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Ryuichi Sakamoto’s solo works gathered on new Milan Records compilation, ‘Travesía’: Listen

The 15-track release contains the title track of Sakamoto's 1978 debut 'Thousand Knives' among other tracks

Ryuichi Sakamoto

A selection of the late Ryuichi Sakamoto's solo works have been gathered on a new Milan Records compilation, 'Travesía'.

'Travesía' (which translates as 'crossing' or 'journey' in Spanish) has been put together by five-time Oscar winner Alejandro González Iñárritu, with whom Sakamoto collaborated for celebrated 2015 film The Revenant, crafting the soundtrack alongside Alva Noto.

After spending six months listening to over a thousand pieces, the director selected a combination of deeper cuts and more familiar tracks for the 15-track compilation, including the title track of Sakamoto's debut 'Thousand Knives'. 

"Even now, I keep discovering new elements in Ryuichi’s pieces that I’ve listened to for decades. The perception of his music becomes a mutable cloud, which is always and never the same," said Iñárritu.

According to Milan Records, the release "takes listeners on a one-of-a-kind trip through the last four decades of Sakamoto’s musicmaking career, showcasing his immeasurable influence and lasting legacy". Pre-order 'Travesía' on vinyl from Phonica here and listen via Spotify below.

The pioneering Japanese musician and composer, who launched his career as one-third of the group Yellow Magic Orchestra, died on 28th March aged 71 after revealing a diagnosis of colon cancer in January 2021.

A compilation of Sakamoto's Nokia ringtone compositions from the mid-2000s was posthumously shared online by YouTube channel Tech Product Bangers.