Obviously it’s terrible news one woke to, but more than that it seems unfair, like a balancing presence has been taken. The outpouring of admiration and affection for Ryuichi Sakamoto at least is an avenue for emphasizing the work, of which he left us so much it would seemingly take a second lifetime to ingest in full.
My mind turned to YMO Propaganda, Makoto Satō and Saito Shin’s remarkable concert film devoted to his remarkable band Yellow Magic Orchestra––through the combined efforts of Sakamoto, Haruomi Hosono, and the recently departed Yukihiro Takahashi, more or less the best ever––that rather boldly depicts them as a fascist entity in a dystopian landscape. (You can also just enjoy the music, which is here in volumes, but what images!) It’s nice that it sits on YouTube, and its seemingly less-than-ideal quality rings right; it’s an object you discover in lesser-seen circles.
I’ve yet to watch Elizabeth Lennard’s Tokyo Melody: A Film About Ryuichi Sakamoto, but its slim 63-minute runtime and focus on creating a personal favorite, Illustrated Musical Encyclopedia, suggests rather obvious viewing.
Watch them below: