Ryuichi Sakamoto – Harakiri

Silence plays as vital a role as melody in this spare score by the late Japanese composer Ryuichi Sakamoto, a contemplative soundtrack that moves with grace and restraint and allows tension to gather in the spaces between notes. Strings dominate most pieces, shifting from hushed tremors to slow, deliberate crescendos, while clarinet and bass flute drift through tracks such as Small Happiness and Fishing with a gentle, reflective presence. Elsewhere, a solitary drumbeat marks the ominous tension and looming threat of God Of Death, adding a stark contrast to the album's quieter passages. Unfolding like a meditation on honour and grief, the music possesses a devastatingly quiet beauty and a profound emotional impact that lingers long after the final note.

1. Harakiki Opening
2. Pride Of Samurai
3. Harakiki
4. No Way Out
5. What For?
6. Small Happiness
7. Fishing
8. Private Elementary School
9. Mother ; Baby
10. God Of Death
11. Losing
12. Wake Up
13. Sweets
14. In The Courtyard
15. No Topknots
16. The Red Armor
17. Reminiscence
18. Harakiki Endroll

Label: Commons

Catalog: 6467343

Genre: Soundtrack