Willits]])
* [[Les Nouvelles Polyphonies Corses]]: ''Les Nouvelles Polyphonies Corses'' (features Ryuichi Sakamoto on piano and backing vocals)
* [[Les Nouvelles Polyphonies Corses]]: ''Les Nouvelles Polyphonies Corses'' (features Ryuichi Sakamoto on piano and backing vocals)
Line 170: Line 202:


==Personal life==
==Personal life==
Sakamoto has been married twice. His first marriage took place in 1972 but ended in divorce two years later. Sakamoto has a daughter from this relationship.<ref>[http://news.e-entertainment.info/singer/sakamoto_ryuuichi/post_9.html e-entertainment.info]</ref> Sakamoto then married popular Japanese pianist and singer [[Akiko Yano]] in 1982, having collaborated with her on some of her recordings. Yano was also a regular touring member of [[Yellow Magic Orchestra]]. They finally divorced in August 2006, 14 years after a mutual decision to live separately. They had one daughter, J-Pop singer [[Miu Sakamoto]].
Sakamoto has been married twice. His first marriage took place in 1972 but ended in divorce two years later. Sakamoto has a daughter from this relationship.<ref>[http://news.e-entertainment.info/singer/sakamoto_ryuuichi/post_9.html e-entertainment.info]</ref> Sakamoto then married popular Japanese pianist and singer [[Akiko Yano]] in 1982, having collaborated with her on some of her recordings. Yano was also a regular touring member of [[Yellow Magic Orchestra]]. They finally divorced in August 2006, 14 years after a mutual decision to live separately. They had one daughter, [[J-pop]] singer [[Miu Sakamoto]].


In 1998, Italian ethnomusicologist [[Massimo Milano]] published ''[[Ryuichi Sakamoto. Conversazioni]]'', a collection of essays and conversations.
In 1998, Italian ethnomusicologist [[Massimo Milano]] published ''[[Ryuichi Sakamoto. Conversazioni]]'', a collection of essays and conversations.


He is also known as a critic of [[copyright law]], arguing that it is antiquated in the [[information age]].<ref>[http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2009/may/19/turning-japanese-ryuichi-sakamoto Turning Japanese: The Philosophy of Ryuichi Sakamoto - The Guardian]</ref>
He is also known as a critic of [[copyright law]], arguing that it is antiquated in the [[information age]].<ref>[http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2009/may/19/turning-japanese-ryuichi-sakamoto Turning Japanese: The Philosophy of Ryuichi Sakamoto - The Guardian]</ref> He is a member of anti-nuclear organization [[Stop Rokkasho]] and demand the abolition of [[Hamaoka Nuclear Power Plant]].<ref>[http://www.geocities.co.jp/genpatusinsai/ 東海地震＋浜岡原発 ～ 原発震災を防ぐ全国署名] {{ja icon}}</ref>

He is a member of anti-nuclear organization [[Stop Rokkasho]] and demand the abolition of [[Hamaoka Nuclear Power Plant]].<ref>[http://www.geocities.co.jp/genpatusinsai/ 東海地震＋浜岡原発 ～ 原発震災を防ぐ全国署名] {{ja icon}}</ref>


==Commmons==
==Commmons==
Line 214: Line 244:


==See also==
==See also==
*[[Yellow Magic Orchestra]]
*[[Stop Rokkasho]]
*[[Stop Rokkasho]]
*[[This Is The One (album)|This Is The One]]
*[[This Is The One (album)|This Is The One]]

Revision as of 03:05, 7 June 2011

Ryuichi Sakamoto

Ryuichi Sakamoto (坂本 龍一, Sakamoto Ryūichi, born January 17, 1952) is a Japanese musician, composer, record producer, writer, singer, and actor, based in Tokyo and New York. He began his career in 1978 as a member of the pioneering electronic music band Yellow Magic Orchestra (YMO),[1][2] where he played the keyboards and occasionally sang the vocals. The band was an international success, with worldwide hits such as "Computer Game / Firecracker" (1978) and "Behind the Mask" (1978),[3] the latter written and sung by Sakamoto. At around the same time, he began pursuing a solo career in pop music, debuting with an experimental electronic fusion album The Thousand Knives of Ryūichi Sakamoto (1978), and later released the pioneering electro music album B-2 Unit (1980).[4][5][6] After YMO disbanded in 1983, he produced more hit solo records, including collaborations with various international artists, through to the 1990s.

He began acting and film composing with Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence (1983), which he starred in and composed the score for; the song "Forbidden Colours" which he composed for it became a worldwide hit and he won a BAFTA Award for the film's score.[7] He later won an Academy Award and Grammy Award for scoring The Last Emperor (1987),[8] and has also won two Golden Globe Awards for his work as a film composer.[7] In addition, he also composed music for the 1992 Barcelona Olympics opening ceremony. In the early 1990s, he briefly reunited with YMO, playing an instrumental role in the techno and acid house movements of the era, before parting ways again shortly afterwards.[9] His 1999 musical composition "Energy Flow", also known as the alternative title of the single disc Ura BTTB, was the first number-one instrumental single in Japan's Oricon charts history.[10] He has also occasionally worked on anime and video games, as a composer as well as a scenario writer. In the late 2000s, he reunited once again with YMO, while continuing to compose film music. In 2009, he was awarded the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres from France's Ministry of Culture for his musical contributions.[3]

Biography

Early years and Yellow Magic Orchestra

Main article: Yellow Magic Orchestra

Sakamoto attended the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music, where he earned a B.A. in music composition and an M.A. with special emphasis on both electronic and ethnic music.

After working as a session musician, he formed the internationally successful electronic music trio Yellow Magic Orchestra (YMO), with Haruomi Hosono and Yukihiro Takahashi, in 1978. Known for their seminal influence on electronic music, the group were pioneers of various electronic genres such as electropop/technopop,[1][2] synthpop,[11] cyberpunk music,[12] ambient house music,[1] and electronica.[2] The group's work has had a significant lasting impact across many different genres, ranging from hip hop[2] and techno[13][9] to acid house[9] and general melodic music.[11]

Sakamoto was the songwriter and composer for a number of the band's hit songs, including "Yellow Magic (Tong Poo)" (1978), "Technopolis" (1979), "Nice Age" (1980), "Seoul Music" (1981), "Ongaku" (1983), and "You've Got to Help Yourself" (1983), while playing the keyboards for most of their other songs, including international hits such as "Computer Game / Firecracker" (1978), and singing in several songs such as "Kimi ni Mune Kyun" (1983). He also composed the international hit "Behind the Mask" (1978), for which he sang the vocals through a vocoder, and which would later be covered by a number of international artists, including Michael Jackson and Eric Clapton.

Solo career

Sakamoto released his first solo album, The Thousand Knives of Ryūichi Sakamoto, in 1978. The album includes the songs "Thousand Knives" and "The End of Asia", which experimented with fusing electronic music with traditional Japanese music, and "Grasshoppers", a piano song. He would later remix the song "Thousand Knives" using the new Roland TR-808 drum machine as "1000 Knives" for his band's album BGM (1981), while the song "Grasshoppers" would later be sampled in Ghostface Killah's "Baby" (2009).

In 1980, he released the solo album B-2 Unit, which is considered to be his "edgiest" record.[14] It is known for the electronic classic "Riot in Lagos",[14] which is considered an early example of electro music,[4][5] for having anticipated the beats and sounds of electro.[6] Ryuichi Sakamoto, particularly his song "Riot in Lagos", had an influence on early electo hip hop artists such as Afrika Bambaata[6] and was cited by Kurtis Mantronik as a major influence on his electro hip hop group Mantronix.[5] In 1982, Sakamoto worked on his first collaboration with David Sylvian, a single entitled "Bamboo Houses/Bamboo Music".

Following the disbanding of Yellow Magic Orchestra in 1983, Sakamoto released a number of solo albums during the 1980s. While primarily focused on the piano and synthesizer, this series of albums boasted a roster of collaborators that included David Sylvian, David Byrne, Thomas Dolby, Nam June Paik, and Iggy Pop, among others. Sakamoto would alternate between exploring a variety of musical styles, ideas, and genres — captured most notably in his groundbreaking 1983 album Illustrated Musical Encyclopedia — and focusing on a specific subject or theme, such as the Italian Futurism movement in Futurista (1986). At times, Sakamoto would also present varying interpretations of technology's intersection with music: He would present some pieces, such as "Replica", with Kraftwerkian rigidity and order, while he would infuse humanity and humor into others — "Broadway Boogie Woogie", for example, liberally lifts samples from Ridley Scott's film Blade Runner and pairs them with a raucous, sax-driven techno-pop backdrop.

As his solo career began to extend outside Japan in the late 1980s, Sakamoto's explorations, influences, and collaborators followed suit. Beauty (1989) boasted a tracklist that combined pop and traditional Japanese and Okinawan songs, yet featured guest appearances by Jill Jones, Brian Wilson, and Robbie Robertson. Heartbeat (1991) and Sweet Revenge (1994), meanwhile, looked to international horizons and worked with a global range of artists such as Roddy Frame, Dee Dee Brave, Marco Prince, Arto Lindsay, Youssou N'Dour, David Sylvian, and Ingrid Chavez. 1996 saw the appearance of two notable albums: Smoochy, which fused pop and electronica with bossa nova and other South American forms, and 1996, which featured a number of previously released pieces arranged for solo piano, accompanied with violin and cello.

Following 1996, Sakamoto simultaneously delved into the classical and "post-techno" genres with Discord (1998), an hour-long orchestral work in four parts. Here he evoked the melodic qualities of his film score work, imbued with the influence of 20th century classical composers and spoken word. The Sony Classical release also featured an interactive CD-ROM component and website that complemented the work. Shortly thereafter, the Ninja Tune record label released a series of remixes of various sections, produced by a number of prominent electronica artists, including Amon Tobin, Talvin Singh and DJ Spooky.

The next album, BTTB (1998) — an acronym for "Back to the Basics" — was a fairly opaque reaction to the prior year's multilayered, lushly orchestrated Discord. The album comprised a series of original pieces on solo piano, including "Energy Flow" (a major hit in Japan) and a frenetic, four-hand arrangement of the Yellow Magic Orchestra classic "Tong Poo." On the BTTB U.S. tour, he opened the show performing a brief avant-garde DJ set under the stage name DJ Lovegroove.

1999 saw the long-awaited release of Sakamoto's "opera" LIFE. It premiered with seven sold-out performances in Tokyo and Osaka. This ambitious multi-genre multi-media project featured contributions by over 100 performers, including Pina Bausch, Bernardo Bertolucci, Josep Carreras, His Holiness The Dalai Lama and Salman Rushdie.

Sakamoto later teamed with cellist Jaques Morelenbaum (a member of his 1996 trio), and Morelenbaum's wife, Paula, on a pair of albums celebrating the work of bossa nova pioneer Antonio Carlos Jobim. They recorded their first album, Casa (2001), mostly in Jobim's home studio in Rio de Janeiro, with Sakamoto performing on the late Jobim's grand piano. The album was well received, having been included in the list of New York Times's top albums of 2002.

Sakamoto collaborated with Alva Noto (an alias of Carsten Nicolai) to release Vrioon, an album of Sakamoto's piano clusters treated by Nicolai's unique style of digital manipulation, involving the creation of "micro-loops" and minimal percussion. The two produced this work by passing the pieces back and forth until both were satisfied with the result. This debut, released on German label Raster-Noton, was voted record of the year 2004 in the electronica category by British magazine The Wire. They later released Insen (2005) — while produced in a similar manner to Vrioon, this album is somewhat more restrained and minimalist.

Meanwhile, Sakamoto continues to craft music to suit any context: In 2005, Finnish mobile phone manufacturer Nokia hired Sakamoto to compose ring and alert tones for their high-end phone, the Nokia 8800. A recent reunion with YMO pals Hosono and Takahashi also caused a stir in the Japanese press. They released a single "Rescue" in 2007 and a DVD "HAS/YMO" in 2008.

Sakamoto's latest album, Out Of Noise, was released on March 4, 2009 in Japan.

In July 2009 Sakamoto was honored as Officier of Ordre des Arts et des Lettres at the French Embassy in Tokyo.

Film composer and actor

Moviegoers may recognize Sakamoto primarily through his score work on two films: Nagisa Oshima's Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence (1983), including the title theme and the duet "Forbidden Colours" with David Sylvian, and Bernardo Bertolucci's The Last Emperor (1987), the latter of which earned him the Academy Award with fellow composers David Byrne and Cong Su. In that same year he composed the score to the cult-classic anime film Royal Space Force: The Wings of Honnêamise.

Frequent collaborator David Sylvian contributed lead vocals to "Forbidden Colours" – the main theme to Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence – which became a minor hit. Sixteen years later, the piece resurfaced as a popular dance track called "Heart of Asia" (by the group Watergate).

Other films scored by Sakamoto include Pedro Almodóvar's Tacones lejanos (High Heels) (1991), Bertolucci's The Little Buddha (1993), Oliver Stone's Wild Palms (1993), John Maybury's Love Is the Devil: Study for a Portrait of Francis Bacon (1998), Brian De Palma's Snake Eyes (1998) and Femme Fatale (2002), Oshima's Gohatto (1999), and Kiran Rao's Dhobi Ghat (2011).[3] He also composed the score of the opening ceremony for the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain, telecast live to an audience of over a billion viewers.

Several tracks from Sakamoto's earlier solo albums have also appeared in film soundtracks. In particular, variations of "Chinsagu No Hana" (from Beauty) and "Bibo No Aozora" (from 1996) provide the poignant closing pieces for Sue Brooks's Japanese Story (2003) and Alejandro González Iñárritu's Babel (2006), respectively.

Sakamoto has also acted in several films: perhaps his most notable performance was as the conflicted Captain Yonoi in Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence, alongside Takeshi Kitano and British rock singer David Bowie. He also played roles in The Last Emperor ( as Masahiko Amakasu) and Madonna's "Rain" music video.

Awards

Ryuichi Sakamoto has won a number of awards for his work as a film composer, beginning with his score for Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence (1983) winning him the BAFTA Award for Best Film Music.[7] His greatest award success was for scoring The Last Emperor (1987), which won him the Academy Award for Best Original Score, Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score, and Grammy Award for Best Score Soundtrack Album for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media,[8] as well as a BAFTA nomination.[7] His score for The Sheltering Sky (1990) later won him his second Golden Globe Award.[7] He also contributed to the Academy Award winning soundtrack for Babel (2006) with several pieces of music,[15] including the "Bibo no Aozora" closing theme. In 2009, he was awarded the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres from France's Ministry of Culture for his musical contributions.[3]

The music video for "Risky", written and directed by Meiert Avis, also won the first ever MTV "Breakthrough Video Award". The ground breaking video explores transhumanist philosopher FM-2030's (Persian: فریدون اسفندیاری) ideas of "Nostalgia for the Future", in the form of an imagined love affair between a robot and one of Man Ray's models in Paris in the late 1930s. Additional inspiration was drawn from Jean Baudrillard, Edvard Munch's 1894 painting "Puberty", and Roland Barthes " Death of the Author". The surrealist black and white video uses stop motion, light painting, and other retro in-camera effects techniques. Meiert Avis shot Sakamoto while at work on the score for "The Last Emperor" in London. Sakamoto also appears in the video painting words and messages to an open shutter camera. Iggy Pop, who performs the vocals on "Risky", chose not to appear in the video, allowing his performance space to be occupied by the surrealist era robot.

Selected discography

See also: Yellow Magic Orchestra: Discography

Original studio albums

Several albums exist in 2 versions, the original Japanese version and the international version, each having differences in tracklistings.

  • Thousand Knives (1978)
  • Tokyo Joe (1978, with Kazumi Watanabe, more a compilation than a proper album, featuring an odd mix of tracks from Thousand Knives and from the eponymous album by Watanabe's short lived Kylyn band)
  • Summer Nerves (1979, with The Kakutogi Session)
  • B2-Unit (1980)
  • Left-Handed Dream (1981) (Tracklistings differ between Japanese and international issues)
  • The Arrangement (1981, with Robin Scott) (originally released as an EP, later expended into a full album containing the complete sessions)
  • The End of Asia (1982, with Danceries)
  • Ongakuzukan (1984) with the single Replica (the international release from 1986 is titled Illustrated Musical Encyclopedia, and has a different tracklisting)
  • Esperanto (1985)
  • Futurista (1986)
  • Coda (1986)
  • Neo Geo (1987)
  • Playing the Orchestra (1989)
  • Open #1 (1989)
  • Beauty (1990)
  • Heartbeat (1991)
  • Benedict Beauty (1992)
  • Soundbytes (1994, compilation of tracks recorded 1981–1986)
  • Sweet Revenge (1994)
  • Smoochy (1995)
  • 1996 (1996)
  • Discord (1997)
  • BTTB (1999)
  • Cinemage (1999)
  • Intimate (1999, with Keizo Inoue)
  • L I F E (2000)
  • In The Lobby
  • Comica (2002)
  • Elephantism (2002)
  • Moto.tronic (2003, Compilation of tracks recorded between 1983 & 2003)
  • Love (2003)
  • Chasm (2004)
  • /04 (2004)
  • /05 (2005)
  • Cantus omnibus unus; for mixed or equal choir (2005)
  • Bricolages (2006)
  • Out of Noise (2009)
  • Playing the Piano (2009)

Original soundtracks and event scores

With Morelenbaum² (Paula Morelenbaum and Jaques Morelenbaum)

With Carsten Nicolai, as alva noto + ryuichi sakamoto

With Fennesz

  • Sala Santa Cecilia (2005, live EP)
  • Cendre (2007)

Other collaborations

Personal life

Sakamoto has been married twice. His first marriage took place in 1972 but ended in divorce two years later. Sakamoto has a daughter from this relationship.[16] Sakamoto then married popular Japanese pianist and singer Akiko Yano in 1982, having collaborated with her on some of her recordings. Yano was also a regular touring member of Yellow Magic Orchestra. They finally divorced in August 2006, 14 years after a mutual decision to live separately. They had one daughter, J-pop singer Miu Sakamoto.

In 1998, Italian ethnomusicologist Massimo Milano published Ryuichi Sakamoto. Conversazioni, a collection of essays and conversations.

He is also known as a critic of copyright law, arguing that it is antiquated in the information age.[17] He is a member of anti-nuclear organization Stop Rokkasho and demand the abolition of Hamaoka Nuclear Power Plant.[18]

Commmons

Commmons
Parent companyAvex Group
Founded2006
FounderRyuichi Sakamoto
StatusActive
Distributor(s)Rhythm Zone
GenreJ-pop, Electropop, New Age music
Country of originJapan
LocationAoyama, Tokyo
Official websiteCommmons

In 2006, Sakamoto, with avex Group's help, founded Commmons (コモンズ, Komonzu), a record label promising change in the way music should be. For him, Commmons is not his label, but is a platform for all aspiring artists to join as equal collaborators and share for benefits of the music industry. The word Commmons has three M's because the 3rd M stands for music.[19]

It is distributed by Rhythm Zone, Avex's urban and R&B record label, and uses the catalog code RZCM-4****.

It also serves as a distributing label for Thrill Jockey and Raster-Noton in Japan.

Artists

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c "Yellow Magic Orchestra profile". Allmusic. Retrieved June 3, 2009.
  2. ^ a b c d Lewis, John (July 4, 2008). "Back to the future: Yellow Magic Orchestra helped usher in electronica - and they may just have invented hip-hop, too". The Guardian. Retrieved May 25, 2011.
  3. ^ a b c d Denise Sullivan (May 13, 2011). "What Makes A Legend: Ryuichi Sakamoto". Crawdaddy!. Retrieved May 31, 2011.
  4. ^ a b Broughton, Frank (2007). La historia del DJ / The DJ's Story, Volume 2. Ediciones Robinbook. p. 121. ISBN 8496222799. Retrieved May 25, 2011.
  5. ^ a b c "Kurtis Mantronik Interview", Hip Hop Storage, July 2002, retrieved May 25, 2011
  6. ^ a b c David Toop (1996), "A-Z Of Electro", The Wire, no. 145, retrieved May 29, 2011 {{citation}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  7. ^ a b c d e Ryûichi Sakamoto at IMDb
  8. ^ a b Jim Sullivan (February 8, 1998), "RYUICHI SAKAMOTO GOES AVANT-CLASSICAL", Boston Globe, p. 8, retrieved May 27, 2011
  9. ^ a b c "Ryuichi Sakamoto". UGO Networks. Retrieved May 27, 2011.
  10. ^ "Sakamoto's 'energy Flow' Enlivens Japan". AllBusiness.com. July 2, 1999. Retrieved November 29, 2008.
  11. ^ a b Piero Scaruffi (2003), A history of rock music 1951-2000, iUniverse, p. 234, ISBN 0595295657, retrieved May 26, 2011
  12. ^ Lester, Paul (June 20, 2008). "Yellow Magic Orchestra". The Guardian. Retrieved May 26, 2011.
  13. ^ Bogdanov, Vladimir (2001). All music guide to electronica: the definitive guide to electronic music (4th ed.). Backbeat Books. p. 582. ISBN 0879306289. Retrieved May 26, 2011.
  14. ^ a b Buckley, Peter (2003). The rough guide to rock. Rough Guides. p. 901. ISBN 1843531054. Retrieved May 25, 2011.
  15. ^ Ty Burr (February 17, 2008), "So... what's wrong with this picture?", Boston Globe, p. 12, retrieved May 31, 2011
  16. ^ e-entertainment.info
  17. ^ Turning Japanese: The Philosophy of Ryuichi Sakamoto - The Guardian
  18. ^ 東海地震＋浜岡原発 ～ 原発震災を防ぐ全国署名 Template:Ja icon
  19. ^ About Commmons

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