{"product_id":"book-104f","title":"Music Sets You Free","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eA bestseller in Japan, a remarkable reflection on making art, living life, and accepting death, from the legendary Ryuichi Sakamoto, the world-renowned musical genius and godfather of electronic music.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOne of Japan's most influential artists and composers, Ryuichi Sakamoto was a man of multitudes. Perhaps best known as the Oscar-winning composer of Bernardo Bertolucci's \u003ci\u003eThe Last Emperor\u003c\/i\u003e and a founder of the groundbreaking electronic music group Yellow Magic Orchestra, Sakamoto was a pop icon, an avant-garde visionary, a techno innovator, and a proud environmentalist. While his unique brilliance transcended mediums as well as borders, Sakamoto himself was curious about how he came to be the complex phenomenon known as \"Ryuichi Sakamoto”—a journey to answer the question, \"Why do I lead this life?\"\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eMusic Sets You Free\u003c\/i\u003e is the incredible chronicle of a life excitingly lived: an intimate, contemplative, and fascinating recounting of his life story as a musical journey, from his first childhood encounter with a piano to his rise as a global pop star and award-winning composer. Sakamoto's boundless curiosity led to myriad experiences: producing catchy yet experimental hits with YMO, starring with David Bowie in \u003ci\u003eMerry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence,\u003c\/i\u003e collaborating with pop geniuses such as David Byrne, Iggy Pop, and Brian Wilson, appearing in a Madonna music video, and even modeling for the Gap.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThroughout his career, Sakamoto was also a dedicated social activist, avidly protesting nuclear power in the wake of the Fukushima disaster, and restoring a tsunami-damaged piano for his 2017 album \u003ci\u003easync\u003c\/i\u003e. While the pain of surgeries and treatments left him both emotionally and physically vulnerable in his later life, Sakamoto pushed through the pain to record his final artistic evolution into more avant-garde work after a transformative trip to Greenland during which he witnessed the effects of global warming first-hand.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eMusic Sets You Free \u003c\/i\u003eis both a self-reflective testament and thought-provoking meditation on life, mortality, and the enduring power of art. It is the memoir of a visionary whose life and work embodied the aphorism \u003ci\u003eArs Longa, Vita Brevis\u003c\/i\u003e (“Art is long, life is short”). The final published work from a creative genius, it is a rare and lasting performance in words that beautifully accompanies Sakamoto's eternal, moving performances in music.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTranslated from the Japanese by Sam Bett\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"HarperCollins","offers":[{"title":"Audio CD","offer_id":66623658524976,"sku":"ZE104f","price":55.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Audio MP3-CD","offer_id":66623658557744,"sku":"ZM104f","price":45.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Audiobook [BD]","offer_id":66623658590512,"sku":"BD104f","price":32.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0879\/2784\/9264\/files\/104f-Square-cover.jpg?v=1781174042","url":"https:\/\/downpour.com\/products\/book-104f","provider":"Downpour","version":"1.0","type":"link"}