Ryuichi Sakamoto | 12 | Vinyl

Released January 17, 2023, just over two months before Sakamoto’s death, 12 collects twelve improvisatory pieces the composer recorded at home between March 2021 and April 2022, each titled simply for the date it was created. Sakamoto handled performance, production, and mixing himself, with additional mixing by longtime collaborator Zak and mastering by Robin Schmidt. Stripped of overdubs and studio polish, the album is widely regarded as a deeply personal diary of Sakamoto’s final creative period, standing apart from his soundtrack and pop work as a quiet, meditative coda to his career. Critics highlighted its raw intimacy as a fitting capstone to a catalog that spanned Yellow Magic Orchestra, Academy Award-winning film scores, and decades of ambient and electronic experimentation.

Track List

Side A

1. 20210310
2. 20211130
3. 20211201

Side B

1. 20220123
2. 20220202

Side C

1. 20220207
2. 20220214

Side D

1. 20220302 – Sarabande
2. 20220302
3. 20220307
4. 20220404
5. 20220304

Release Details

• UPC: 0196587898212
• Label: MILAN
• Format: LP Vinyl — 2LP, Clear Vinyl
• Genre: Classical
• Release Date: 6/23/2023