Despite favouring links with Japanese music and culture he does not seem to have played any Sakamoto material after that, until featuring the soundtrack to The Last Emperor in the early nineties.
Peel seems to have taken an interest in Sakamoto's 1980 experimental electronic album B-2 Unit, which is also included in the Record Collection (and selected by John Peel Centre blog as its Hidden Gem for the letter S ). Producing an eclectic mix of music ranging from the popular to the experimental via classical and minimal, Sakamoto has also collaborated with many other major artists such as David Sylvian (formerly of Japan), David Byrne, Thomas Dolby and Iggy Pop. Ryuichi Sakamoto (, Sakamoto Ryichi, born January 17, 1952) (Template:IPA-ja) is a Japanese musician, composer, record producer, pianist, activist, writer, actor and dancer, based in Tokyo and New York. Lawrence (in which he also played a lead role), The Last Emperor and Little Buddha. with special emphasis on both electronic and ethnic music. He attended the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music, where he earned a B.A. He also went on to compose several successful soundtracks to major films such as Merry Christmas Mr. Ryuichi Sakamoto ( Sakamoto Ryichi, born January 17, 1952, Nakano, Tokyo, Japan) is a Japanese musician, composer, producer and actor. Sakamoto also pursued a parallel solo career issuing the experimental album B-2 Unit, released on Island, which included the track "Riot in Lagos" considered to be a major influence on hip-hop and electro, as later developed by artists such as Afrika Bambaataa. A graduate of the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music, he was a founder member of groundbreaking electro-pop band Yellow Magic Orchestra who had a top 20 hit in the summer of 1980 with "Computer Game/ Fire Cracker" taken from their eponymous debut album, originally released in 1978.
A staple in any worthwhile list of ’80s electronica, it’s no mistake of the imagination to hear some of the ground covered here, as the footholds. B2-Unit contains one of Sakamoto’s most seminal tracks the years ahead of its time, funked-up electronic odyssey ‘Riot in Lagos’. 1952) is a Japanese composer, musician, actor and producer based in Tokyo and New York. Riuichi Sakamoto B-2 Unit (Alfa, 1980) Listen / Buy.