Thundercat, Devonté Hynes, and more honor Ryuichi Sakamoto on To the Moon and Back
13 artists rework iconic tracks from across the 70-year-old icon’s vast catalog on the new album.
Left to right: Thundercat, photo by Quinn Dunziela; Ryuichi Sakamoto, photo by Tiziana Fabi/AFP via Getty Images; Devonté Hynes, photo by Nicholas Hunt via Getty Images.
A Tribute to Ryuichi Sakamoto - To the Moon and Back has arrived two days early. Originally slated for a December 2 release, the record is now live on all major streaming platforms. It comprises 13 reworks of songs by legendary musical multi-hyphenate Ryuichi Sakamoto from 13 different artists, including Thundercat, Devonté Hynes (Blood Orange), Fennesz, Cornelius, David Sylvian, and Sakamoto’s frequent collaborator Alva Noto.
Led by Thundercat’s cover of Sakamoto’s 1978 classic “Thousand Knives,” the record was announced after Sakamoto shared the tragic news that the rectal cancer he’d been battling with since January 2021 (his second cancer diagnosis) had progressed to stage four in June. On January 17, he’ll share 12, his first official studio LP since 2017’s async, though he’s scored nine films in the interim.
Listen to A Tribute to Ryuichi Sakamoto - To the Moon and Back below.