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about Asia Buzz
Culture on Demand: Perfect Score
Ryuichi Sakamato is music to my ears
By
STAN STALNAKER
June
26, 2000
Web posted at 2:30 a.m. Hong Kong time, 2:30 p.m. EDT
These days it's standard for artists to talk about "crossing boundaries"
-- and many pride themselves on drawing from wide-ranging influences.
But few are truly able to break out of standard categories to create
something altogether new. As entertaining as they are, somehow I don't
think Leon Lai, Britney Spears, Aqua, or even Pavarotti are really
setting new standards in their fields, be they pop, classical, techno
or country.
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The story behind today's news from the editors of Asiaweek
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That's why on occasion it's nice to discover a musical artist who
does cross boundaries, mixing genres and roles to create new vistas
in music. Ryuichi Sakamoto has been doing it since the early 1980s.
The Japanese composer/artist/tech maestro is now redefining classical
music for the digital era by mixing striking melodies with electronica.
The result is music that ingrains itself in your head, soothing and
dramatic, classical, yet totally up to date.
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Sakamoto's success has shadowed him in Hollywood, where he first made
his name. After studying electronic and ethnic music in Japan, Sakamoto's
gift for melody led him to the movies, where he directed symphonies
and wrote music for a number of highly regarded films. Chief among
these was the soundtrack for The Last Emperor, for which he earned
an Oscar.
Sakamoto has since then been updating his repertoire, resulting in
the 1998-9 release of Cinemage, a collection of his best-known work.
It's a cast of standouts, but the real star on the album is a song
called Forbidden Colours, with English lyrics by David Sylvian. The
song is one of Sakamoto's most renowned pieces, and has featured in
several cinematic works. In its many incarnations over the years --
as an instrumental piece, a Japanese vocal and an English vocal --
the melody he weaves throughout the piece remains pure and simply
wonderful.
The February 2000 release of BTTB (Back to the Basic) outside of Japan
has caused a resurgence of interest in Sakamoto's work, not least
of all because it was so well received in Japan -- hovering at or
near the top of its respective music rankings for over eight weeks.
The work is a collection of solo piano pieces that tilts more to the
electronica side of his expertise, and maintains Sakamoto's flair
for melody. " At times ambient, at times classical, the music is always
elaborate. It never fails to take the listener on a rolling journey.
As a composer and musician, Ryuichi Sakamoto is a standout. His website,
ryuichi-sakamoto.com,
offers a few downloadable clips to get a taste of his music. It also
features some of his other personal pursuits -- including support
of the offbeat Jubilee 2000 campaign, a group symposium effort to
end debt commitments held by poor or struggling countries.
Sakamoto is currently touring in the U.S before contemplating a return
tour in Asia.
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