Ryuichi Sakamoto - Left Handed Dream - POLL 'em to me!

Venezia is always the highlight for me, somehow his totally flat voice makes it catchier. like you don't even need a good voice to sell it

Ditto. The hook on Venezia is all time

My first time listening to this album so thank you for the tip!

The whole thing is superb, but even on my first listen, I was struck by one song in particular. The Garden of Poppies just has such an intense groove, those big drums, the drifting textures in the background.

But there's something so odd and off kiltre about it. Is it my imagination, or when the pitch changes from one drone to the next at around 3:38, does the beat also slow down? At first, I thought that he was slowing the tape down to alter the pitch. But the more I listen to it, I think no. It's just designed to *feel* like it goes a bit more dreamy during the break.

I think Venezia is the first appearance of Sakamoto's Perfected Synth Tone -- that glorious, luminous, echoing pearl of a sound -- right as the song begins, he lets it ring out and linger, as if to tell us: "LISTEN." I really love that moment. -- that same sound would be all over Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence, Illustrated Musical Encyclopedia, Aile de Honneamise, etc.

Ether, so glad you listened and liked it! The drums in The Garden of Poppies get me every time. I gotta listen in to the particular shift you're describing -- I think I can "picture it" in my mind, but I'm not positive.

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

I've had the drumbeat and bassline of The Garden of Poppies in my head for days, but voted for Boku no Kakera -- one of my all-time favorite sets of lyrics in a mystical arrangement.

Peak imperial Ryuichi in full on collab mode w Adrian Belew, Robin Scott of M and Hosono. I found this CD in a Borders Outlet back in the 90s so I always have slotted trouble separating it from the EP that’s appended to my issue.

But one worthwhile note there: there another song called The Left Bank which has the same music as Venezia but Scott singing a completely different melody in croony English. I’m not sure I prefer it but I do love that it exists. As I am that this photo shoot happened:

https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRbNXheD38auo7ypXnqMXFHeWg97ou-AdlIxw&s

https://www.electricityclub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Sakamoto-Scott-Belew-02.jpg

Hahaha! That's awesome.

To the photos, specifically -- I remember trying the Robin Scott versions and being dumbfounded by Scott's portions. Could use a relisten though, they were innaresting.

relistened to this album the other day - forgot how many cool beats were on this thing. its way poppier but ultimately not too dissimilar from B-2 Unit

Venezia still the best track. but there are probably 5 or 6 I'd feel okay voting for

I remember how after I found this CD, a bunch of hipster friends of mine were like, "Yeah but B-2 Unit is the one you really need." And ... honestly, notwithstanding the cool factor of Partridge and Bovell's involvement, I'm not sure B-2 Unit is the better record.

Wow, wild how much this album does NOT sound like 1981.

Ok, some of the second half does sound like 1981, but still pretty fresh.

the thing with B-2 Unit is some of it sounds wildly ahead of its time - people point to Riot in Lagos a lot but imo E3-A is almost more impressive, it nails the sound of Chiastic Slide-era Autechre nearly two decades early

imo this, B-2, and 1000 Knives are all of similar quality. this is probably my favorite of the 3 though.

Wow, wild how much this album does NOT sound like 1981.

Exactly my thoughts upon revisiting this.

sounding like 1981 is a plus in my book

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

Think I voted for Relâché but I’m not complaining.

Nice results!

My second pick woulda been Living in the Dark, sorry to see that one with 0. But I love some of these unexpected outlier picks. Kacha kucha nee, hell yes.

"Garden of Poppies" came up on shuffle and yeah crazy to think this came out the year of Computer World