Name: Esperanto
Brand: Ryuichi Sakamoto

Bonus disc

Bonus disc: No

Catalogue number

WWSCD43

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Colour

Colour details

Discogs ID

Discs

Download code

Download code: No

Rough Trade Exclusive

Rough Trade Exclusive: No

Extended format

Extended format: No

Format detail

Format Music GB

Limited edition

Release date

2021-11-19

Signed copies

Signed copies: No

Supplier GB

Proper

Tax rate GB

UPC / Barcode

3700604729815

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1 / CD / Extended format: No / Rough Trade Exclusive: No / Signed copies: No

WWSLP43

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black

3700604729808

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1 / Extended format: No / LP / Rough Trade Exclusive: No / Signed copies: No / black

Artist

Ryuichi Sakamoto

Genre GB

Electronic

Label GB

Wewantsounds

Esperanto originally came out in 1985 and was Ryuichi Sakamoto's sixth solo album. Coming after his stint with the influential Yellow Magic Orchestra, and also the worldwide success of Sakamoto's 1984 soundtrack for the film "Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence" (in which he starred alongside David Bowie), Esperanto was a return to Sakamoto's leftfield roots. ​Composed as the soundtrack to a performance by New York choreographer Molissa Fenley (a show commissioned by Japanese producer Shozo Tsurumoto), the album was masterminded by Sakamoto with the help of the cutting-edge electronic technology of the time (the only external contributions are by Arto Lindsay on guitar and Japanese composer Yas-Kaz on percussion). ​Indeed, the album is a fascinating soundscape experimenting with the new sampler technology - which, according to Ryuichi Sakamoto from a conversation with journalist Andy Beta mentioned in the liner notes, needed a computer that was huge at the time.

​Esperanto is composed of eight tracks displaying a varied mix of influences. "A Wongga Dance Song" is pulsating with rhythms while "A Rain Song" adopts a minimalist mode with its distinctive repetitive pattern. "Dolphins" and "A Carved Stone" are captivating ambient pieces showcasing Sakamoto's talent for setting beautiful abstract melodic ornaments over atmospheric tones. ​One of the highlights of the album is "Adelic Penguins", a fascinating proto techno piece with a funky twist stretching over six minutes which echoes the electro funk of 1981's album "Hidari Ude No Yume." "Ulu Watu", a collage-like piece featuring bird motives and a tropical soundscape closes the album with an experimental note. It's interesting to note that, a year later, the tracks from Esperanto would be turned into an experimental video project by New York visual artists Kit Fitzgerald and Nam June Paik collaborator Paul Garrin. ​A unique album in Ryuichi Sakamoto's rich discography, Esperanto is a groundbreaking work worth rediscovering in its full glory.

Esperanto

Music GB