The late composer Ryuichi Sakamoto's autobiography has been announced. Titled Music Sets You Free: A Memoir, the book combines translations of two earlier Japanese works and is scheduled for release on September 22.
Publishers HarperVia, an imprint of HarperCollins, confirmed the announcement on June 9. The volume draws on Sakamoto's accounts of his early encounters with the piano, his time as a global pop star, and his reflections on music and mortality after cancer treatments. Sakamoto died in 2023 at age 71. He first gained prominence as a member of the electronic band Yellow Magic Orchestra and later scored films including The Last Emperor, Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence and The Revenant. The publisher described the memoir as an intimate account produced with the support of Sakamoto's estate. It will appear in a translation by Sam Bett.