Ongaku Zukan

Sadly, Sakamoto left this mortal coil in March 2023: re-releasing this 1984 album, originally recorded as the Yellow Magic Orchestra disbanded and as his fame grew with the release of Merry Christmas, Mr Lawrence, is a worthy tribute. Ongaku Zukan was originally on vinyl – a seven-inch EP and a limited edition 12-inch EP – but most of us only encountered it two years later, with five tracks substituted, as Illustrated Music Encyclopedia. This re-release includes additional artwork and extensive notes by Andy Beta, and is again available on vinyl as well as CD (with two bonus tracks added). Sakamoto had just acquired a Fairlight CMI sampler when he entered the Onkio Haus Studio in Tokyo, and this was used to create much of Ongaku Zukan’s electro-pop soundworld. Simon Jeffes of Penguin Cafe Orchestra features, alongside percussionist David Van Tiaghem and renowned Japanese musicians on saxophone, violin, bass and guitar. Sakamoto plays keyboards and Fluxus’ Nam June Paik lends his voice, plus there is a children’s choir and Japanese instruments such as the koto zither – virtually everything, though, gets sampled and multi-tracked. A historical milestone, looking back to Merry Christmas, forward to his Oscar-winning score for The Last Emperor, and, in ‘M.A.Y in the Backyard’, creating the score for Call Me By Your Name.

Experimental, melodic, inspirational, smoky and evocative.