The late Japanese composer compiled the playlist to be played at his funeral.
Ryuichi Sakamoto died on 28 March, with the news of his passing shared by his management on 2 April. Following the musician’s death, his management team has shared a playlist that the late musician put together. Calling it “Ryuichi’s Last Playlist”, they wrote: “We would like to share the playlist that Ryuichi had been privately compiling to be played at his own funeral to accompany his passing. He truly was with music until the very end.”
The 33-track playlist features music from longtime collaborator Alva Noto, Ennio Morricone, Claude Debussy, Nino Rota and David Sylvian. It also features music by Erik Satie, Johann Sebastian Bach, Bill Evans Trio and more with the closing track being Laurel Halo’s Breath from the soundtrack for 2020 film Possessed.
Ryuichi’s Last Playlist.
We would like to share the playlist that Ryuichi had been privately compiling to be played at his own funeral to accompany his passing. He truly was with music until the very end.
– skmt managementhttps://t.co/QPeSnthq9p pic.twitter.com/lK7B2ltUM9
— ryuichi sakamoto (@ryuichisakamoto) May 15, 2023
Sakamoto died aged 71, having been diagnosed with cancer for a second time in 2021. Following his second diagnosis, Sakamoto wrote in a statement, “from now on, I will be living alongside cancer. But, I am hoping to make music for a little while longer.” At the beginning of this year, Sakamoto released his final album 12 – comprised of music recorded in 2021 and 2022. A Tribute to Ryuichi Sakamoto: To The Moon and Back was also released last November to mark the musician’s 70th birthday, featuring reworked versions of his music by artists including Thundercat, Devonté Hynes, Alva Noto and David Sylvian.
Listen to Ryuichi Sakamoto’s last playlist, which was played at his funeral, below.
