Music Sets You Free: A Memoir

A genre-defying artist who had acquired the status of a musical giant by the time of his death in 2023, Ryuichi Sakamoto’s long career spanned electronic, hip-hop, modern classical and pop music, inspiring artists as diverse as Questlove, Massive Attack, David Sylvian, Alva Noto and Caetano Veloso.

A pivotal figure in the synthpop group Yellow Magic Orchestra during the late 70s and early 80s, Sakamoto went on to pioneer the development of ambient and electronic music in ever more experimental forms. Perhaps best known for his film scores, he won an Oscar for Bernardo Bertolucci’s The Last Emperor, written with David Byrne, and found global fame with music for Merry Christmas, Mr Lawrence (in which he starred alongside David Bowie) and, later, The Revenant. Sakamoto’s career was also marked by social activism, including campaigning for more recognition of the effects of global warming, which he witnessed first-hand during a visit to Greenland.

Music Sets You Free combines the translations of Sakamoto’s two memoirs published in Japanese – Music Makes You Free and How Many More Times Will I Watch the Full Moon Rise? It offers an intimate, contemplative account of his life, from his first encounter with a piano, to his rise as a global pop star, and his later reflections on mortality and music in the wake of multiple cancer treatments and surgeries.

An affirming, beautifully written testament to art, life and sound, Music Sets You Free is a lasting gift from a true musical great.