Japanese composer Ryuichi Sakamoto dies at 71

He was diagnosed with colon cancer back in January 2021.

Photo Credit: Ryuichi Sakamoto – Facebook

 Pioneer and musical composer Ryuichi Sakamoto (71) died on Tuesday, March 28th,  2023 according to the artist’s management. The Yellow Magic Orchestra member had previously shared a statement in January 2021, where he explained that he had been diagnosed with colon cancer following treatment for throat cancer.

“While undergoing treatment for cancer discovered in June 2020, Sakamoto continued to create works in his home studio whenever his health would allow,” Sakamoto’s management, Commmons, wrote in its statement. “He lived with music until the very end. We would like to express our deepest gratitude to his fans and all those who have supported his activities, as well as the medical professionals in Japan and the United States who did everything in their power to cure him. In accordance with Sakamoto’s strong wishes, the funeral service was held among his close family members.”

Ryuichi Sakamoto, was born in 1952 and started playing piano and composing his own music by the time he was 10, eventually enrolling in the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music, where he received his degree in composition and his masters in music. It was there that Sakamoto came in contact with synthesizers, which would have a crucial role in his further development as a musician. Sakamoto then worked through the 70s as a session musician and arranger, before releasing his first solo album ‘Thousand Knives’.

It was in 1977 that Haruomi Hosono invited Sakamoto and Yukihiro Takahashi to contribute to his album ‘Paraiso’, thus planting the seed for what would be known as the Yellow Magic Orchestra. A year later, the band would release its self-titled debut album, which is widely considered one of the first examples of synthpop. With the release of the ‘BGM’, the Yellow Magic Orchestra became the first music act to use the Roland TR-808 drum machine on a recording.

By the time the Yellow Magic Orchestra came to a hiatus following 1983’s ‘Service’, Sakamoto had already established himself as an in-demand composer and collaborator. In that same year, Sakamoto had his first major movie score with ‘Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence’, where he also acted alongside David Bowie. Sakamoto would eventually go on to work on ‘The Last Emperor’ with David Byrne, and win a Golden Globe for his work on ‘The Revenant’.

Check out some of the industry’s most touching tributes below.