YEAR BOOK 1971-1979

3 CDs that covers the 'anonymous' years of Ryuichi Sakamoto in the 1970s, with many unreleased tracks. During this time Sakamoto was often referred to as 'Abu' or 'The Professor'. In 1970 Sakamoto began studying music composition at Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music, with a later emphasis on electronic and world music. He also studied ethnomusicology, where he developed his interest in Okinawan, Indian and African music. From the beginning he had eclectic tastes. He studied classical piano, became involved in the underground folk scene, and experimented with electronic music on university synthesizers, such as the ARP Odyssey and Moog. This CD covers Sakamoto's transition from an amateur to a professional musician. The 3 CDs include Piano Sonata (1971) a String Quartet (1972) and 'Bunsan, Kyokai, Suna' composed for the contemporary classical pianist Aki Takahashi. As a largely anonymous figure he worked with musicians playing soul, reggae, avant-garde. The CDs also include his first forays into electronic music, played in solo performances at the exhibition 'Nasuka no Kioku' in 1978, the same year as his first solo album, Thousand Knives. As well as rare and unpublished recordings, the music defines an era in the 1970s when different musical forms were being formulated, from avant-garde to pop. Ryuichi Sakamoto includes detailed information and data on the recordings,and never before seen photos.