Ryuichi Sakamoto was a Japanese composer and keyboardist who won an Academy Award for his score for “The Last Emperor.”
- Died: March 28, 2023 (Who else died on March 28?)
- Details of death: Died of cancer at the age of 71.
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Ryuichi Sakamoto’s legacy
Sakamoto was a co-founder of Yellow Magic Orchestra, an influential Japanese electronic band of the late 1970s and early 1980s. Among his compositions for the band was the song “Technopolis,” which is credited as an influence on the development of techno music. Sakamoto began a solo career shortly after co-founding Yellow Magic Orchestra, and collaborated with artists including David Byrne, Iggy Pop, and Thomas Dolby.
In the early ‘80s, Sakamoto began composing film scores; among his first scores was the music for “Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence,” in which he also starred alongside David Bowie (1947–2016). He would go on to compose music for dozens of other films, including “The Handmaid’s Tale,” “Little Buddha,” and “The Revenant,” as well as scores for video games and anime. Sakamoto continued recording music all his life, releasing his final album—created while he fought cancer—on his 71st birthday earlier this year.
Notable quote
“[I]mages, like the movies, always inspire me. So when I’m empty, vacant, I start watching any movie, B-class, C-class, it’s okay. B-class kung fu movies are so inspiring. The music, for kung fu movies, very old kung fu movies, not sophisticated ones, is so inspiring. They’re so wild.” —from a 2021 interview for the Creative Independent
Tributes to Ryuichi Sakamoto
Full obituary: Los Angeles Times
