Disco de Guano Apes: “Taboo [Original Soundtrack]”

Milan Records presents this awesome score of Sakamoto's for "Taboo" (Gohatto), from master filmmaker Nagisa Oshima with this revisionist Samurai epic...film is set in 1865 during critical times in Japanese history, a struggle between tradition and internationally minded government. With breath-taking cinematography by Toyomichi Kurita, takes on epic proportions with an outstanding cast of actors...this film was screened in competition at the 2000 Cannes Film Festival.

Our composer, Ryuichi Sakamoto who gave us - "The Last Emperor" (1987)(Academy Award Winner)..."The Sheltering Sky" (1990)..."High Heels" (1991)..."Tokyo Decadence" (1991)..."Little Buddha" (1993) and "Wild Palms" (1993)...is up for another challenge with this captivating score.

For "Taboo", Sakamoto uses every electronic sound from elaborate to technical for dramatic and mood swings for his cues...lightness in tone, softer, with mid-range support of counterpoints, rising and falling synthesized tones. The opening theme "GOHATTO" is almost mesmerizing...completely spell-binding with shades of outside control, very effective for Oshima's screenplay...the last two tracks "GOHATTO:END THEME" and "GOHATTO:PIANO VERSION" are simply superb.

Hats off to our friends at Milan for releasing this original score, as for my fellow "film-score-buffs", this is a keeper...and that's my final answer!

Total Time: 65:00 on 21 Tracks...Milan Records 35928...(2000)

I was fortunate enough to watch this movie at the Music Box Theatre here in Chicago. Besides the haunting look in Sozaburo's eyes, one could easily become transfixed by the well-penned Ryuichi Sakamoto soundtrack.

I own a few scores sketched by Sakamoto, but I can definitely tell you that this one easily took me to a dark place, in a most perplexing yet pleasurable way.

July 17th, 2001. I've had my copy for a few months now and I want to slap myself for only giving this cd 3 stars at first. It's a masterpiece that has inspired me to write my own soundtrack. I've since collected Mr. Sakamoto's "High Heels", "1996", "Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence" and they are treats. The striking stabs and minor riffs are indeed mood altering... and are the perfect match for what's happening visually in the film.

If you are able to go beyond the gay themes in the movie, hopefully you'll be able to see that sometimes beautiful things are evil in the way that they bring out the worst in us.