»12« also makes it difficult not to be overwhelmed by the cycle of life, with Ryuichi Sakamoto’s well-documented cancer being all too present. Every note that Sakamoto plays or doesn’t play here is too pregnant with meaning. Stripped of context, »12« is a beautiful piano record filled with subtle synths and feather-light drones. Thinking along with the reality of Sakamoto’s life, »12« becomes an almost unbearably beautiful elegy, elegant and composed, a »gem« with stucco on the ceiling.
Ryuichi Sakamoto – 12
