Here, in an act of celebration, we attempt to break down the themes and styles implicit in his music for film. Indeed, it’s this ability to evoke mood, emotion, time and place that invests Sakamoto’s film scores with a certain timelessness – just look at how his compositions are drawn from again and again by music supervisors for cinema and TV. His recent album async follows a personal narrative on his experiences of illness and ageing – themes that can also be detected in his 2015 soundtrack for The Revenant. Following his throat cancer in 2014, Sakamoto is in remission, but shows no signs of slowing down professionally. Between Merry Christmas, Mr Lawrence, The Last Emperor and Sheltering Sky, he has demonstrated an expansive knowledge of musical styles and genres – and the audacity and sensitivity required to heighten visual storytelling at its most epic.īut lately, the 65-year-old’s music has turned inwards. It is perhaps no surprise that his portfolio also includes an array of diverse and award-winning film soundtracks. With an oeuvre extending across genres, from synth-pop and hip-hop to post-classical and jazz, the Japanese musician’s work with influential trio Yellow Magic Orchestra brought experimental music to a mass audience, while Riot in Lagos, from 1980 album B-2 Unit, paved the way for a new generation of electro and hip-hop music. Where there is contemporary music there is Ryuichi Sakamoto. Already a member? Head to the Supporters hub. Find out more here and stay up to date with upcoming screenings. We’re screening the documentary Ryuichi Sakamoto: Coda from 16-18 July 2021.
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January 2023
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