Description

‘Fascinating! A life as art unspooling in real time’ WILLIAM BASINSKI, composer of The Disintegration Loops

‘A maestro in the truest sense, Ryuichi Sakamoto’s very existence has made the world a better place. I’ll never stop being grateful for all he has given us’ PAUL RUDD, actor

‘Arguably the best-known and most successful Japanese musician in the world’ The New Yorker

A genre-defying artist who had acquired the status of a musical giant by the time of his death in 2023, Ryuichi Sakamoto’s long career spanned electronic, hip-hop, modern classical and pop music, inspiring artists as diverse as Questlove, Massive Attack, David Sylvian, Alva Noto and Caetano Veloso.

A pivotal figure in the synthpop group Yellow Magic Orchestra during the late 70s and early 80s, Sakamoto went on to pioneer the development of ambient and electronic music in ever more experimental forms. Perhaps best known for his film scores, he won an Oscar for Bernardo Bertolucci’s The Last Emperor, written with David Byrne, and found global fame with music for Merry Christmas, Mr Lawrence (in which he starred alongside David Bowie) and, later, The Revenant. Sakamoto’s career was also marked by social activism, including campaigning for more recognition of the effects of global warming, which he witnessed first-hand during a visit to Greenland.

Music Sets You Free combines the translations of Sakamoto’s two memoirs published in Japanese – Music Sets You Free and How Many More Times Will I Watch the Full Moon Rise? It offers an intimate, contemplative account of his life, from his first encounter with a piano, to his rise as a global pop star, and his later reflections on mortality and music in the wake of multiple cancer treatments and surgeries.

An affirming, beautifully written testament to art, life and sound, Music Sets You Free is a lasting gift from a true musical great.

Publisher Review

‘Sakamoto was such a genius, and such a delight to collaborate with – and now this unexpected chance to come know him so much more closely. I’d recommend this book to anyone, and most especially to those not yet familiar with his work’ William Gibson, author of Neuromancer ‘An elegant and timeless artist’ Johnny Marr, co-creator and lead guitarist of The Smiths ‘After listening to the soundtrack of Bertolucci’s The Sheltering Sky, drawn by its delicacy, elegance and passion, I knew I wanted to work with its composer. We greatly enjoyed working together. Ryuichi’s versatility was endless. I never imagined a Japanese composer would blend so seamlessly with Bossa Nova like he did with Jacques Morelenbaum. His sensitivity knew no boundaries, as Music Sets You Free beautifully demonstrates’ Pedro Almodovar ‘A precious, candidly intimate and exhaustive dive into the world of the virtuoso himself, who yet again cements his legacy and reminds us that “art is long, life is short”‘ Anu Ambasna, DJ & broadcaster ‘Ryuichi Sakamoto did more than just put Japanese pop music on the map; the aural bridges he built between Far East and West transformed the way the world listens to music. This memoir is as poetic and wide-ranging as his career, as catchy and moving as one of his songs. It’s required reading both for Sakamoto fans and for scholars of pop music’ Matt Alt, author of Pure Invention: How Japan Made the Modern World ‘This magical book rescues him from the stale terminus of celebrity and delivers him back to the rich soil of the human’ Sasha Frere-Jones, writer, musician and music critic ‘Reading Ryuichi Sakamoto’s Music Sets You Free, I am struck by his wish to become a star in the night sky when he died. This wish is fulfilled many times over through this autobiography and his music, which he left to humanity’ Marina Abramovic, artist and performer ‘What a privilege to see the boy become a man and the student a master!’ Laurie Anderson, musician, artist and filmmaker