Lord of Discord

World-famous Japanese pianist Ryuichi Sakamoto reintroduces himself to America with a self-duet.

by A.D. Amorosi

	print	email	reply

Published: Oct 13, 2010

SOUNDTRACK EMPIRE:Ryuichi Sakamoto's movie score resume includes Wuthering Heights, Snake Eyes and The Last Emperor, for which he won an Oscar in 1987.

[ pop/piano/eclectic ]

There will be two Yamaha concert grand pianos on the Keswick stage on Sunday, but only one piano player. With Ryuichi Sakamoto, that's all you need: The renowned Japanese pianist will be dueting with a pre-programmed computer-mechanical version of himself. Makes sense — he's a singular talent. Since 1978, Sakamoto has been an innovator in electro-pop circles with Yellow Magic Orchestra. He's a world fusion artist whose "neo geo" sonic vision combines all forms of Eastern and Western melody and rhythm; a sought-after film composer who won an Oscar for the score to 1987's The Last Emperor; and a collaborator with the diverse likes of William S. Burroughs and the Dalai Lama. Despite all that, he's of reintroducing himself to American audiences with a two-CD package: Playing the Piano is his "self-covers" album; the Out of Noise half might take a bit of explaining.

City Paper: Your most recent version of electronic music, like on On the Noise, borrows some of the field recording ideas from your "neo geo" period but seems much less cluttered. What is that about?

Ryuichi Sakamoto: I wanted to follow the philosophy of John Cage, that there's no boundary between sound and noise. I have never been able to accomplish that before as an artist. I've used noise a lot in the past. I think with this, I have, I hope, truly focused on deconstructing that boundary.

CP: I know Debussy and Satie are inspirations. You did an aptly titled album in 1997 called Discord that you made as your introduction to classical music. Do you think you bring something to classical music that hasn't been there before?

RS: The classical background of mine is always there. Sometimes it's more obvious than others. I feel strange saying this about myself, but I have many aspects to my sound — many faces or sides, if you will. I think my love of techno, world music, bossa nova, whatever, it all comes out. This is all me. Certain audiences claim me for their own, some from electro pop, some just soundtracks. There are people who know me for opera. But even the music of Yellow Magic Orchestra, which was, what, some 30 years ago, you can hear elements of symphonic music.

CP: Why reintroduce yourself with a self-covers record? Or is it that you were just looking to strip your more familiar work to the bone?

RS: Maybe it's been in the past 10 years, but every time I play, it's me and piano and fewer and fewer collaborators. As I strip down my shows, I strip down the music, perhaps. The style I play is very simple or single-minded. I really am just a composer who plays piano.

(a_amorosi@citypaper.net)

Ryuichi Sakamoto plays Sun., Oct. 17, 8 p.m., $25-$35, Keswick Theatre, 291 N. Keswick Ave., Glenside, 215-572-7650, keswicktheatre.com.

Raul Malo
Extra Lens
First Aid Kit
Till Fellner
In Bloom
Frankie Rose and the Outs
Two Door Cinema Club/Penguin Prison
Dangerous Ponies
The Heavy/Mayer Hawthorne and the County