Ryuichi Sakamoto
Chasm

THE REVIEW

Ryiuchi "lastimperator" Sakamoto ended up being a sort of collective. Indeed, he decided some time ago to keep the multifaceted expressions of his uncommon musical talent under the same name. There's no point in wondering, then, who the real Sakamoto is: whether it's the early-days pianist dedicated to electro-pop in Yellow Magic Orchestra, the tireless musical mediator, the advocate of the possible fusion between East and West, tradition and avant-garde, the sublime and acclaimed soundtrack composer, or even the lover of Jobim's Bossa Nova. Without neglecting the pop-maker who "gets his hands dirty" with house, electronic, funk, rap. All these souls, and others still, coexist in him harmoniously, sometimes appearing on the scene all together, as happens in the album "Chasm".

It's entirely understandable that, as with other works by the Japanese musician, the work escapes any definition. The sequence of tracks produces a continuous disorientation: none is the same as the other, but all, like in a complicated puzzle, contribute to outlining his unmistakable profile. Listening to "Chasm" is a bit like riding a "roller coaster". From the Korean rap (!) in Japanese flavor of "Undercooled", it shifts to the most intense and claustrophobic electronics, akin to that of Autechre, in "Coro". From the avant-garde ambient-minimalism of the title-track, it moves to the reassuring partnership with his brotherly friend David Sylvian, who with "World Citizen" creates, as usual, a memorable song.
Nor can there be a lack of a "slowdown" with the beloved "Brazilian-style" tunes with "Ngo Bitmix", a perfect blend of classicism and innovation. But perhaps the peak of the album is "Seven Samurai", a track filled with nostalgia and strongly evocative, a tribute to the great Kurosawa; a potential soundtrack for the masterpiece of the same name that Ryiuchi offers to the memory of the Master.

Sakamoto continues with this album, undaunted, along his path as a well-rounded musician, heedless of those who accuse him of being too scattered, of those who reproach him for his descents into the "underbelly" of popular music. In his holistic vision of music, he knows he cannot betray any of his souls.