Tag Archives: Ryuichi Sakamoto

David Sylvian: Dead Bees On A Cake

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On March 29, 1999, “Virgin” label released “Dead Bees on a Cake”, the fifth David Sylvian studio album. It was recorded in 1998, at “Right Track Studios” in New York, “Real World Studios” in Box, Wiltshire, “Sound House Studio” in  Seattle, “Atma Sound” in Minneapolis, “Seedy Underbelly” in Minneapolis, “Synergy Studio” in Napa, California, and was produced by David Sylvian.

Personnel:

  • David Sylvian – vocals, guitars, keyboards, bass, drum programming, samples, string arrangements, art director, additional engineering, mixing
  • Ryuichi Sakamoto – Fender Rhodes, orchestrations and string arrangements, brass arrangements, sampled guitar and bansuri, insects
  • Tommy Barbarella – Fender Rhodes
  • Marc Ribot – acoustic and electric guitar, slide guitar
  • Bill Frisell – dobro, acoustic guitar
  • Kenny Wheeler – flugelhorn
  • Lawrence Feldman – flute
  • Deepak Ram – bansuri
  • John Giblin – bass
  • Chris Minh Doky – double bass
  • Steve Jansen – percussion, loops, cymbals
  • Ged Lynch – original drum track, drums
  • Skoota Warner – original drum track, drums
  • Talvin Singh – tabla and percussion
  • Steve Tibbetts – gong
  • Ingrid Chavez – vocals
  • Shree Maa – vocals
  • Dave Kent – engineer, mixing, studio maintenance
  • Jacquie Turner – engineer assistant
  • Matt Curry – engineer assistant
  • Scott Crane – engineer assistant
  • Bob Ludwig – mastering
  • Yuka Fujii – art director, artwork co-ordinator
  • Shinya Fujiwara – drawings
  • Anton Corbijn – photography
  • Ingrid Chavez – inlay portrait
  • Russell Mills – design (shed)
  • Michael Webster – design assistance (storm)

Track listing:

All tracks by David Sylvian, except as noted.

  1. I Surrender
  2. Dobro #1 – David Sylvian, Bill Frisell
  3. Midnight Sun – David Sylvian, Johnny Moore, Charles Brown, Eddie Williams
  4. Thalheim
  5. God Man
  6. Alphabet Angel
  7. Krishna Blue
  8. The Shining of Things
  9. Café Europa
  10. Pollen Path
  11. All of My Mother’s Names (Summers with Amma)
  12. Wanderlust
  13. Praise (Pratah Smarami) – Shree Maa, David Sylvian
  14. Darkest Dreaming – David Sylvian, Djivan Gasparyan

Nine Horses: Snow Borne Sorrow

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On October 17, 2005, “Samadhi Sound” label released “Snow Borne Sorrow”, the debut Nine Horses album. It was recorded 2001 – 2005, at “Miloco 3”, “Eden Studios” and “Sphere Studios” in London, “1k Recording Studio” in Philadelphia, “UTS Sound Studio”, “University of Technology” in Sydney, “First Floor Rec.” in Copenhagen, and was produced by David Sylvian.

Personnel:

  • David Sylvian – vocals, keyboards, guitar, mixing, art direction, executive producer
  • Steve Jansen – drums, percussion, sample programming, keyboards, mixing
  • Burnt Friedman – drum programming, keyboards, toy piano, Korg MS-20, vocoder, loops, pan, recording, mixing, editing
  • Jim Motzer – acoustic and electric guitar
  • Tim Elsenburg – electric guitar
  • Joseph Suchy – electric guitar
  • Riff Pike III – electric guitar
  • Ryuichi Sakamoto – piano, piano treatment
  • Keith Lowe – double bass, bass
  • Neal Sutherland – bass
  • Daniel Schroeter – bass
  • Stina Nordenstam – vocals
  • Arve Henriksen – trumpet
  • Hayden Chisholm – clarinet, saxophone
  • Theo Travis – saxophone, flute
  • Thomas Hass – saxophone
  • Morten Grønvad – vibraphone
  • Carsten Skøv – vibraphone
  • Eska G. Mtungwazi, Marcina Arnold – backing vocals
  • Andrea Grant, Derek Green – backing vocals
  • Beverlei Brown, Tommy Blaize – backing vocals
  • Wes Mills – cover artwork
  • Chris Bigg – design

Track listing:

All lyrics by David Sylvian, all music as noted.

  1. Wonderful World – David Sylvian, Steve Jansen
  2. Darkest Birds – David Sylvian, Steve Jansen
  3. The Banality of Evil – Burnt Friedman, David Sylvian
  4. Atom and Cell – David Sylvian, Steve Jansen
  5. A History of Holes – Burnt Friedman, David Sylvian
  6. Snow Borne Sorrow – Steve Jansen, David Sylvian
  7. The Day the Earth Stole Heaven – Burnt Friedman, Jim Motzer, David Sylvian
  8. Serotonin – Burnt Friedman, David Sylvian
  9. The Librarian – Burnt Friedman, David Sylvian

Yellow Magic Orchestra: Solid State Survivor

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On September 25, 1979, “Alfa” label released “Solid State Survivor”, the second Yellow Magic Orchestra studio album. It was recorded March – June 1979, at “Alfa Studio A” in Shibaura, Tokyo, Japan, and was produced by Haruomi Hasono.

Personnel:

  • Ryuichi Sakamoto – keyboards, vocoder, electronics, arrangements, remix, cover conception
  • Haruomi Hosono – bass guitar, synth bass, keyboards, vocoder, electronics, arrangements, remix, cover conception
  • Yukihiro Takahashi – vocals, drums, electronic drums, electronics, arrangements, remix, cover concept, costume design
  • Hideki Matsutake – Microcomposer programming
  • Sandii – vocals
  • Makoto Ayukawa – electric guitar
  • Norio Yoshizawa – recording, remixing
  • Mitsuo Koike – recording
  • Masako Hikasa, Akira Ikuta – recording coordinators
  • Heikichi Harata – art director
  • Lou Beach – logo type
  • Masayoshi Sukita – photography
  • Kunihiko Murai, Shōrō Kawazoe – executive producers
  • Bricks – costumes
  • Takehime, Fumiko Iura, Mayo Tsutsumi – stylists
  • Mikio Honda (Clip) – hair

Track listing:

All tracks by Chris Mosdell, except where noted.

  1. Technopolis – Ryuichi Sakamoto
  2. Absolute Ego Dance – Haruomi Hosono
  3. Rydeen – Yukihiro Takahashi
  4. Castalia – Ryuichi Sakamoto
  5. Behind the Mask – lyrics by Chris Mosdell, music by Ryuichi Sakamoto
  6. Day Tripper – Lennon – McCartney
  7. Insomnia – lyrics by Chris Mosdell, music by Haruomi Hosono
  8. Solid State Survivor – lyrics by Chris Mosdell, music by Yukihiro Takahaski

Ryuichi Sakamoto: 12

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On January 17, 2023, “Milan” and “Commons” labels released “12”, the twentieth Ryuichi Sakamoto album. It was recorded in 2022, and was produced by Ryuichi Sakamoto.

Personnel:

  • Ryuichi Sakamoto – electronics, keyboards, mixing
  • Matsumura Kazuyuki – mixing
  • Robin Schmidt – mastering
  • Shigeru Buzawa – lacquer cut
  • Lee Ufan – artwork

Track listing:

All tracks by Ryuichi Sakamoto.

  1. 20210310
  2. 20211130
  3. 20211201
  4. 20220123
  5. 20220202
  6. 20220207
  7. 20220214
  8. 20220302 – Sarabande
  9. 20220302
  10. 20220307
  11. 20220404
  12. 20220304

Ryuichi Sakamoto

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On March 28, 2023, Ryuichi Sakamoto died aged 71. He was musician (piano, keyboards, synthesizers), singer, composer, record producer and artist, who first came to prominence as member of Yellow Magic Orchestra, but was best known for his eclectic solo career, straddled experimentalism, electronic, pop and movie music. His work influenced a number of various electronic music genres. He collaborated with big number of musicians, including David Sylvian, David Byrne, Iggy Pop, Thomas Dolby, Adrian Belew, Robin Scott, Kiyoshiro Imawano, Arto Lindsay, Youssou N’Dor, Jill Jones, Robert Wyatt, Brian Wilson and Robbie Robertson. Sakamoto was an “Oscar” winner for “Best Original Score”, for the soundtrack of Bernardo Bertolucci’s movie “The Last Emperor”. As leader, he released 23 albums.  

Yosuke Yamashita, Bill Laswell & Ryuichi Sakamoto: Asian Games

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On May 26, 1993, “Verve Forecast” label released “Asian Games”, album by Yōsuke Yamashita, Bill Laswell and Ryuichi Sakamoto. It was recorded in 1988, at “Kampo”, and “Platinum Island” in New York, and “Runt” in Tokyo, and was produced by Bill Laswell and Ryuichi Sakamoto.

Personnel:

  • Yōsuke Yamashita – piano, keyboards
  • Bill Laswell – bass guitar, sitar, effects
  • Ryuichi Sakamoto – keyboards, recording 
  • Nicky Skopelitis – Fairlight synthesizer, effects
  • Aïyb Dieng – congas, cymbals, tambourine, percussion
  • Oz Fritz – recording
  • Dimitri Jakimowicz – recording 
  • Hiroaki Sugawara – recording 
  • Robert Musso – recording, mixing
  • Howie Weinberg – mastering
  • Katsuhiko Hibino – illustrations

Track listing:

  1. Melting Pot – Bill Laswell, Nicky Skopelitis, Yosuke Yamashita
  2. Chasin’ the Air – Ryuichi Sakamoto, Yosuke Yamashita
  3. Asian Games – Bill Laswell, Nicky Skopelitis, Yosuke Yamashita
  4. Ninja Drive – Bill Laswell, Nicky Skopelitis, Yosuke Yamashita
  5. Napping on the Bamboo – Ryuichi Sakamoto, Yosuke Yamashita
  6. A Parade of Rain, The Moon and a Bride – Yosuke Yamashita

Ryuichi Sakamoto: Thousand Knives

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On October 25, 1978, “Nippon Columbia” label released “Thousand Knives”, the debut Ryuichi Sakamoto album. It was recorded April – July 1978, at “Columbia Studios 1, 2 and 4” in Tokyo, and was produced by Ryuichi Sakamoto.

Personnel:

  • Ryuichi Sakamoto – synthesizer (Moog III-C with Roland MC-8 Microcomposer, Polymoog, Minimoog, Micromoog, Oberheim Eight Voice Polyphonic with Digital Programmer, ARP Odyssey, KORG PS-3100 Polyphonic), vocoder (Korg VC-10), analog sequencer (KORG SQ-10), Syn-Drums, piano, marimba, orchestration, liner notes
  • Hideki Matsutake – computer operation, synthesizer programming assistance
  • Harry Hosono – zill, liner notes
  • Motoya Hamaguchi – Syn-Drum solo, Brazilian bird whistles
  • Kazumi Watanabe – Alembic guitar, rhythm 
  • Yūji Takahashi – piano
  • Tatsuro Yamashita – castanets
  • Pecker – Syn-Drum solo
  • Satoshi “Sign” Saitoh – design
  • Makoto Iida – cover photo
  • Hikaru Hayashi – liner notes

Track listing:

All tracks by Ryuichi Sakamoto.

  1. Thousand Knives
  2. Island of Woods
  3. Grasshoppers
  4. Das Neue Japanische Elektronische Volkslied
  5. Plastic Bamboo
  6. The End of Asia

Ryuichi Sakamoto: Neo Geo

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On July 1, 1987, “Sony Music” label released “Neo Geo”, the seventh Ryuichi Sakamoto studio album. It was recorded in 1986, and was produced by Bill Laswell and Ryuichi Sakamoto.

Personnel:

  • Ryuichi Sakamoto – keyboard, piano, computer
  • Yukio Tsuji – shakuhachi, gayageum
  • Iggy Pop – vocals
  • Kazumi Tamaki – vocals
  • Misako Koja – vocals
  • Yoriko Ganeko – vocals
  • Eddie Martinez – guitar
  • Haruo Kubota – guitar
  • Bill Laswell – bass
  • Bootsy Collins – bass
  • Emmett Chapman – Chapman stick
  • David Van Tieghem – percussions
  • Tony Williams – drums
  • Sly Dunbar – drums
  • Lucia Hwong – pipa
  • Jason Corsaro – mixing
  • Clive Smith – programmer
  • Jeff Bova – programmer

Track listing:

All tracks by Ryuichi Sakamoto, express where noted.

  1. Before Long
  2. Neo Geo
  3. Risky
  4. Free Trading
  5. Shogunade
  6. Parata
  7. Okinawa Song – Chin Nuku Juushii
  8. After All

Ryuichi Sakamoto: Sweet Revenge

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On June 17, 1994, “Güt / For Life Music” labels released “Sweet Revenge”, the tenth Ryuichi Sakamoto album. It was recorded in 1993, at “11-K Studios”, “Clindton Studios”, “Unique Studios”, “Skyline Studios”, “Right Track Studios” in New York City, “Paradise Studios”, “Sedic Studios” in Tokyo, and “Metropolis Studios”, “Westside Studios” in London, and was produced by Ryuichi Sakamoto.

Personnel:

  • Ryuichi Sakamoto – vocals, keyboards, percussion, programming
  • Amadeo Pace – guitar
  • Romero Lubambo – guitar
  • Hiroshi Takano – guitar
  • Lawrence Feldman – bass clarinet
  • Cyro Baptista – percussion
  • David Nadien – string section leader
  • J-Me – vocals
  • Vivien Sessoms – vocals
  • Holly Johnson – vocals
  • Latasha Natasha Diggs – vocals
  • Paul Alexander – vocals
  • Arto Lindsay – vocals
  • Roddy Frame – vocals
  • Miki Imai – vocals
  • Towa Tei – programming
  • Satoshi Tomiie – programming, arrangements
  • Jean-Baptiste Mondino – photography

Track listing:

All tracks by Ryuichi Sakamoto.

  1. Tokyo Story
  2. Moving On
  3. 二人の果て
  4. Regret
  5. Pounding At My Heart
  6. Love and Hate
  7. Sweet Revenge
  8. 7 Seconds
  9. Anna
  10. Same Dream, Same Destination
  11. Psychedelic Afternoon
  12. Interruptions
  13. 君と僕と彼女のこと

Ryuichi Sakamoto: async

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On March 29, 2017, “Commons” and “Milan” labels released “async”, the nineteenth Ryuichi Sakamoto studio album. It was recorded April – December 2016, at “The Studio”, “Germano Studios” and “Museum of Arts and Design” in New York City, “Bastyr University Chapel” in Kenmore, Washington, “Gateway Mastering” in Portland, Maine, “Kyoto City University of Arts” in Kyoto, Japan, and was produced by Ryuichi Sakamoto and Mai Yuda. Magazine “Fact” voted “async” the best album of 2017.

Personnel:

  • Ryuichi Sakamoto – piano,
  • Christian Fennesz – guitar, computer
  • N.S.S. – Singing bowls
  • Ian Antonio, Levy Lorenzo, Ross Karre – triangle
  • Ko Ishikawa – Shō  
  • Honjoh Hidejiro – shamisen
  • Ian Antonio, Levy Lorenzo, Ross Karre – percussion
  • David Sylvian – spoken word
  • Andri Magnason, Bernardo Bertolucci, Carsten Nicolai, Christine Leboutte, José Lavat, Keyko Nimsay, Priscilla Leung, Sergei Mihailov, Shirin Neshat, Tang Kit Ming – spoken word vocals
  • Paul Bowles – words
  • Luca – vocals
  • Arseny Tarkovsky – words
  • Simon James – concertmaster
  • David Sabee – concertmaster
  • Alex Venguer, Ryan Kelly, John Winters,.Seigen Ono – recording engineer
  • Jason Staniulis, Matthew Sim, Alec Fellman – engineer assistant
  • Conrad Hensel – recording, mixing
  • Northwest Sinfonia – recording
  • Bob Ludwig – mastering
  • Mai Yuda – assistant production
  • Norika Sora – associate production
  • Alec Fellman – production manager
  • Kaz Tsujio – piano technician
  • Shiro Takatani – artwork direction, photography 
  • Yoko Takatani – artwork production

Track listing:

All tracks by Ryuichu Sakamoto

  1. andata
  2. disentigration
  3. solari
  4. ZURE
  5. walker
  6. stakra
  7. ubi
  8. fullmoon
  9. async
  10. tri
  11. Life, Life
  12. honj
  13. ff
  14. garden
  15. Water State 2