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Stories   >   13 artists including Thundercat and Devonte Hynes honor Ryuichi Sakamoto on 'To the Moon and Back' / FADER

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13 artists including Thundercat and Devonte Hynes honor Ryuichi Sakamoto on 'To the Moon and Back' / FADER

Posted: November 30, 2022

13 artists rework iconic tracks from across the 70-year-old icon’s vast catalog on the new album.
 

Milan Records just released A TRIBUTE TO RYUICHI SAKAMOTO – TO THE MOON AND BACK, a collection of songs from Sakamoto’s vast catalogue newly reworked and remodeled by contemporary artists and collaborators. Available everywhere now, the album features contributions from THUNDERCAT, DEVONTÉ HYNES, HILDUR GUÐNADÓTTIR, THE CINEMATIC ORCHESTRA, DAVID SYLVIAN, ELECTRIC YOUTH, ALVA NOTO and more, each of which were hand-selected for the project as either past collaborators, friends, admirers, or personal favorites of Sakamoto.

Envisioned by Sakamoto’s management team and Milan Records, A TRIBUTE TO RYUICHI SAKAMOTO – TO THE MOON AND BACK features artists across generation and genre, each with their own connection to the iconic musician. From contemporary admirers of Sakamoto’s work like Thundercat, Devonté Hynes, and Hildur Guðnadóttir to longtime collaborators and friends like David Sylvian, Alva Noto, Cornelius, and Fennesz, plus some of Sakamoto’s personal favorites like Lim Giong, Gabrial Wek, and 404.zero, the included artists reflect the breadth of Sakamoto’s influence on contemporary music. Given full access to the musician’s extensive catalogue of solo releases and film scores, each artist personally selected their contribution and put their unique spin on Sakamoto’s originals. The result is a collection that reflects the many dimensions of Sakamoto’s career, from the diversity of sound the consummate musician has traversed to the continued legacy of his work on artists of all backgrounds.

A TRIBUTE TO RYUICHI SAKAMOTO – TO THE MOON AND BACK TRACKLISTING –

1. Walker – Lim Giong – Follow The Steps Remodel
2. Grains (Sweet Paulownia Wood) – David Sylvian Remodel
3. Thousand Knives – Thundercat Remodel
4. Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence – Electric Youth Remodel
5. Thatness and Thereness – Cornelius Remodel
6. World Citizen I Won’t Be Disappointed – Hildur Guðnadóttir Remodel
7. The Sheltering Sky – Alva Noto Remodel
8. Amore – Fennesz Remodel
9. Choral No. 1 – Devonté Hynes Remodel (featuring Emily Schubert)
10. DNA – The Cinematic Orchestra Remodel
11. With Snow and Moonlight – snow, silence, partially sunny – Yoshihide Otomo Remodel
12. Forbidden Colors – Gabrial Wek Remodel
13. The Revenant Main Theme – 404.zero Remodel
 

FADER's RAPHAEL HELFAND writes….A Tribute to Ryuichi Sakamoto - To the Moon and Back has arrived two days early. Originally slated for a December 2 release, the record is now live on all major streaming platforms. It comprises 13 reworks of songs by legendary musical multi-hyphenate Ryuichi Sakamoto from 13 different artists, including Thundercat, Devonté Hynes (Blood Orange), Fennesz, Cornelius, David Sylvian, and Sakamoto’s frequent collaborator Alva Noto.

Led by Thundercat’s cover of Sakamoto’s 1978 classic “Thousand Knives,” the record was announced after Sakamoto shared the tragic news that the rectal cancer he’d been battling with since January 2021 (his second cancer diagnosis) had progressed to stage four in June. On January 17, he’ll share 12, his first official studio LP since 2017’s async, though he’s scored nine films in the interim.


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