A true out and out genius for me and someone that deserves a thread all of his own to place your favourite tracks or ones we might not know or under the radar things… So much gold out there. What a don. x.
I went to the Haroumi Hosono show at the Barbican a few years back. Sakamoto and Takahashi happened to be in the audience that night , they were beckoned onto the stage at the end to do , I think, Absolute Ego Dance . Haroumi Hosono had assembled a band of pretty young looking players , will never forget how the young lad playing keyboards visibly trembled with nerves and bowed so deferentially to Sakamoto .
my all time favourite Sakamoto track, RIP maestro
An extremely sad day. Sakamoto-san’s generous legacy of beautiful, extraordinary, music will provide solace and soundtrack as many memories as they already have for us all. Eternally grateful
So so sad. My biggest musical regret was missing his free concert here in São Paulo a few years back. A couple of years later I saw him in the Subway in NYC, he was in the same car as I was, but I didn’t have the guts to go and talk to him. A master. Here’s my humble contribution, the house version of his most famous track, with a remix done by the man himself:
this tune pretty much captures my feeling with his passing and my admiration, not only for his solo work, but also the extent of his collaborations. RIP maestro
Oh man, i’m gutted. RIP.
So sad. My introduction was via his collaborations with David Sylvian, all of this is worth a watch, but I’ve linked to Heartbeat with Sylvian and Ingrid Chavez, just marvellous
Among such a brilliant and varied oeuvre I’ve always loved the Casa project he did with Jacques & Paula Morelenbaum - gorgeous classical treatments of Brazilian classics recorded in Jobim’s house
It’s funny, the first time I ever heard this song, as soon as the crazy synth horn solo came on I knew it was someone special. No surprise at all to learn later that it was Sakamoto. His work as a sideman in these 70’s recordings is phenomenal too.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ck11pWTc2g8
It’s also nuts to me that Haruomi Hosono is the last living member of YMO.
Few stars had the luxury of a CMI, but there is arguably no one with the vision like his in using this kind of technology.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KV-l4hxWQGA&t=2s