Ryuichi Sakamoto‘s album BTTB is set to be reissued this November in celebration of its 20th anniversary. It will feature liner notes by none other than legendary Japanese author, Haruki Murakami.
Ryuichi Sakamoto’s 1998 album BTTB to be reissued in celebration of its 20th birthday and will feature with liner notes by none other than renowned Japanese author Haruki Murakami.
The once-member of Yellow Magic Orchestra and Academy Award-winning film composer released BTTB in 1998, gaining commercial success in Japan. However, the record is tough to find elsewhere in the world.
BTTB will be reissued by Milan, the label that releases Ryuichi’s 2017 LP async, along with the accompanying remix collection. Murakami’s liner notes summarise the album with his characteristic poeticism:
“Personal and intimate music—somebody (an anonymous somebody) sitting alone in front of the school piano early in the morning, weaving a melody, exploring harmonies. Music that gradually fills a space with high ceilings that contains the wafting presence of rain. But music that leaves gaps where necessary. Once in a while, we need music like this and this way of being…no, perhaps all the time. We need it as much as we need hot black coffee at the break of dawn and a cat napping next to us in the afternoon.”
Ryuichi Sakamoto is performing at the Sydney Opera House with Alva Noto on Sunday October 21st. Grab your tickets here.
Listen to energy flow from BTTB before its November release. You can see its tracklist below.
01. opus
02. sonatine
03. intermezzo
04. lorenz and watson
05. choral no. 1
06. choral no. 2
07. do bacteria sleep?
08. bachata
09. chanson
10. distant echo
11. prelude
12. sonata
13. uetax
14. aqua
15. energy flow
16. snake eyes
17. tong poo
18. reversing
[via Resident Advisor]
