Nokia ringtones composed by Ryuichi Sakamoto emerge online
A collection of Nokia ringtones composed by Ryuichi Sakamoto have been shared online. The composer, actor and electronic pioneer passed away on April 2nd, aged 71. His death prompted tributes from Massive Attack, the David Bowie estate, Johnny Marr, Questlove and countless others.
Sakamoto had a rich and varied career, as highlighted by this collection of ringtones he created for the Nokia 8800 in 2005. The selection includes pieces such as ‘Asian-chant’, ‘Duel’ and ‘N-choral’, many of which will be familiar to former Nokia users.
Sakamoto rose to fame as a founding member of the pioneering Japanese electronic outfit Yellow Magic Orchestra. He went on to establish himself as a revered composer for the big screen, earning numerous awards for his work on such films as The Last Emporer, The Revenant, The Sheltering Sky and Merry Christmas, Mr Lawrence, the latter of which saw him act alongside David Bowie.
Sakamoto was first diagnosed with cancer in 2014, which returned in 2021. He released his final album, 12, earlier this year. He spent two years working on the project, with each track named after the date it was written.
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