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10.0
95795
10.0 |
Mixmag
It’s arguably the most beautiful record you’ll hear this year
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9.0
95429
9.0 |
The Quietus
async is a testament to a lifelong preoccupation with life itself – to examination beyond introspection, and to a world not so much beyond our own but ever so slightly out of phase
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9.0
95433
9.0 |
Exclaim
To hear his 65-year-old fingers slide across the keyboard again is a privilege we can't take for granted
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8.7
95830
8.7 |
Paste Magazine
The majority of async is focused on its soothing qualities
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8.5
96013
8.5 |
Under The Radar
The musical language of Ryuichi Sakamoto is esoteric and also innately relatable. Ultimately, it is beautiful
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8.0
95428
8.0 |
PopMatters
Plenty of spoken word samples find their way into async as well, adding even more layers of sonic curiosities
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8.0
95434
8.0 |
Mojo
The sounds of surrounding life collaborating with art. Print edition only
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8.0
95464
8.0 |
Pitchfork
The Japanese composer's first solo album after eight years and a battle with throat cancer is marvelous, using a bounty of textures, moods, and ambience from his esteemed four-decade-long career
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8.0
95743
8.0 |
The Arts Desk
There are a very few musicians who could bring experimental techniques and a pop sensibility to the same project
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8.0
95431
8.0 |
All Music
Async is certainly not one of Sakamoto's most accessible albums, but if the listener is willing to devote several listens until it all makes sense, it ends up being quite powerful
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8.0
95432
8.0 |
Resident Advisor
An album that speaks only in its own hushed, private tones
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7.5
95430
7.5 |
A.V. Club
A beautiful experiment, one that yields its own meditative, cinematic pleasures
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7.0
95981
7.0 |
Spectrum Culture
At 65, Sakamoto still approaches music-making with a childish delight
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