“My main interest in synthesizers when I was an older teenager was to escape from the spell of the 12-tone system or, in a more broad sense, the spell of the European modern-music system. That led me to explore towards electronic music and ethnic music.”

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.