Name: Insen
Brand: Ryuichi Sakamoto

Bonus disc

Bonus disc: No

Catalogue number

N0522

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Colour

Black

Colour details

Discogs ID

Format multiplier

Download code

Download code: No

Rough Trade Exclusive

Rough Trade Exclusive: No

Extended format

Extended format: No

Format detail

Format Music GB

Limited edition

Release date

2022-12-23

Signed copies

Signed copies: No

Supplier GB

Tax rate GB

Standard:20

UPC / Barcode

5057805569312

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Total Cap

2 / Extended format: No / LP / Rough Trade Exclusive: No / Signed copies: No / black

N0521

{"blocks": [{"data": {"text": "N0521"}, "type": "paragraph"}]}

2022-08-12

5057805569305

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1 / CD / Extended format: No / Rough Trade Exclusive: No / Signed copies: No

Artist

Ryuichi Sakamoto

Genre GB

Electronic

Label GB

Noton

Raster-Noton is an electronic music label based in Germany that was formed in 1999 through the fusion of two previous labels, Rastermusic and noton.archiv für ton und nichtton. The founders of Rastermusic, Olaf Bender and Frank Bretschneider, aimed to publish repetitive or minimal music with pop leanings. On the other hand, Carsten Nicolai founded noton.archiv für ton und nichtton as a platform for conceptual and experimental projects in music, art, and science. In 2017, Raster-Noton underwent restructuring and split into two distinct entities: Raster and Noton.

Raster-Noton's back catalog is now handled by *Raster*, which is run by Olaf Bender. Meanwhile, *Noton* focuses on representing all past and future projects of Alva Noto (Carsten Nicolai). The label also has a sublabel called Kangaroo dedicated to releases by Ilpo Väisänen from Pan Sonic fame. Additionally, Raster-Noton serves as the exclusive distributor for Ivan Pavlov's label Wavetrap.

On their website, Raster-Noton offers downloadable albums in CD-quality 48khz WAV format. They have also released limited edition "Transall Collector's Boxes" handmade by German bookbinder Cornelia Ahnert to house the Transall series.

Ryuichi Sakamoto was a Japanese musician, composer, and actor born on January 17, 1952 in Tokyo, Japan. He studied at the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music where he specialized in composition and electronic/ethnic music. Sakamoto began his career in the mid-1970s as a composer, arranger, and producer for popular rock, jazz, and classical artists in Japan. He gained fame as a member of the synth-rock band Yellow Magic Orchestra. Throughout his career, he collaborated with various artists including David Sylvian and appeared in films such as Merry Christmas, Mr Lawrence alongside David Bowie.
Sakamoto's musical talent extended to film scores as well. He won an Academy Award for his score to the 1987 film The Last Emperor directed by Bernardo Bertolucci. Additionally, he composed soundtracks for Pedro Almodovar's High Heels and Oliver Stone's Wild Palms. Sakamoto was married to Japanese pianist and singer Akiko Yano with whom he collaborated on some recordings.
Aside from his musical achievements, Ryuichi Sakamoto was also known for being critical of copyright law which he believed to be outdated in the information age. His legacy lives on through his daughter Miu Sakamoto who is also involved in the music industry under the alias Sister M.

Originally released in 2005, Insen is the second collaboration album between Alva Noto and Ryuichi Sakamoto and the second installment of V.I.R.U.S.'s five albums series.

Remastered in 2021 in collaboration with Calyx Studio, the album's recordings are accompanied by an unreleased composition titled 'Barco.’ Initially composed for Alva Noto and Ryuichi Sakamoto's 2005 ‘Insen' tour, the audio material used in this piece is based on the subtle sounds of Barco projectors, whose tonalities served as a ground for the artists' live improvisation. 

In Insen, Alva Noto and Ryuichi Sakamoto explore the potential for interaction and tension between electronic and acoustic instrumentation. Across eight compositions, the echoes of the cascading piano combine, collide, and dissolve with the tapestry of digital breakages in sheer vibrancy. This relationship lies at the album's core. It subtly continues Vrioon's calm melancholia, becoming a vessel for all the emotions and memories nourished by the listener. As you hear the opening, lonesome notes of ‘Aurora,’ you realize that the pair have once again conceded an ambition to embed elaborate disciplines into an archetypal sound of soul-searching beauty.

Insen

Music GB

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