Ryuichi Sakamoto - Music For Film

From small beginnings in 1974 as a local cinema and university event, Film Fest Gent has grown yearly in stature and is now recognised as one of the major destinations for the film industry. A vital component is the celebration of film music in the shape of the World Soundtrack Awards which honours the very best composers at work in the world of cinema. In 2016 the award goes to one of the most brilliant composers of his generation, Ryuichi Sakamoto. 
This is the first overview of his remarkable catalogue of film scores, fully approved by the composer and performed by the masterful Brussels Philharmonic under the baton of Dirk Bross ©. Sakamoto was already a celebrated pioneer in electronic music and composer/pianist/singer in Japan when director Nagisa Oshima asked him to write the score for Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence in 1983 and also to star alongside David Bowie. In a 30 year plus career since then he has worked with the cream of film directors including Bernardo Bertolucci (The Last Emperor), Brian De Palma (Snake Eyes), Pedro Almodovar (High Heels) and most recently Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu (The Revenant). This compilation is a fitting tribute to his status as one of the greatest living musicians and film composers.

Ryuichi Sakamoto is honoured with a career-spanning collection of his film compositions, performed by the Brussels Philharmonic under conductor Dirk Brossé. Curated and approved by the composer, this is the first comprehensive overview of his celebrated work for cinema.

Originally commissioned for the 2016 World Soundtrack Awards—part of Belgium’s renowned Film Fest Gent—the album highlights Sakamoto’s extraordinary contributions to film music. From his breakthrough score for Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence (in which he also starred alongside David Bowie) to landmark collaborations with directors like Bernardo Bertolucci (The Last Emperor), Brian De Palma (Snake Eyes), Pedro Almodóvar (High Heels) and Alejandro González Iñárritu (The Revenant), this release pays tribute to a composer whose music continues to resonate across generations.

Features

• Vinyl Double LP 

Disc 1

Side 1

1. Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence Main Theme (From "Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence")
2. Endroll (From "The Last Emperor")
3. Rain (From "The Last Emperor")

Side 2

1. The Sheltering Sky Main Theme (From "The Sheltering Sky")
2. High Heels Main Theme (From "High Heels")
3. Wild Palms Main Theme (From "Wild Palms")

Disc 2

Side 1

1. Acceptance (From "Little Buddha")
2. Snake Eyes Main Theme (long version) (From "Snake Eyes")
3. Bolerisch (From "Femme Fatale")

Side 2

1. Bibo No Aozora (From "Babel")
2. Small Hope (From "Hara-Kiri (Ichimei)")
3. Yae No Sakura Opening Theme (From "Yae No Sakura")
4. The Revenant Main Theme (From "The Revenant")

Notes