1996

Ryuichi Sakamoto

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 4, 1996)
• Original Release Date: June 4, 1996
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Milan Records
• ASIN: B0000015LJ
• Also Available in: Audio CD
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #201,781 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Featuring 16 Tracks Including High Heels (Main Theme), Rain (Last Emperor Soundtrack), Merry Christmas Mr. Lawremce, Before Long, Acceptance, and Others.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent compilation, April 5, 2000

By	Brian Kobashikawa (Santa Clara, CA United States) - See all my reviews

If I had to make a recommendation as to what two Ryuichi Sakamoto albums to purchase, they would have to be "1996" (a beautiful collection of his more recent work, in trio form no less) and the somewhat out-of-print "Soundbytes" (a U.S. compilation of his solo keyboard pieces from the '80s, otherwise available only via Japanese import.) "Soundbytes" portrays Sakamoto as a prophet of the state of electronica in 1994 (the album's release date), with his use of ambient and borrowed sound, unfamiliar textures and timbres, strong repetition and punctuated rhythm, and a certain "Futurist" concept in mind. "1996", meanwhile, relies on the other side of Sakamoto's musical personality that surfaces most readily in his movie soundtracks - beautiful melodies, nuanced chord and harmonic progression, both exaggerated and latent emotion - in an elegantly arranged piano/cello/violin trio that simply flows from track to track.

Most of these pieces are Sakamoto's best known work: the film score highlights. A couple are taken from the "Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence" and "The Last Emperor" scores - yet gain either an acoustic reinterpretation (in the former) or a more intimate, chamber music affect (in the latter). The others are from mostly independent features, whereupon he here saves us the trouble of searching desperately for their respective soundtracks.

Other pieces are reappropriated into the extremely well-executed solo work "Smoochy" (1997), introducing the listener to his latest foray in popular music. "Aoneko no Torso" yields a nicely restrained performance in the later album, yet listening to a pseudo-trip-hop "Bibo no Aozora," including Ryuichi on vocals and Arto Lindsay on the guitar, especially after hearing the trio version, was truly mind-blowing.

"1919" is a new piece that yields a certain paranoia and intensity, using repetition as the primary means of conveying emotion (a la "Soundbytes"). It was most impressive seeing him recently perform this piece on a MIDI-enabled Disklavier in Los Angeles, where he began playing "out of phase" with himself, a Steve Reich technique. And he also pulls out some old favorites (as he did "Replica" from "Cinemage" and "Tong Poo" from "BTTB"): the avant-garde-ish "M.A.Y. in the Backyard" and "A Tribute to NJP" (which, interestingly, was originally a piano/sax/clarinet trio and performed with a certain jazz/Impressionist repose) are from his "Illustrated Musical Encyclopedia" (1984). His intro piece, "A Day a Gorilla Gives a Banana", is to my knowledge first performed on "Media Bahn Live" (1986) - perhaps the most unaltered of all the pieces.

Long story short: good album.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars '1996' - East meets West in spellbinding style, March 16, 2000

By	anthemic (Australia) - See all my reviews

Sakamoto is simply a treasure among composers. I adore hybrid music forms and he offers us the West (piano) and the East (string composition).

'1996' is a compilation of previously released material from various soundtracks. However, the beauty of this is that the tracks are 'alternate' renditions relying on the piano/violin as the prime musical focal point. What a beautiful way to pass the time.

Two tracks are taken from Bernardo Bertolucci's multi-oscar winning 'The Last Emperor'. The original soundtrack is a collaborative affair with David Bryne of Talking Heads fame.

The first to be heard is 'Rain' (track 2). It is used at that point where the boy emperor chases after his nurse - only to find that she has been taken away. The track opens with a furious piano/violin tempo and releases itself to a tender pace before resuming the same pattern.... truly - a monumental effort.

The second of these is 'The Last Emperor' (track 4)- a track that begins a slow and tender pace as the low key piano dominates before easing into higher keys. This is followed by the first in a series of eruptive (yet tender) lead-ins into the violin. Overall the track is a balance of eruptive piano (West) and tender violin (East) notes. Heaven and Earth? - I don't know. Whatever the case, it is awesome.

Track 6 is of course taken from 'Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence' - one of all-time favourite compositions. I am so grateful to Sakamoto for offering a piano/violin version of this. If you thought the original was haunting then you must listen to this version. It makes you want to learn how to play the piano - its that effective! It differs from the original version by leaping into full tempo and rising to triumphant ocassion.

'A Day a Gorilla Gives a Banana' (track 1) and 'M.A.Y in the Backyard' (track 7) are erratic pieces exemplifying Sakamoto's range.

'The Sheltering Sky' (another Betolucci film) is another beautiful and tender composition mixing mood and tempo. The cello in 'A tribute to N.J.P echoes Yo-Yo Ma's Bach's Cello Suites.

'High Heels' (track 10) is taken from Almodovar's 'High Heels' and echoes the (beautiful)desperation so prevalent in Almodovar's films.

Other goodies are 'Aoneko no Torso'(track 11) and 'The Wuthering Heights'(track 12). However, if there is something lacking in this CD is is the liner notes. Who know's which films these tracks (and others) are from. Although - this is researchable on the net.

Overall - a thoroughly enjoyable listen.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect Composition !, January 5, 2000

By	Rik (Berlin) - See all my reviews

He's a genius and this masterpiece goes right back to his roots as a composer, if you love his soundtracks, buy this one as well! Just his piano and 2 strings... Highly recommended!