Ryuichi Sakamoto’s Impact on EDM
Ryuichi Sakamoto and “Riot in Lagos” impact on EDM is due to his revolutionary vision that gives birth to groundbreaking music. He makes truly amazing music that is timeless, beautiful, and moving. This episode is a perfect follow-up to last week’s episode on Electro and Electro-Funk because Sakamoto released some of the earliest Electro ever made! I also thought that since Sakamoto died just over a month ago, this would be a timely piece to honor him.
Ryuichi Sakamoto is responsible for producing what is often considered the first electronic Breaks, or Electro song ever. That song is “Riot in Lagos”, released early in 1980. It beat out Kraftwerk, “Numbers”, by nearly a year. We’ll take a serious look at the song, and what it was sampled, remixed, and covered in. I have a copy of the record myself and still regularly play it in current Breaks and Electro sets. It truly is a piece of timeless music 40 years before its time, as it sounds like it could be released today!
The early 1980s set the groundwork for the still evolving Breaks and Electro scenes. We touched on this in last week’s episode about Electro, Electro-Funk, and the Jonzun Crew. Makes sense to continue exploring the roots of that genre with this episode. Ryuichi Sakamoto impact on this scene is huge, both by himself and as a member of the Yellow Magic Orchestra. His work set the stage for so much amazing music in the future.
Ryuichi Sakamoto Bio
Ryuichi Sakatmoto is a Japanese musician, actor, and composer. Yes, I said actor. Not only does he produce the scores for movies, but he has been acclaimed for his acting in movies. He won several major awards for his scores to the films Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence (1983) and The Last Emperor (1987), both of which he had starring roles in. He has remained productive composing music for films, television series, video games, and art installations. Sakamoto is one-third of the band Yellow Magic Orchestra, which with him set the groundwork for Electro, Techno, and Synth Pop in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
Sakamoto was born in 1952 and learned to skillfully play the piano by age three. During high school he was in several Jazz bands. He then studied Electronic Music at Tokyo’s University of Art. After leaving college he formed Yellow Magic Orchestra. In 1978 he released his first solo album and then two years later released “B-2 Unit”, which had the song “Riot in Lagos” on it. It’s a tasty slice of Electro-Funk that broke new ground!
All through the 1980, 1990s, and 2000s he was active in releasing solo albums. He became very well known and respected for his work composing movie scores, which won him and Oscar and a Grammy. Hi last album, “12”, was released early in 2023. He passed away on March 28, 2023 after protracted fight with cancer. His legacy is one of innovation, vision, and experimentation.
“Riot in Lagos”
For me, his most influential work is “Riot in Lagos” due to the enormous impact it had on the future of Electronic Dance Music. It was the first! No other electronic music like it had ever been made. It was the first true Electro or electronic Breaks song ever made. His vision made a song that is so timeless, it could be released today and still be relevant! It was actually remastered and reissued in 2019. Let’s take a listen!
You can pick up a copy of this song on 12-inch single from Discogs:
https://www.discogs.com/release/74587-Riuichi-Sakamoto-Riot-In-Lagos
“Riot in Lagos” not only was the first, but it is superb. It has been sampled, covered, and remixed a good number of times. Sampled in 3 songs, covered in 3 songs, and remixed 5 times. We’ll explore an example of each way it was used. It may not be as prolifically sampled as some other songs, but that’s not where its true impact lies. The impact is in the creation of an entirely new genre of dance music – Electro.
Electro Electro Techno, Breaks and some Drum N Bass are all with us because of Sakamoto’s vision. Him and other originators, like Kraftwerk, developed a totally new sound in dance music! Let’s take a look at some of the songs directly impacted by “Riot in Lagos”!
Riot in Lagos Impact Through Sampling
In the search to find the Riot in Lagos impact on music, let’s first look at an example of how his song was used when it is used as a sample. As I stated earlier, it is sampled in 3 songs. The song we’re going to listen to today samples multiple elements, which are pretty apparent. It is a Drum-N-Bass song by Foul Play called “Being With You”. The song was released in 1994. Take a listen!
You can purchase a copy of the song on 12-inch single at Discogs. It is quite expensive!
https://www.discogs.com/release/84203-Foul-Play-Vol-4
Riot in Lagos Impact Through Covers
In many cases, covers and remixes of a song can bear some similarity. There are some sounds used in both, but overall that is not the case here with “Riot in Lagos”. “Riot in Lagos” was cover 3 times. Once in 1980, once in 2006, and once in 2012. Two of the covers, the one from 1980 and the one from 2006, were done by groups that included Ryuichi Sakamoto in its members. Therefore, we’re going to listen to the other one. It still sounds very much like the original, but cranks up the bleeps and boings to make it even more “video game” sounding. The cover is done by Atom in 2012. It is on a Ryuichi Sakamoto Tribute album produced by various artists. Take a listen!
The album is available only on CD, but is available on Discogs:
https://www.discogs.com/release/3357518-Various-Ryuichi-Sakamoto-Tribute
Riot in Lagos Impact Through Remixes
Our last subset to explore is the remixes of “Riot in Lagos”. This is where the best versions of the song shine. There are multiple very good remixes. They are all done by accomplished artists. There are ones by Plaid, Swag, Future Forces Inc, Buckfunk 3000, and Tao. Here we will look at my favorite, although I do really like them all. My favorite is the one by Plaid. They take a futuristic Breaks approach to their remix. It’s a bit of mutant space Funk! Take a listen!
You can pick up a copy of the remix EP with mixes by Plaid and Buckfunk 3000 on Discogs:
https://www.discogs.com/release/69690-Tao-Riot-In-Lagos-Remixes-Part-1
Conclusion
Ryuichi Sakamoto’s “Riot in Lagos” impact has been huge. It is the first electronic Break, or Electro song ever. In 1980 it released and set the stage for an evolution in music that continues today! The syncopated, funky rhythm of Breaks has been a favorite of mine since the first time I heard them in the early 1980s. While “Riot in Lagos” impact on the surface is a collection of sampled songs, covers, and remixes, the reality is far more reaching! It changed the face of music!
We hope you have enjoyed this episode on Edge of EDM on the history of Electronic Dance Music! If I were you, I’d do some additional listening and exploration in the world of Breaks and Electro. There’s so much great music available that is waiting to be discovered. Keep your curiosity alive and never stop learning! Learning about music and its roots is fun! If you want to learn a little more about Electro, check out the episodes on Electro-Funk and the Jonzun Crew and the one on Kraftwerk. Both are linked below!
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