Ryuichi Sakamoto RIP

[PeterRS]

The name Ryuichi Sakamoto is not so well known outside Asia even though he is both an Oscar and a Golden Globe winner. One of Japan's finest musicians and actors, he first made his name with the ground-breaking avant garde rock group The Yellow Magic Orchestra, even though at University he had studied 20th century's classical composers like Stockhausen, Ligeti and Boulez. Michael Jackson covered their song "Behind The Mask" and intended to incclude it in his album, Thriller, but a royalty disagreement prevented that.

Deciding he wanted to be more than a pop star, Sakamoto ventured into acting and writing music for films, both of which he did with great success. He won particular praise when he worked alongside David Bowie portraying the sadistic guard in the 1983 movie Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence. But it was the hauting theme music that brought him as much fame. It was his music for Bernardo Bertolucci's film The Last Emperor that earned him his Oscar, music penned on cooperation with Chinese composer Su Cong. He also worked again with Bertolucci on The Last Buddha and with such directors as Brian de Palma, Oliver Stone and Pedro Almodovar.

Sakamoto died aged 71 following two bouts with cancer.