Description
Ryuichi Sakamoto’s seventh solo album,Neo Geo, co-produced with Bill Laswell for global release, showcases a fusion of top musicians across various genres. Infused with electronic tones intertwined with organic and ethnic flavors like traditional Okinawan and Balinese music, the album was meticulously crafted in both Tokyo and New York, reaching audiences in over 20 countries and marking a significant milestone in Sakamoto’s solo journey.
Sakamoto’s all-star blend of Western and Eastern music styles is a triumphant success for the composer, and a consistently good listen. On the title track he takes a traditional Japanese folk song and blends it into a funk groove provided by Bootsy Collins,Bill Laswell, andSly Dunbar. UnlikeByrneandEno‘sMy Life in the Bush of Ghosts, this blend of cultures is coming from the opposing angle and stays truer to the source material. But that track is only one of Sakamoto’s approaches, and on several other tracks he joins withLaswellto create a crisp, techno-cultural hybrid that sounds like nothing except like pure Sakamoto. On “Risky,” a subduedIggy Pop lends vocals and lyrics, and doesn’t come across as an interloper. And on “Okinawa Song,” Sakamoto seamlessly integrates the southern island culture into his grand scheme. via AllMusic
Label:Great Tracks
Format:Vinyl, LP, Album, Reissue, 180g
Reissued:2024 / Original Release: 1987
Genre:Electronic
Style:Synth-pop
File under: Japanese Electronic
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