Photo Credit: KAB America
New York cultural organisation Japan Society has announced Music by Ryuichi Sakamoto, a two-day retrospective celebrating the late electronic music pioneer and Academy Award-winning composer. Taking place on September 11 and 12, the series will explore Sakamoto’s extensive relationship with cinema through a selection of films he scored, appeared in or was otherwise connected to.
The programme includes rare screenings of Royal Space Force: The Wings of Honnêamise, Donald Cammell’s Wild Side and Tokyo Decadence, all featuring music by the Yellow Magic Orchestra co-founder. All Star Video and Adelic Penguins, which feature Sakamoto on screen, are also set to be screened, alongside a mystery “Sakamoto-affiliated picture.”
The retrospective coincides with the first English-language release of Music Sets You Free, Sakamoto’s autobiography. Although he was a foundational figure in electronic, ambient and experimental music, his film career ultimately became just as significant. His work on Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence marked his debut as both a film composer and actor, while his score for The Last Emperor, shared with David Byrne and Cong Su, won the Academy Award for Best Original Score.
Across a career spanning more than four decades, Sakamoto also composed music for films including The Sheltering Sky, The Revenant and Monster. Since his death in 2023, his work has continued to receive renewed attention through releases and films including Ryuichi Sakamoto: Opus, the concert documentary directed by his son, Neo Sora.
