Ryuichi Sakamoto - Tony Takitani (2007)

Soundtrack to the film, "Tony Takitani", directed by the late Jun Ichikawa and narrated by Hidetoshi Nishijima. This is a collection of piano miniatures, mostly improvised by Ryuichi Sakamoto, that resonates with Haruki Murakami's short story of a man's discovery of newfound emotion and his desire to fill the void that permeates his life. Ichikawa's short film, of little over an hour, portrays this theme of absence through minimalist scenes inspired by Edward Hopper paintings that plays on space and lighting. Sakamoto's improvisations were played running against the film's near-final completion and edited as needed.