Anyone familiar with Ryuichi Sakamoto’s work knows that the Japanese composer has a truly unique approach to music and is a master of evoking emotions through his writing and production. For his latest project, Sakamoto, who is known for scoring the soundtrack to The Revenant in 2015 and winning and Academy Award for Best Original Score on The Last Emperor in 1987, embarked on composing music for Luca Guadagnino’s short film entitled The Staggering Girl. While the breathtaking soundtrack is out now on Milan Records, one of the standouts from the set is the absolutely stunning piece “Dance – Ambient Version.”
The Staggering Girl features a story of Francesca, the daughter of acclaimed German-Roman painter Sophia Moretti, as she returns to her Italian childhood home where she confronts painful memories in the quest for fulfillment. Sakamoto expresses these complex emotions with particular grace on “Dance – Ambient Version.” The piece is built on repeating pulse notes reminiscent of the works of Steve Reich, while gorgeous string melodies glide over the top, aligning with the poignant harmonic movement. With this piece, as is the case of the entire soundtrack, Sakamoto proves once again to be a visionary composer whose music elevates film while also standing on its own musical merit.
The Staggering Girl (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is available to stream or download here.
Connect with Ryuichi Sakamoto: Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Website | Spotify