The sound of a mournful piano seemed to fill Indonesia’s cyberspace last weekend, thanks to the many musicians who posted their condolences on Instagram and Twitter for a highly regarded figure.

“Thank you, Sensei. You are loved by many,” singer-songwriter Kunto Aji shared in his Instagram story on Sunday, posting a picture of Japanese musician Ryuichi Sakamoto.

Celebrated and respected as an important figure in electronic music, Sakamoto passed away on March 28 at the age of 71 from cancer, his management sharing the news on April 2 after his funeral had taken place.

Throughout his life, Sakamoto never stopped experimenting as a solo artist, film composer and cofounder of the 1970s Japanese electronic band, Yellow Magic Orchestra (YMO). Sakamoto and the band became the bedrock of many electronic music innovations that gave rise to synth-pop, house and hip hop.

Sakamoto’s influence was so vast that his music gave rise to many artists and musicians the world over, including in Indonesia.

Personal influence

“I first learned about Sakamoto when I was in junior high school, from the music he composed for the 1987 film The Last Emperor,” singer-songwriter and film composer Mondo Gascaro told The Jakarta Post on Monday.

Guitarist Billy Saleh of Polka Wars fame and Barasuara front man Iga Massardi, on the other hand, discovered Sakamoto’s work through YMO.

“Around 2010, a friend of mine made me listen to ‘Rydeen’ by Yellow Magic Orchestra. For some reason, the song stuck in my head. From its notes to its beat and sounds, all the elements are infectious,” Iga told the Post on Tuesday.

“From there, I started digging into Ryuichi [Sakamoto]’s music and that’s when I realized that he composed the score for Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence,” Billy said on April 3.

After his rise to fame with YMO, Sakamoto eventually cemented his status as an electronic music pioneer and a film composer, creating haunting pop and avant-garde music during his solo career and for the movies he scored.

“His work is really diverse and captures a lot of different eras in music,” Billy said. “We can see the electronic phases in the ‘70s to the ‘80s, but he still retains his classical pianist side.”

All three musicians, who are themselves highly regarded in the local music industry, explained that their own work was often rooted in Sakamoto’s music.

“Ryuichi Sakamoto, as a musician and a person, has inspired me greatly aesthetically and philosophically, especially in my musical work for film,” Mondo said. Some of the songs on his solo album like “Naked” and “Into the Clouds, out of the Ocean”, he said, took their inspiration from the Japanese composer.

Iga, whose ambient album Loneliness and Decibels was released during the pandemic under the moniker Sagas Midair, also said that his songs carried traces of Sakamoto’s music.

“One of the albums that I listen to as a reference is the OST [original soundtrack] for Beckett, which he wrote. I interpreted a lot of moods, soundscapes and emotions from there,” Iga said, referring to the 2021 film distributed by Netflix.

“That album also shows that music doesn't always have to be melodic, there are lots of atonal elements that are both soothing and eerie in there,” he noted.

But an even greater loss was felt by legendary singer-songwriter Fariz RM, who was friends with the Japanese composer for most of his professional career.

“I knew him because I was introduced by the late David Bowie, who happened to be a good friend of mine as well,” Fariz told the Post on April 4, explaining the happy friendship he struck up with the British rock legend during one of his trips to Europe in 1986.

Fariz and Sakamoto would often talk on the phone, by email or, as technology developed, on WhatsApp calls.

“Both of the late musicians had the same vision: They didn’t see our musical responsibility as merely commercial, but [that] there’s a moral and cultural responsibility that is way more immense and important,” Fariz said.

Some of Sakamoto’s albums that had greatly influenced him included Futurista (1986), Neo Geo (1987), Beauty (1989), Sweet Revenge (1994) and Chasm (2004).

“Those records are the ones that I think impacted me most, especially in Ryuichi Sakamoto’s dauntlessness in conveying whatever is in his head without paying any heed to the industry, a similar audacity that the late David Bowie had and the rarest form of boldness that can be found in a mainstream musical act,” Fariz said.

‘Soul’ music

Sakamoto did not win multiple awards, including an Oscar and a Grammy, for nothing. Captivating and cutting-edge, his music moved listeners in whatever genre he composed, be it house, experimental techno pop or orchestral music.

“Sakamoto’s music is emotional but not hysterical, full of empathy but not judgmental, beauty restrained. As if without needing to say ‘it's me’ out loud, his personality and emotions are instantly recognizable and felt through the music,” Mondo said.

As for Iga, “Andata” from Sakamoto’s 2017 album Async resonated the most: “The notes, mood, sound and emotions are very soft, deep and at the same time, a relief, like leading us to let go of many things.”

Billy even attributed the depth of Sakamoto’s music for shaping his character.

“He indirectly made me who I am today. My musical instincts were also sharpened by his work. I even got my [musical] ‘fuel’ the first time I listened to YMO’s ‘Rydeen’, a song that became one of my main inspirations when I was in Polka Wars and writing ‘Terai’ for our 2019 album Bani Bumi,” Billy said.

Sakamoto’s death clearly sent a shockwave through the Indonesian music scene.

“I was surprised, saddened and felt a great loss, not less because [YMO’s] Yukihiro Takahashi also passed away several months ago,” Mondo said.

It hit even harder for Fariz. “Our friendship was not that intense or close, but it was based on high respect as fellow musicians,” he said. “I really lost a friend I could share my thoughts with.”

Despite his sorrow, Iga said he was glad that Sakamoto could finally rest after his lengthy battle with cancer.

“[Sakamoto’s] dedication to music and what he left behind is very long, meaningful and deep. Maybe more than enough for all of us,” he said.

“His lifelong dedication has given birth to amazing work. Now, it is time for him to close the lid on his piano and rest.”

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