I have always wanted to see Ryuichi Sakamoto live.
Unfortunately, the Japanese composer, keyboardist, record producer, actor, musician and 1988 Academy Award winner for Best Original Score for The Last Emperor, passed away in 2023, and so, seeing him live became a pipe dream.
However, this year in a Melbourne exclusive as part of Asia TOPA, proudly presented by Asia TOPA and Arts Centre Melbourne, comes KAGAMI by Ryuichi Sakamoto and Tin Drum, and thanks to KAGAMI, seeing the late celebrated Japanese composer is made possible.
What is KAGAMI?
KAGAMI, meaning ‘mirror’ in Japanese, is a groundbreaking mixed-reality concert event. The footage for KAGAMI was created by Ryuichi Sakamoto and Tin Drum before the legendary composer passed away. Filmed from all angles while playing his magnificent compositions on a black grand Yamaha piano, with help of technology and some pretty cool goggles, Ryuichi Sakamoto is brought back to life, summoned right before your very eyes to play just for you.
Prior to the concert experience, patrons are welcomed into a room entered through a white archway created from hanging material. The room consists of large photos of Sakamoto during special moments of his life that are displayed on the walls. This included a video where footage is shown of Ryuichi Sakamoto in different scenes, but all trying to capture sound via nature. There’s one clip shown where Sakamoto is seen in an icy environment while holding a cable and recorder through a gap in the ice, so that he can focus on recording the trickling water, amusingly sharing, “I’m fishing the sound.”
On the floor at the centre of this room is a quote from 2023 by Ryuichi Sakamoto in a white glowing circle that states, “There is, in reality, a virtual me. This virtual me will not age, and will continue to play the piano for years, decades, centuries.” The quote then goes on to wonder what there will be centuries from now, “Will there be empathy there? Empathy that spans hundreds of thousands of years. Ah, but the batteries won’t last that long.”
It wasn’t long before patrons were collectively called to enter the concert room. Within it, there’s a row of black chairs in a circular space. We’re told to take a seat, and staff would come find us to provide us with our tech goggles. Testing out the technology to make sure it works, we’re asked if we can see a red square clearly at the centre of the room, and I could! I then found myself excitedly waiting in anticipation for the main event. When the room darkened and Ryuichi Sakamoto appeared at its centre to play on the piano, clouds began to form and moved around him during the song ‘Before Long’, and I found myself stunned and holding my breath.
I had expected Sakamoto just to appear with his piano and play for us, but what I had not expected were the incredible visuals that accompanied Sakamoto while he played. There were clouds, branches of trees, autumn leaves, waterdrops, petals, snow, bubbles, and I often found myself reaching out to try catch a number of these with my hands. Everything that manifested around me continued the theme of nature that we had seen from Sakamoto in the previous room just before. Ryuichi Sakamoto wasn’t just focusing entirety on playing the piano either, stopping briefly to talk to us folk lucky to be in the same room about a couple of his songs.
It was divine to hear Sakamoto’s compositions including ‘Energy Flow’ and ‘The Last Emperor’, but it was even more incredible to be able to watch him play these compositions. Sakamoto’s delicate finger work on the keys of the piano and the way he would lean into the piano more during the exquisite heartbreaking moments of his pieces was mesmerising, particularly with the song ‘BB’ which he shared to the Melbourne audience that he wrote 5 minutes after learning the death of his friend, Italian director and screenwriter Bernardo Bertolucci, whom he had worked with on The Last Emperor.
Although patrons were encouraged to walk around the room and to study the visual spectacle, the way that the technology is created to conjure Sakamoto meant that no view was obstructed. You could see everything. Somehow, the people around you disappeared, and you’re left to marvel in the magic around you, with Ryuichi Sakamoto appearing to play his beautiful music – especially for you.
I felt moved and very emotional during this experience, my tears only prevented by the goggles, and this feeling remained long after Sakamoto played his final note and disappeared as quickly as he came. There’s something just so wonderful about letting a musician continue their legacy long after they’re gone. Life may be finite, but art can remain forever.
I found myself comparing the experience to other technological concerts I’ve been to, including Hololive and Hatsune Miku. These kind of concerts experiences are by no means replacements of live concerts; it is simply another way of accessing and enjoying music. The potential for Tin Drum’s full dimensional film for other artists works is limitless. I couldn’t help but think how fantastic it would be if other artists embraced this format like Ryuichi Sakamoto passionately has. Imagine if Joe Hisaishi did the same but instead of themes of nature, it would be the animations and characters from Studio Ghibli running around in the room?
My favourite moment of KAGAMI was when Ryuichi Sakamoto played ‘Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence’ composed for the 1983 film of the same name which had Sakamoto star alongside the late great David Bowie. Admittedly, I’ve not seen the film but it’s on my watch list now, thanks to this gorgeous composition and the visuals that Tin Drum created to accompany Sakamoto.
The room filled with stars around us, including on the floor. Well, there was no floor. We were in space! Ryuichi Sakamoto was playing on top of our planet (that’s right, Planet Earth) while the stars and galaxies that appeared, surrounded and embraced us. For anyone who has ever dreamt of going to space, this moment was by far an out of body experience. When the song concluded, my partner excited exclaimed to me, “Did you see the Milky Way!?!?”.
KAGAMI is a captivating audio and visual immersive masterpiece. I felt we had ventured to many special places in Sakamoto’s heart, all while never actually leaving the room. The experience may have lasted just an hour, but honestly, what Ryuichi Sakamoto and Tin Drum have gifted to the world will stay with me for the rest of my days. Wow.
KAGAMI is a Melbourne exclusive and is currently on at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC) until March 16th.
For more information and ticketing, visit:
https://www.asiatopa.com.au/event/kagami
KAGAMI Setlist Spotify Playlist
Photography supplied by Arts Centre Melbourne.
