Ryuichi Sakamoto

I've been listening to your music for 25 years.

My first real memory of your music was the time I worked at Kinokuniya in Singapore. We played Energy Flow every night when we were closing the bookstore. I never grew tired of it. Every day, this song meant something different to me. Some days, it was excitement as I look forward to meeting Yamada san. Other days, it brought melancholy as I reminisced my times with Ed. At Kinokuniya, I started searching for your scores. I bought BTTB album scores, and played the piano song after song, day after day.

From my time in London, to New York and now Oakland, I've been surrounded by your music. Your soundtrack that accompanied Tony Takinati deepened the loneliness and sadness in the film. I watched this film twice. Mike loved the Revanent and played the album for months after we watched the movie. The song for Bertolucci's Sheltering Sky expressed the loss alongside freedom set in the beautiful Sahara desert. Your collaboration with Alva Noto, your documentary on Mubi, a collaboration between you and artist Zakkublan in David Ireland House in SF were all serendipity discoveries.

Last December, I watched you on the piano. You said it was your last performance. You knew you were dying. I couldn't stop my tears.

Today, I woke up to the news of your death. I feel like a piece of me has left. Thank you, thank you for all the music you have accompanied me over the last 25 years...