12 (Ryuichi Sakamoto album)

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12
Studio album by
Ryuichi Sakamoto
ReleasedJanuary 17, 2023 (2023-01-17)
Genre
Length60:01
Label
ProducerRyuichi Sakamoto
Ryuichi Sakamoto chronology
To the Moon and Back
(2022) 		12
(2023)

12 is the fifteenth and final solo studio album (twentieth studio album overall[1]) by Ryuichi Sakamoto.[2] It was released on January 17, 2023, two months before his death from cancer,[3] through Milan Records and Commmons.

Composition[edit]

12 has been noted to be an "unhurried" minimalist electronic album that features the "sound of him breathing as though engaged in strenuous activity" overlaid on "sparse piano pieces within electronic soundscapes imbued with a sobering weight."[4][5][6]

Critical reception[edit]

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic?7.9/10[7]
Metacritic85/100[8]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[9]
Clash9/10[10]
Financial Times[11]
Loud and Quiet6/10[12]
Pitchfork7.6/10[13]
The Skinny[14]
Slant[15]
Spectrum Culture75%[16]
Uncut9/10[17]

At Metacritic, which assigns a weighted rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album has an average score of 85 based on nine reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".[8]

Reviewing the album for AllMusic, Paul Simpson compared it to Sakamoto's previous work. Simpson claimed that, "While [async] was an inventive, ambitious work incorporating field recordings, spoken word vocals, and several guest musicians, 12 is considerably more stripped-down, created entirely by Sakamoto, mostly playing piano and synthesizers." Simpson concluded by stating that, "being aware that it was his final work adds emotional weight to music that appears fragile and delicate."[9] In a review for The Skinny, Tony Inglis awarded 12 a 5-star rating and noted that unlike Sakamoto's previous works, 12 is a "collection [that] instead deals in the turbulent and unpredictable period that comes before the unknown."[14] In a positive review for Pitchfork, Rob Arcand highlighted how "Rarely does an album this understated say so much."[13]

Track listing[edit]

All tracks are written by Ryuichi Sakamoto

12 track listing
No.TitleLength
1."20210310"6:53
2."20211130"5:22
3."20211201"5:32
4."20220123"8:40
5."20220202"6:22
6."20220207"7:01
7."20220214"9:09
8."20220302 – Sarabande"3:10
9."20220302"2:52
10."20220307"2:31
11."20220404"2:26
12."20220304"1:08
Total length:60:01

Charts[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Kress, Bryan (April 2, 2022). "Ryuichi Sakamoto, Pioneering Electronic Music Composer, Dead at 71". Consequence. Retrieved April 3, 2023.
  2. ^ William, Mata (April 3, 2023). "Who was Ryuichi Sakamoto and what scores did he compose? Japanese legend dies aged 71". Evening Standard. Retrieved April 3, 2023.
  3. ^ Tsioulcas, Anastasia (April 2, 2023). "Ryuichi Sakamoto, a godfather of electronic pop, has died". NPR. Retrieved April 2, 2023.
  4. ^ Attard, Paul (January 11, 2023). "Ryuichi Sakamoto '12' Review: A Stark Song Cycle About Mortality". Slant Magazine. Retrieved March 7, 2023.
  5. ^ "Ryuichi Sakamoto: 12". Pitchfork. Retrieved March 7, 2023.
  6. ^ "Ryuichi Sakamoto: 12 album review — the sound of ongoing life". Financial Times. January 20, 2023. Retrieved March 7, 2023.
  7. ^ "12 by Ryuichi Sakamoto (reviews)". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved January 23, 2023.
  8. ^ a b "12 by Ryuichi Sakamoto Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Retrieved July 27, 2023.
  9. ^ a b Simpson, Paul (January 20, 2023). "Ryuichi Sakamoto – 12 Album Reviews, Songs & More". Clash. Retrieved July 21, 2023.
  10. ^ Roseblade, Nick (January 18, 2023). "Ryuichi Sakamoto – 12". Clash. Retrieved January 23, 2023.
  11. ^ Hunter-Tilney, Ludovic (January 20, 2023). "Ryuichi Sakamoto: 12 album review — the sound of ongoing life". Financial Times. Archived from the original on January 23, 2023. Retrieved January 23, 2023.
  12. ^ Younis, Reef (January 16, 2023). "Ryuichi Sakamoto – 12". Loud and Quiet. Retrieved January 23, 2023.
  13. ^ a b Arcand, Rob (January 17, 2023). "Ryuichi Sakamoto – 12". Pitchfork. Retrieved January 23, 2023.
  14. ^ a b Inglis, Tony (January 11, 2023). "Ryuichi Sakamoto – 12". The Skinny. Retrieved January 23, 2023.
  15. ^ Attard, Paul (January 11, 2023). "Ryuichi Sakamoto 12 Review: A Starkly Beautiful Song Cycle About Mortality". Slant. Retrieved January 23, 2023.
  16. ^ Rega, Konstantin N. (January 23, 2023). "Ryuichi Sakamoto – 12". Spectrum Culture. Retrieved January 23, 2023.
  17. ^ Bonner, Michael (March 2023). "Ryuichi Sakamoto – 12". Uncut. No. 310. p. 30. Retrieved April 3, 2023.
  18. ^ "Ultratop.be – Ryuichi Sakamoto – 12" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved July 2, 2023.
  19. ^ "Ultratop.be – Ryuichi Sakamoto – 12" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved July 2, 2023.
  20. ^ "Lescharts.com – Ryuichi Sakamoto – 12". Hung Medien. Retrieved July 3, 2023.
  21. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Ryuichi Sakamoto – 12" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved June 30, 2023.
  22. ^ "Album – Classifica settimanale WK 26 (dal 23.06.2023 al 29.06.2023)" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved July 1, 2023.
  23. ^ "Oricon Top 50 Albums: 2023-04-17" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved April 12, 2023.
  24. ^ "Oricon Top 50 Combined Albums: 2023-01-30" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved March 1, 2023.
  25. ^ "Billboard Japan Hot Albums – Week of April 12, 2023". Billboard Japan (in Japanese). Retrieved April 12, 2023.
  26. ^ "Portuguesecharts.com – Ryuichi Sakamoto – 12". Hung Medien. Retrieved July 7, 2023.
  27. ^ "Spanishcharts.com – Ryuichi Sakamoto – 12". Hung Medien. Retrieved July 3, 2023.
  28. ^ "Swisscharts.com – Ryuichi Sakamoto – 12". Hung Medien. Retrieved July 2, 2023.
  29. ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 3, 2023.
  30. ^ "Official Albums Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 3, 2023.
  31. ^ "Official Album Downloads Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 3, 2023.
  32. ^ "Official Physical Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 3, 2023.
  33. ^ "Ryuichi Sakamoto Chart History (Top Album Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved September 3, 2023.
  34. ^ "Ryuichi Sakamoto Chart History (Top Classical Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved September 3, 2023.
  35. ^ "Ryuichi Sakamoto Chart History (Top Classical Crossover Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved September 3, 2023.
  36. ^ "Oricon Top 50 Albums: 2023-01" (in Japanese). Oricon. Archived from the original on February 8, 2023. Retrieved March 1, 2023.


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