BRICOLAGES
Sealed import full length of interpretations of music from the Ryuichi Sakamoto album Chasm. Ryuichi Sakamoto turned the source material over to a group of (mostly electronic based) musicians, including former Japan member (and solo artist) Steve Jansen, Skuli Sverrisson, Cornelius, Fennesz, Alva Noto, Taylor Deupree on a track with vocals by David Sylvian, SND, Richard Devine, and more. A bit more about it and a track list are below. Sealed, New, not a promo, perfect. more about it "Bricolage," a French word meaning to assemble something from available materials, is such a perfect term for the art of the remix that it's surprising no one has ever used it before. It's less surprising that Ryuichi Sakamoto, whose work has always had a cool Continental flair despite the artist's Japanese roots, would choose such an elegant term for his swish remix collection. Focusing on reworks of material from 2005's back-to-the-roots electro-pop experiment Chasm, Bricolages features a cross-cultural and cross-generational batch of remixers including Cornelius, whose playful sense of pastiche is to current hipster Japanese pop what Sakamoto's Yellow Magic Orchestra was a quarter-century before; his take on the spoken word cut-up War & Peace is considerably lighter and groovier than Aoki Takamasa's tense, austere version. Former Japan drummer Steve Jansen, whose collaboration with Sakamoto goes back to the early '80s, contributes the skittering Break With, bridging the gap between new wave disco and contemporary IDM. However, the most intriguing reworking is Rob Da Bank and Mr. Dan's version of Word, which transmutes the song into a spookily atmospheric, dubwise dance groove that reveals an entirely new aspect. Remix albums are only as good as their mixers, but Sakamoto has chosen a solid team that makes Bricolages his most successful remix project. “Bricolages“ track listing: 1. “War&Peace” (AOKI Takamasa Remix) 2. “Undercooled” (Skuli Sverrisson Remix) 3. “War&Peace” (Cornelius Remix) 4. “20 msec.” (Fennesz Remix) 5. “Undercooled” (Alva Noto remodel) 6. “World Citizen” (Taylor Deupree Remix) 7. “Only Love Can Conquer Hate” (snd. Remix) 8. “Seven Samurai” (Richard Devine Remix) 9. “Word” (Rob Da Bank & Mr. Dan Remix) 10. “20 msec.” (Craig Armstrong Remix) 11. “NGO/bitmix” (Slicker Remix) 12. “Break With” (Steve Jansen Remix) 13. “Motopiate” (Thomas Knak) |
ALEXIE AND THE SPRING Alexei and the Spring is the original motion picture soundtrack from the award-winning documentary. Alexei and the Spring was awarded Readers' Prize of the Berliner Zeitung at the Berlin Film festival. Includes the previously unreleased solo piano version of the ending theme. Award-winning composer and musician Ryuichi Sakamoto has made a career of crossing musical and technological boundaries. Sakamoto has experimented with, and excelled in, many different musical styles, making a name for himself in popular, orchestral and film music. A founding member of Yellow Magic Orchestra (YMO), Sakamoto?s film work includes Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence, The Last Emperor, The Sheltering Sky, and most recently Alexei & the Spring (winner of the Readers' Prize of the Berliner Zeitung at the Berlin Film festival), and Derrida, winner of Best Documentary Honors at the San Francisco Film Festival. Tracklist
review I Whether it's his work in rock, experimental, orchestral or jazz forms I've always tended to prefer the interior quiet Ryuichi Sakamoto is able to create. The music of this soundtrack is of the sort that must by now come easily to Sakamoto, like breathing. There is nothing forced or artificial, no contortions, nothing extraneous. The pieces tend to do without any but the most subtle key changes and all avoid the telegraphic warnings and alarms of more traditional cadences, deciding in favor of simply letting things come to a stop. CONDITION Sealed, New, Not a promo. |