Esperanto | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | October 5, 1985 | |||
Studio | Onkio Haus | |||
Length | 39:14 | |||
Label |
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Producer | Ryuichi Sakamoto | |||
Ryuichi Sakamoto chronology | ||||
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Esperanto is the fifth solo album by Ryuichi Sakamoto, released in 1985. It was commissioned for a dance of the same name by choreographer Molissa Fenley, which debuted in New York City in 1985. [1] The experimental electronic album includes layers of sampled voices, and marks a look back at Sakamoto's non-pop-oriented second solo album, B-2 Unit . The album includes contributions from Yaz-Kaz and Arto Lindsay. AllMusic called it "one of Sakamoto's strangest, most uncompromising albums". [2]
The album reached number 9 on the Oricon LP chart. [3]
Released in Japan on Midi, Inc.'s School label, Esperanto did not see a US release until 2021. [4]
Ryuichi Sakamoto was a Japanese composer, pianist, record producer, and actor who pursued a diverse range of styles as a solo artist and as a member of Yellow Magic Orchestra (YMO). With his bandmates Haruomi Hosono and Yukihiro Takahashi, Sakamoto influenced and pioneered a number of electronic music genres.
Haruomi Hosono, sometimes credited as Harry Hosono, is a Japanese musician, singer, songwriter and record producer. He is considered to be one of the most influential musicians in Japanese pop music history, credited with shaping the sound of Japanese pop for decades as well as pop music outside of Japan. He also inspired genres such as city pop and Shibuya-kei, and as leader of Yellow Magic Orchestra, contributed to the development and pioneering of numerous electronic genres.
Yukihiro Takahashi was a Japanese musician, singer, record producer, and actor, who was best known internationally as the drummer and lead vocalist of the Yellow Magic Orchestra, and as the former drummer of the Sadistic Mika Band. He was also a member of the group Metafive.
Towa Tei is a Japanese artist, record producer, and DJ. Born in Yokohama, Japan, Towa was a member of Deee-Lite, from the US label Elektra Records in 1990 and shot to fame via their international hit single, "Groove Is In the Heart". He made his solo debut with the album Future Listening! in 1994. He has since relocated from New York to rural Nagano prefecture in Japan.
Future Listening! is the debut studio album by Japanese music producer Towa Tei, released on October 21, 1994 by For Life Music. It is Tei's first release after his departure from Deee-Lite. The album was released in the United States on April 25, 1995 by Elektra Records.
Ryuichi Ogata, also known mononymously as Ryuichi or Dravil, is a Japanese singer, rapper, and guitarist. In 2001, he rose to fame as a member of the Japanese boy band W-inds as the group's dancer, back-up vocalist, and rapper. In addition to his activities with W-inds, Ogata also played guitar and provided back-up vocals for the rock bands Radio Foundation and All City Steppers.
Molissa Fenley is an American choreographer, performer and teacher of contemporary dance.
"Bamboo Houses" is a song by Japanese musician-composer Ryuichi Sakamoto and English singer-songwriter David Sylvian, released on Virgin Records in 1982. It reached number 30 in the UK charts in the second week of August 1982.
Heartbeat is the ninth solo studio album by Ryuichi Sakamoto, released in 1991 by Virgin Records. A second version of the album was released in the United States and Europe in 1992, which replaced the original version of "Tainai Kalki" with the David Sylvian-featuring version, "Heartbeat - Returning to the Womb", as well as English versions of "High Tide" and "Sayonara", and bonus song "Cloud #9".
Neo Geo is a 1987 album by Ryuichi Sakamoto. The term "neo geo", or "new world", is derived from Sakamoto himself as a way to describe worldwide musical diversity in regard to genre.
World Citizen is an EP by Ryuichi Sakamoto and David Sylvian. It was originally released in 2003 in Japan before being released in the UK the following year on Sylvian's label Samadhi Sound; the two editions have different track lists and different covers. The EP was created as part of a project called Chain Music instigated by Ryuichi Sakamoto. A remix of "World Citizen " was later included on Sakamoto's 2004 solo album Chasm and Sylvian's 2010 compilation Sleepwalkers; the 2022 reissue of the latter additionally adds in "World Citizen".
Sōtaisei Riron is a Japanese rock band formed in Tokyo in September 2006.
"Behind the Mask" is a 1979 song by the Japanese synth-pop group Yellow Magic Orchestra. The composer, Ryuichi Sakamoto, wrote the first version for a television commercial. This was expanded with the band and the British lyricist Chris Mosdell for inclusion on the 1979 Yellow Magic Orchestra album Solid State Survivor. In the US and the UK, "Behind the Mask" was released as a single from the album X∞Multiplies in 1980.
O Corpo Sutil (The Subtle Body) is the debut solo album by musician Arto Lindsay, released in 1995.
"Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence" is a 1983 instrumental single by Japanese composer Ryuichi Sakamoto recorded for the film of the same name. The song has become a staple of Christmas music in the United States and Japan. A vocal version, "Forbidden Colours", features former Japan frontman David Sylvian and charted in the top 20 of the UK Singles Chart and Irish Singles Chart.
Beauty is the eighth solo studio album by Japanese musician Ryuichi Sakamoto. Both a Japanese and an international version were released by Virgin Records in 1989 and 1990, respectively. The international release contains the track "You Do Me (Edit)" featuring singer Jill Jones, a song previously released as a single.
The Japanese musician Ryuichi Sakamoto (1952–2023) released over 20 solo studio albums, over 25 collaboration albums, 3 remix albums, more than 10 live albums, several compilation albums, over 40 EPs and singles, and about 50 soundtracks. Several of the albums exist in both Japanese and internationally released versions, sometimes containing different track listings. Sakamoto has also released many video albums and music videos.
Murdered by the Music is Yukihiro Takahashi's second solo album, released when he was a member of YMO. As well as his YMO bandmates Ryuichi Sakamoto and Haruomi Hosono, and longtime YMO collaborator Hideki Matsutake this album also features contributions from Sandii and Makoto Ayukawa of Sheena & the Rokkets.
Shokumotsu Rensa is the debut studio album by Japanese singer Miki Nakatani. It was released on September 4, 1996, by For Life Records. A former girl group member, Nakatani concentrated on her acting career before returning to music in partnership with musician Ryuichi Sakamoto.
"Everlasting Love" is the 27th single by Japanese entertainer Akina Nakamori. Written by Taeko Onuki and Ryuichi Sakamoto, the song was released as a double-A single with "Not Crazy to Me" on May 21, 1993, by MCA Victor. It was also the lead single from her sixth compilation album Lyricism: Ballad Collection.