Search - Ryuichi Sakamoto :: Chasm

Blending Musique Concrète, Ambient, Electroacoustic

R. MARK Plummer | From the Former USA | 12/14/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Sakamoto keeps pushing the boundaries - making some nice headphone spaces to retreat into. Here he brings his singular touch and sensibilities to electroacoustic music that still has his signature.



He is moving from being Sakamoto san to Sakamoto Sensei -- he's teaching us how to listen so we can appreciate music constructed with sounds that may not come from traditional "instruments."



I kept thinking this CD was titled: "World Citizen" since there are two mixes of that song on this disc - both featuring vocals by long time Sakamoto co-conspirator, David Sylvian.



Fans of either Sakamoto or Sylvain (both?) will find this a wonderful addition to their music library."

I love it

Stewie G | LA | 04/10/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Great Album of a great Composer......Period. The people who know will get it:-)

"

Still inventive 30 years later

Roket Pad | Seattle | 12/30/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"In 2004 music genius Ryuichi Sakamoto dropped Chasm, my favorite album by him to date.



Chasm is a mostly ambient album, with standouts being the spinning Chasm and crying Break With. But he starts out with a great "orientalist" hip-hop piece Undercooled, followed by white-noise Coro. I love how he challenges listeners. The "recycled" World Citizen is great. And the closing Seven Samurai theme is always a winner.



Sakamoto's career took off in 1978 with Yellow Magic Orchestra (YMO), which created the electronic pop genre world-wide. After YMO, he's best known in the US for a number of stellar soundtracks. In Japan he's been all over the place - the recent /0* series is full of piano and ambient tones."