Ryuichi Sakamoto Drops a Piece of Music You can Hold in Your Hand with Latest Box Set!

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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!

Ryuichi Sakamoto Collaborates with Rhizomatiks and MUSIC/SLASH for Exclusive Livestream Concert!

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World-renowned musician Ryuichi Sakamoto will perform his final concert of 2020, titled Ryuichi Sakamoto: Playing the Piano 12122020, broadcast online via MUSIC/SLASH, a video streaming platform that broadcasts using the highest sound quality available in the industry.

Back on April 2, before Japan announced a state of emergency and as members of the public were already beginning to stay home to help combat the ongoing pandemic, Sakamoto performed a live stream concert with the heartfelt notion, “If music can help to relieve the tension even just a little…” Now, Sakamoto will close out 2020 with a special piano concert broadcast live from a studio in Tokyo.

The live performance will be directed by Rhizomatiks. This multimedia art group focuses on the relationship between analog and digital, real and virtual, for works of design, art, and entertainment, led by visionary artist Daito Manabe. They will work with rising New York-based artist duo Zakkubalan to deliver a challenging visual project that brings the worlds of Sakamoto and Rhizomatiks to vivid life. This will be Sakamoto’s first piano solo concert performed in Japan since 2013. The exclusive concert will be delivered simultaneously in eight countries and territories around the world. The concert will be broadcast exclusively by MUSIC/SLASH, a video streaming service that offers the highest sound quality available in the industry’s history. 

Tickets go on sale today, and sales will end on December 7 at 23:59 JST. Don’t miss the opportunity!  When purchasing a ticket, viewers must first watch a test video to confirm their setup is working correctly. Details can be found on the official MUSIC/SLASH website. A special site for the livestream event can be found here, featuring a message from Sakamoto.

  • Concert title: ‘Ryuichi Sakamoto: Playing the Piano 12122020’

  • Broadcast date: Saturday, December 12, 2020 at 19:30 JST

  • Broadcast countries and territories: Japan, USA, Taiwan, Thailand, South Korea, Singapore, Canada, Australia 

  • Broadcast platform: MUSIC/SLASH (https://musicslash.jp/)

  • Ticket sales: eplus（https://special.musicslash.jp/sakamoto2020/）

  • Ticket sales period: October 23, 2020 through December 7, 2020 at 23:59 JST

  • Ticket price: 5,000 yen (excluding tax)

In other Sakamoto news, the title and reservation date for Ryuichi Sakamoto | Art Box Project 2020 have been confirmed, following a teaser site that opened on September 18. The title for this year’s project is 2020S, and reservations will begin on October 30 at 12:00 JST. The work is expected to symbolize 2020, a year of drastic change. A special site containing details for ‘2020S’ can be found here.