A really wonderful little record – and some of our favorite work ever from Japanese pop maestro Ryuichi Sakamoto! Sakamoto really surprised folks with this set – not just because it accompanied his strong performance (with David Bowie) in the film, but also because it opened up the way to some of the wonderful film and sound scoring work he'd do in years to come – music that was often as simple and maybe electronic as his work with Yellow Magic Orchestra, but able to create a stunning amount of feeling and depth with just a few simple elements. The music is sublime – a masterpiece in understatement – and a series of instrumental selections ends up with the fantastic song "Forbidden Colours", which features vocals by David Sylvian – on a number that was one of his first great solo moments. Other titles include "The Seed", "Father Christmas", "Dismissed", "The Fight", "Batavia", and "Germination". CD features a number of bonus tracks, too! (Soundtracks, Japanese) CD

A really wonderful little record – and some of our favorite work ever from Japanese pop maestro Ryuichi Sakamoto! Sakamoto really surprised folks with this set – not just because it accompanied his strong performance (with David Bowie) in the film, but also because it opened up the way to some of the wonderful film and sound scoring work he'd do in years to come – music that was often as simple and maybe electronic as his work with Yellow Magic Orchestra, but able to create a stunning amount of feeling and depth with just a few simple elements. The music is sublime – a masterpiece in understatement – and a series of instrumental selections ends up with the fantastic song "Forbidden Colours", which features vocals by David Sylvian – on a number that was one of his first great solo moments. Other titles include "The Seed", "Father Christmas", "Dismissed", "The Fight", "Batavia", and "Germination". (Soundtracks, Japanese) LP, Vinyl record album

A record of incredible beauty, yet one that's also almost impossible to describe in words – as this second set from Japanese singer Hako Yamasaki has her really moving past the first one – coming across with an even richer sound in her vocals, and mixing just the right amount of electric piano and electric guitar in with the acoustic elements in the music! The song styles here join together wonderfully – and the album's a rich tapestry of subtle emotions that transcends the boundaries of language – and which is very different than both the quirky Japanese rock experiments of the time, or the more polished work of the city pop generation to come. Titles include "Shiroi Hana, "Mukai Kaze", "Tsunawatari", "Harmonica Fuki No Otoko", "Help Me", and "Tanjo Iwai". LP, Vinyl record album