Ryuichi Sakamoto, a renowned Japanese composer and producer known for his electronic music experiments, died at the age of 71.
He received honors for his work as a solo artist and as a member of the Yellow Magic Orchestra, including an Oscar, a Grammy, and a Bafta (YMO).
In 2021, Sakamoto was diagnosed with cancer for the second time. According to his office, he died on Tuesday.
In 1983, he co-starred with David Bowie in the film Merry Christmas, Mr Lawrence.
In 1987, his film score for The Last Emperor earned him an Oscar, a Grammy, and a Golden Globe. He also appeared in the film, an epic about the life of Puyi, China’s last emperor.
Sakamoto began composing at the age of ten, inspired by The Beatles and Debussy.
In 1978, he founded YMO with Haruomi Hosono and Yukihiro Takahashi, and their synthesizer innovations influenced techno-pop and hip-hop.
“Asian music influenced Debussy, and Debussy influenced me, so the music goes around the world and comes full circle,” he explained in 2010.
Prof Brian Cox, physicist and former keyboard player for Dare and D:Ream, praised Sakamoto in a tweet, saying, “He was a big part of my ’80s musical experience – initially for me through his work with David Sylvian and Japan – but of course he leaves a magnificent catalogue of music behind.”
Sakamoto described his desire to challenge Western musical composition conventions in a 2018 interview.
