Ryuichi Sakamoto’s Solo Piano Concert… Live on a Sunday afternoon, followed by Christmas drinks – Sunday 11th December 2022

Melbourne’s weather was certainly living up to its reputation… when we commenced the event it was a sunny and warm 28 degrees at 1PM and by 6:30PM when we opened the door to look outside the cocoon it was 12 degrees and raining!
What had held our attention for those few hours in between was a wonderful escape to Tokyo by means of the “innernet” to join Ryuichi Sakamoto playing his most favourite pieces of solo piano works in the mighty NHK Studios.
For the 26 guests who had jammed themselves into Room 1 with the Ypsilon / Wilson Benesch Eminence / Stage III Concepts system were able to enjoy a projected view into the art of Sakamoto.

He played several key pieces from his prior work including an encore featuring the main theme from the Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence movie which co-starred David Bowie and Ryuchi Sakamoto as a figurative binary star facing destructive forces in a wartime setting. Arguably one of his best works. Ryuichi Sakamoto has lived many musical lives in his nearly 70 years. Unlikely we will see him tour again live in Australia so the chance to experience the music in a live context was a privilege. Some great feedback from the listeners and from Paul and Mark’s perspective the silence in the room during the live stream was a sure sign the music had weaved a magic spell. For those unable to attend the event (we normally cap out at 16!) we can highly recommend Ryuchi’s upcoming new album release called “12” due out Jan 17, 2023.

After the main event we enjoyed some festive cheer and broke out a few LP’s of Sakamoto’s work (Thank you Derek B for some very rare finds!) ending up in some 80’s Simple Minds and The The Mind Bomb – you never know where the song lines lead…

This was the last event for 2022 at Nirvana Sound and a fitting forum for the attendees to meet Paul Astbury – our new team member at Nirvana Sound. Paul’s long history in the audio industry working with leading Japanese brands has allowed him to enjoy Japanese culture and life on his many visits there for work. Paul will be a great resource for our customers to work with day to day and his knowledge of jazz and broader music genres a welcome addition to Mark’s Synth Brittania obsessions. We are all excited about some new developments in Loudspeaker and Amplifier technology (highlighting some real innovation in design) landing at Nirvana in early 2023. We’re currently preparing for some international shows in Europe in early 2023 and are genuinely excited about the opportunities these present to experience new brands and synergies.

As we look back on 2022 we are grateful for your support and friendship and from all of us at Nirvana Sound wish you all the very best as we see out 2022 and see in a new era in 2023. I’m sure all of you will join us in conveying a huge thanks to Sophie who has provided outstanding hospitality and support for us all at 2022’s Nirvana Sound events. We look forward to providing more fun and informative music nights in 2023 which celebrate the importance of connection and shared musical experiences.

A HUGE thank you from:
George, Jim, Sophie, Mark and Paul.