Ryuichi Sakamoto has shared two new songs that were made for the Netflix anime series Exception – listen below.
The two songs – ‘Opening for ‘Exception’’ and ‘Oxygen’ – soundtrack the new space horror anime series, which is based on a new story by Hirotaka Adachi.
The series is due to launch globally on October 14, with ‘Exception (Soundtrack From the Netflix Anime Series)’ out on the same day via Milan Records.
The official synopsis of the series reads: “In the distant future, humanity has been forced to leave Earth and migrate to another galaxy. A spacecraft is sent to a planet to terraform it and the crew is created one by one by a biological 3D printer.
“However, a fatal error occurs during the creation of one of the members. The crew then begins to encounter a series of unpredictable events.”
Speaking of his contributions in a press statement (via Pitchfork), Sakamoto said: “I wanted to make the main theme a symphonic piece—the kind that has become a staple in science fiction since Star Wars.”
He continued: “As for the soundtrack as a whole, I worked towards keeping it darkly ambient, wanting it to feel like one piece of music rather than separated by scene. That said, I did include a degree of harsh sounds in the fighting scenes. Overall, I was able to make a soundtrack I like very much.”
Last year, the composer and founder of the Yellow Magic Orchestra was diagnosed with cancer for the second time in a decade.
Sakamoto was originally diagnosed with throat cancer in 2014, and detailed his new diagnosis of rectal cancer in January 2021, stating his ambition to still make music “for a little while longer” while “living alongside cancer”.
“I was relieved after the throat cancer that I had in 2014 went into remission after six years,” he wrote. “However, unfortunately, I have been diagnosed with cancer again—this time, rectal cancer. The news was disheartening, but thanks to the excellent doctors I met, the surgery I underwent was a success. I am now undergoing treatment.”