Ryuichi Sakamoto announces first new album in over five years

12 will be Sakamoto's first solo non-soundtrack album since 2017's async, and his 15th solo album overall, and is made up of 12 songs recorded during his two-and-a-half year battle with cancer across 2021 and 2022, with each song title reflecting a different date like that album is a diary.

Sakamoto says, "After I finally ‘came home’ to my new temporary housing after a big operation, I found myself reaching for the synthesiser. I had no intention of composing something; I just wanted to be showered in sound. I’ll probably continue to keep this kind of ‘diary'.."

Prior to 12, Sakamoto released the score for Netflix's Exception. In December there's a Sakamoto tribute album arriving featuring contributions from Thundercat, Devonté Hynes, Hildur Guðnadóttir, The Cinematic Orchestra and more.

Tracklist:

1. 20210310
2. 20211130
3. 20211201
4. 20220123
5. 20220202
6. 20220207
7. 20220214
8. 20220302 - sarabande
9. 20220302
10. 20220307
11. 20220404
12. 20220304