![ryuichi sakamoto the last emperor ryuichi sakamoto the last emperor](https://movieguise.files.wordpress.com/2016/02/last-emperor.jpg)
Just because a director says he likes the simulation, it doesn't mean the score is set. "Because once the music is recorded onto the tape, it's hard to change the length or mood of everything." I make simulations of the music with samplers and synthesizers, so that the director and producer get the whole picture of the music," he says. "Before I record the music with human players. In addition to being able to use his orchestration skills, his knowledge of electronic music also came in handy when preparing a soundtrack.
#Ryuichi sakamoto the last emperor movie#
It was a little frustrating to me."Īs he began to do more movie work, however, his background began to pay off. "There's not much space where I could use that. "I kind of repressed myself, and did not use my classical background," he says.
![ryuichi sakamoto the last emperor ryuichi sakamoto the last emperor](https://ilarge.lisimg.com/image/8406184/960full-the-last-emperor-screenshot.jpg)
In the early stages of his career, Sakamoto saw that classical training as irrelevant. He studied composition at the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music, later earning an MFA with a concentration in electronic music. "Maybe it's too crowded."Īlthough Sakamoto made his name in pop, his background was almost entirely in classical music. "I always have some kind of music or sound going on in my mind," he adds, then laughs. I don't have a strong desire to listen to other people's music. "First of all, I don't have much time to listen to those CDs, because I'm busy working on my own projects. "I don't listen to other people's CDs so much," he says.
![ryuichi sakamoto the last emperor ryuichi sakamoto the last emperor](https://i.pinimg.com/236x/35/27/31/3527316d4518537ac68d434e64b9555b.jpg)
In fact, there's so much music inside Sakamoto that, lately, he has found himself avoiding the stereo. "i'What is Sakamoto's main thing?' People might be confused. "It's sort of my problem, doing many at the same time," he says. Not only does his pop work draw on everything from samba and soul to reggae and drum 'n' bass, but he has also written everything from avant-garde electronic music to lush, romantic orchestral scores. If anything, his work has grown more diverse over the years. a symphonic recording called "Discord," and the soundtracks to both "Snake Eyes" and "Love Is the Devil" - and three more in Japan, including the solo piano album "BTTB."Īll that work hasn't thinned Sakamoto's inspiration. Last year, he had three albums released in the U.S. Moreover, he's been remarkably pro-lific in recent months. Lawrence" - Sakamoto also wrote his first movie score for that film - and enjoyed considerable success as a solo artist, working with such stars as Thomas Dolby, Robin Scott and Iggy Pop.Įven now, Sakamoto's albums and singles still grace the Japanese Top 20, and despite the fact that he lives eight months of the year in New York, his face remains so familiar in Japan that he often does television commercials (he was the focus of an Audi campaign last year). He played opposite David Bowie in Nagisa Oshima's film "Merry Christmas, Mr. So even when YMO disbanded in 1982, Sakamoto remained a significant presence on the Japanese scene.