Kraftwerk pay tribute to Ryuichi Sakamoto with the cover of “Merry Christmas, Mr Lawrence”

Kraftwerk paid tribute to the late Ryuichi Sakamoto with a cover of “Merry Christmas, Mr Lawrence”.

The German electronic pioneers played the song at the Fuji Rock Festival in the renowned composer’s home country, Japan.

“Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence” is taken from the 1983 war film of the same name, whose soundtrack was the first one Sakamoto composed in his illustrious career. In fact, his soundtrack is considered one of the main reasons the film became a cult classic despite mixed reviews.

Sakamoto also starred alongside David Bowie in the film, which is based on the experiences of Sir Laurens van der Post, who was a prisoner of war in Java during World War II.

Listen to Kraftwerk’s version of “Merry Christmas, Mr Lawrence” below:

Kraftwerk cover “Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence” as a tribute to Ryuichi Sakamoto at Fuji Rock 2024 pic.twitter.com/BknIo3TsRp

— Patrick St. Michel (@mbmelodies) July 27, 2024

Sakamoto died in March 2023 at the age of 71 after being 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 in 2021 he shared details of rectal cancer.

A posthumous album called “Opus” is scheduled to be released on August 9. The album is taken from a “final, private piano concert” that the musician gave in 2022 at his NHK 509 studio in Tokyo. “Opus” contains reworked and reinterpreted songs from Sakamoto's career, including film music and songs by the Yellow Magic Orchestra.

Opus captures Sakamoto's final concert performance, which was shot in multiple sessions due to the musician's declining health. His son, Neo Sora, filmed the sessions and compiled them into a documentary of the same name. The film will premiere online on the Criterion Channel this Sunday (June 30) at 8:00 p.m. EST (1:00 a.m. BST). Following the streaming premiere, the documentary will be available exclusively on the Criterion Channel.

In a five-star review of the documentary NME shared: “It's one punch in the gut after another when you realize what it means when Sakamoto lets each note breathe until it fades away. The work presented is an Opus, and this is as intimate and human a concert film as you've ever seen. Like his recent posthumous mixed reality gigs in London and his final score for Monster, Opus is another priceless gift from a once-in-a-lifetime talent – and a reminder of what we've lost. Goodbye, Maestro – and thank you.”