According to pitchfork.com Yellow Magic Orchestra band member Ryuichi Sakamoto died on Tuesday, March 28. The Japanese musician and composer became member of Yellow Magic Orchestra in 1978 and had shared in a statement that in January 2021 he had been diagnosed with colon cancer. Then several years later when he returned to music, the composer announced he had received treatment for throat cancer. Sakamoto was 71 years old.
In the article Sakamoto’s management expressed their feelings about the death of Sakamoto
“While undergoing treatment for cancer discovered in June 2020, Sakamoto continued to create works in his home studio whenever his health would allow. He lived with music until the very end. We would like to express our deepest gratitude to his fans and all those who have supported his activities, as well as the medical professionals in Japan and the U.S. who did everything in their power to cure him. In accordance with Sakamoto’s strong wishes, the funeral service was held among his close family members.”
Sakamoto was born in 1952 where he learned to play the piano at an early and he composed his own music when he was 10 years old . The musician studied at the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music, where he received degree in composition and his masters in music. It was during his university days when Sakamoto learned about synthesizers, which became a crucial role in his work in future years .
Also Sakamoto worked during the late 1970s as a session musician, composer, arranger, and producer for Japanese artists across multiple genres before releasing his debut solo album, Thousand Knives, in 1978. Yellow Magic Orchestra began in 1977, when Haruomi Hosono invited Sakamoto and another artist, Yukihiro Takahashi, to contribute to his solo album, Paraiso.
Next year, the trio released Yellow Magic Orchestra’s self-titled debut, which made the group popular in Japan and in other countries. The album is now widely considered one of the earliest examples of synthpop. Tracks such as “Computer Magic” and “Firecracker” were later sampled by early hip-hop and techno producers and contributed to the early mainstreaming of video game music just as the gaming industry was having its first real success in the West.
Yellow Magic Orchestra’s next album Solid State Survivor, was initially released only in Japan, featured a Sakamoto composition called “Behind the Mask” which went on to be covered by artists like Michael Jackson and Eric Clapton. With the release of 1981’s BGM, the band became the first music act to use the cutting edge Roland TR-808 drum machine on a recording. Within five years, Yellow Magic Orchestra released seven albums which helped the band’s original run with Service in 1983.
When Yellow Magic Orchestra took a hiatus that year, Sakamoto became a composer and collaborator on the world stage. His first major film score was for 1983’s Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence; where he appeared in the film as an actor alongside David Bowie. For his work on The Last Emperor with David Byrne and Cong Su, Sakamoto won the Academy Award for Best Original Score. In 2015, the musician picked up a Golden Globe nomination for his work on The Revenant.
In 2014 Sakamoto’s throat cancer diagnosis was revealed and a year later, the composer announced that he was “in great shape” after taking a break from his work to treat the illness. In the following statement Sakamoto’s describes how thankful he was to be alive.
“Forgive me if this sounds corny, but the illness brought me a realisation, which I am truly thankful for. It truly is a sign from nature or heaven. “Taking this sign, I will make sure to avoid my old habits and treat my days left with the utmost care.
Also Sakamoto mentioned that his cancer had returned in 2021 by stating “From now on, I will be living alongside cancer. But, I am hoping to make music for a little while longer.” Then in November the artist announced his final album, 12, which was recorded the in 2021 and 2022 and the track titles reflect the dates that the compositions were written.
On December 10, Sakamoto debuted a career-spanning performance recorded at Tokyo’s 509 Studio which included a selection from 12 as part of a ticketed livestream. During the event, the composer’s tone seemed forlorn and in the lead-up to the performance, Sakamoto told actor Masafumi Suzuki, “I no longer have the energy to do live concerts…. This might be the last time that you will see me perform in this manner.”
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