Ryuichi Sakamoto’s greatest regret about David Bowie
Despite establishing a rich artistic legacy and inspiring many, Ryuichi Sakamoto still carried regrets. A distilled creative whose work encompassed many different realms and formats and an unyielding environmentalist, the Japanese innovator was an exemplary force even in his later years when battling cancer.
Cerebral and authentic, Sakamoto’s artistic triumphs are many. His work in the influential Tokyo electronic outfit Yellow Magic Orchestra is one. It formed the bedrock of the cyberpunk music subgenre and paved the way for synthpop and hip-hop, with various artists citing their importance, including Depeche Mode, 808 State, The Orb and De La Soul. Most pertinently, even the notoriously anglophilic Eric Clapton drew upon their work. Pioneers of electronic musical technology ranging from the use of synths and samplers to digital recording techniques, the consequence of YMO’s efforts is far-reaching, even if many are unaware of it.
Although Sakamoto’s first success came in 1978 as a co-founder of YMO, their work only makes up a portion of his story. From releasing the pioneering solo album Thousand Knives that year, which included the formative electronic palette ‘Riot in Lagos’ to collaborating with David Byrne, David Sylvian, and Fennesz, his dedication to continually improving his craft remains outstanding.
A significant aspect of Sakamoto’s life was his Oscar, Bafta, and Grammy-winning work as a film composer. It all started with 1983’s Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence, which marked his debut as a score composer and actor and saw the central theme ‘Forbidden Colours’ become a global hit. This started an eminent career in movies that saw him forge a profound collaboration as the composer for Italian auteur Bernardo Bertolucci’s efforts and create the music for Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s hit 2015 epic, The Revenant.
Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence was also a significant experience for Sakamoto for another reason. It saw him act alongside one of music’s other most important polymaths, David Bowie. When speaking to The Guardian in 2018 in the middle of his cancer battle, he revealed that not reconnecting with the British musician while they were both living in New York was his life’s ultimate regret. Tragically, Bowie died from his own fight with the disease in 2016. After expressing some regret at not being able to be as prolific as he used to be, Sakamoto called his failure to reconnect with Bowie “my great regret.”
Such was the nature of Ryuichi Sakamoto. Even in his final years, when he should have been fondly looking back on a dream-like career, he was focused on the minutiae and things he could have done better. This forensic perfectionism is something that every consequential artist exhibits.
Watch Sakamoto and Bowie in Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence, below.
