Kraftwerk have paid tribute to the late Ryuichi Sakamoto with a cover of ‘Merry Christmas, Mr Lawrence’.
The German electronic pioneers performed the track at Fuji Rock Festival in the renowned composer’s home country of Japan.
Kraftwerk cover “Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence” in tribute to Ryuichi Sakamoto at Fuji Rock 2024 pic.twitter.com/BknIo3TsRp
— Patrick St. Michel (@mbmelodies) July 27, 2024
‘Merry Christmas, Mr Lawrence’ is taken from the 1983 war film of the same name, whose soundtrack was the first that Sakamoto created in his illustrious career. Indeed, his soundtrack has been credited as one of the key reasons the film went on to become a cult classic despite mixed reviews from critics.
Sakamoto also starred in the film alongside David Bowie, which was based on the experiences of Sir Laurens van der Post, a prisoner of war in Java during World War II.
Sakamoto died in March 2023 at the age of 71, having been diagnosed with cancer for the second time in a decade. Sakamoto was originally diagnosed with throat cancer in 2014, which is now in remission, but shared details of a rectal cancer in 2021.
