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Music
and noise, art and politics, sound and vision: Composer, musician,
occasional actor and environmental activist Ryuichi Sakamoto says weÕre
living in a world in serious need of reconciliation. If only for our
sheer survival.
Sakamoto is best known as the founding member of
JapanÕs genre-defining techno-pop band Yellow Magic Orchestra who went on
to great acclaim as the composer of film scores including Merry
Christmas Mr. Lawrence, The Sheltering Sky, The Last Emperor, High Heels and many others. Lesser
known are SakamotoÕs valuable contributions toward bridging the supposed
gaps between high and low musics with dazzling endeavors along seemingly
disparate stylistic lines, from Brazilian sambas to hip-hoppy beat blasts
to jazzy pop to classy world-music hybrids to new-musical explorations
in the realm of pure electronics. Throughout, heÕs pursued a highly
personal odyssey to find the elusive boundary between music and noise ÐÐ
or at least some point of appeasement.
SakamotoÕs new double CD, twin-titled Playing
the Piano
and Out of Noise (Decca), demonstrates a way of zeroing in on the fine line
between ostensible musical extremes.
ÒI
have done many projects,Ó he says, Òsome that were originally symphonic,
and then IÕve done piano solo or piano trio settings, which is just
another sound. This time I worked the most simply, as a piano solo.Ó
(Continued)
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