Vocalist Ryuichi Sakamoto announced the pre-order of his upcoming box set 2020S. The box set collects all music produced and released by Sakamoto in 2020, across a total of seven vinyl records. Also included is a brand-new song based on the concept of "fragments of memory", one of this set's themes. 

In keeping with this theme, the box includes a fragment of pottery smashed as part of the new song’s recording. The box set is limited to 300 copies and will be released on March 30, 2021, priced at 200,000 yen (excluding tax). The set was first announced on September 18th as a collaboration with Art director  Shinichiro Ogata, along with a teaser site featuring a fascinating interview discussing the box set’s concept. The special site was updated today to include details of the box set's contents and specifications with an interview with potter Shingo Oka.

The pottery fragment included in the set is a piece of a plate crafted by Oka and hand-painted by Sakamoto, then smashed as part of the recording process; the sound of the pottery breaking forms the basis of a brand-new song. The pottery fragment included in the box is, therefore, also a part of the music itself. Pottery is made from soil, and the act of breaking it returns it to nature, symbolizing Sakamoto’s desire for a return to the natural world. In addition, the shard of pottery is a “fragment of memory” of the historic year 2020 and is intended to connect the creator and the owner in a direct and lasting way.

If this is your first time learning about Sakamoto’s work be sure to check out his Isolation concert that he performed back in April below!