Ryuichi Sakamoto

Any one aspect of Ryuichi Sakamoto’s shockingly multifarious talents would keep most musicians busy, but the eclectic Japanese composer and keyboardist has tackled a dizzying array of styles over the course of his long, prolific career. Sakamoto was remarkably forward-looking from the beginning: he formed pioneering Japanese synth-pop band Yellow Magic Orchestra in 1978, well before such sounds became all the rage. The restless Sakamoto began his solo career while he was still a member of YMO, and over the years his records have incorporated new wave, bossa nova, electronica, ambient music, jazz, and neo-classical flavors. As if that weren’t enough, Sakamoto has also found time for an extremely successful career as a film composer; his screen credits include The Last Emperor (for which he won an Oscar), and Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence (in which he co-starred opposite David Bowie as the commandant of a Japanese POW camp during World War II). A tireless collaborator, Sakamoto has worked with a staggering list of artists: his most frequent musical partner has been David Sylvian, but over time everyone from David Byrne to French composer Hector Zazou has found their way into the industrious Sakamoto’s appointment book.