Quotes by Composers

Conceptually, I am open to mistakes - errors, actually. I do play lots of wrong notes while I am making some music, and a mistake or a wrong note is like a gift for me: 'Oh, wow, an unknown sound or an unknown harmony. I didn't know about this.' Ryuichi Sakamoto

Music Me Mistake Gift Mistakes Unknown Harmony Wow Some About Open Wrong Like Know Making Sound Am Lots Errors Oh While Note Notes Play Actually

I went to see one of those pianos drowned in tsunami water near Fukushima and recorded it. Of course, it was totally out of tune, but I thought it was beautiful. I thought, 'Nature tuned it.' Ryuichi Sakamoto

Beautiful Nature Water Thought Those Out See Totally Recorded Pianos Drowned Course Tune Tuned Near

My main interest in synthesizers when I was an older teenager was to escape from the spell of the 12-tone system or, in a more broad sense, the spell of the European modern-music system. That led me to explore towards electronic music and ethnic music. Ryuichi Sakamoto

Music Me Sense Older Spell Teenager Broad System More Main Towards Led Escape Interest Ethnic Explore European Electronic Electronic Music

You're changing every day, right? Your curiosities and ambitions change, your ear changes, the music you like changes - and the music you want to make, too. Ryuichi Sakamoto

Music Day You Change Every Day Ambition Every Too Changes Changing Like Make Curiosities Want Your Right Ear

An artist's initial broad stroke is always most impactful, and obsessively adding layer upon layer of paint to fill in details often diminishes the painting's aura. When an aura is lost, it is impossible to get back. Ryuichi Sakamoto

Impossible Lost Painting Adding Back Broad Diminishes Stroke Details Layer Most Always Aura Get Artist Often Paint Initial Fill

I'm very shy about seeing my own face on the screen. Ryuichi Sakamoto

Face Own Seeing About My Own Very Screen Shy

Although I don't understand Russian, I like the sound. Ryuichi Sakamoto

Russian Like Although Understand Sound

I was aware of that theme of mortality in my music since around 2009. The decaying and the disappearance of the piano sound is very much symbolic of life and mortality. It's not sad. I just meditate about it. Ryuichi Sakamoto

Sad Life Music About Piano Disappearance Mortality Since Around Sound Very Decaying Just Theme Much Aware Symbolic Meditate

We musicians often get inspiration from films and books or photographs, not only by music. Ryuichi Sakamoto

Music Musicians Films Books Photographs Only Inspiration Get Often

I've realised that if it is to remain relevant, contemporary music needs to change. Ryuichi Sakamoto

Music Needs Change Relevant Remain Contemporary Contemporary Music Realised

I wanted to hear sounds of everyday objects - even musical instruments - as things. Ryuichi Sakamoto

Everyday Musical Objects Instruments Sounds Hear Wanted Even Things

I always think about music horizontally and vertically at the same time. Ryuichi Sakamoto

Music Time Think About Always Vertically Same Same Time

For making music for myself, I just need to be happy. I'm the producer, the director, and the listener. Ryuichi Sakamoto

Music Myself Be Happy Director Happy Making Listener Just Producer Need

Without the knowledge of music, it would be very hard to write film music. There are so many films, and each one has a different historical background and everything. Ryuichi Sakamoto

Music Knowledge Films Everything Background Would Would-Be Write Without Historical Very Different Hard Many Each Film Each One Film Music

My concept when making music is that there is no border between music and noise. Ryuichi Sakamoto

Music Noise Border Between Concept Making

Playing in London in 1979 was exciting: it was at the start of new wave, the transition period after punk, and there were a lot of radical, fashionable young people on the streets and in the venues. Ryuichi Sakamoto

People Punk Young Radical Wave London Exciting New Period Venues Were Lot After Young People Transition Fashionable Streets Start Playing

For me, change doesn't happen on a linear basis; it zig-zags back and forth. Ryuichi Sakamoto

Me Change Back Linear Happen Forth Basis

When I imagine some music in my mind, almost automatically, I imagine the piano keys. Ryuichi Sakamoto

Music Mind Keys Some Piano Almost Automatically Imagine

I know Brazilian music. I have worked with Brazilians many times. Ryuichi Sakamoto

Music Know Times Brazilian Brazilian Music Worked Many

Playing jazz in restaurants is too stereotypical. Ryuichi Sakamoto

Jazz Too Restaurants Stereotypical Playing

Japan used to be an animistic society before Shinto imperialism was established. But most of us still have an animistic sense. Ryuichi Sakamoto

Before Sense Society Imperialism Most Still Established Japan Us Used