“I was working with the computer at university and playing jazz in the daytime, buying west-coast psychedelic and early Kraftwerk records in the afternoon, and playing folk at night. I was quite busy!”

Japanese musician and composer

Ryuichi Sakamoto was a Japanese musician, composer, keyboardist, record producer, singer and actor. He worked across a wide range of styles as a solo artist and as a member of the synth-driven band Yellow Magic Orchestra. With Haruomi Hosono and Yukihiro Takahashi, he helped shape and pioneer several forms of electronic music. He was also a film score composer whose work brought him an Academy Award, a BAFTA, a Grammy, and two Golden Globe Awards.