Isao Tomita Has Died At The Age Of 84

[foosnark]

I may have just ordered 4 CDs from a Japanese importer while listening to Snowflakes Are Dancing and remembering how much I miss this music. It'd be 5 but I think I have a copy of Firebird on CD.

[Whoomph]

In 1985 I was 15, I worked the summer holidays to save for my first synth. I wanted a Dx7 but couldn't afford one. I could however afford a Casio CZ1000(Cosmo). Back then Casio had a reputation for selling home/family toylike keyboards with factory presets only and usually pretty lame built in drum patterns. So when I would show my CZ to people they would always ask me to show them the drum patterns of which there weren't any! I would then relish in educating them to the fact that firstly, it wasn't a toy! And secondly the CZ was a fully programable synth with which I could make my own unique sounds and that it was used in lots of commercial tracks by artists such as New Order, Vince Clarke, Jean Michel Jarre and Isao Tomita. Thanks for that Mr Tomita, and for all the wonderful music. Again, RIP and condolences to family and friends.

[4damind]

Some of the first electronic album I've listened and liked.... "PIctures at an exhibition" in the middle of the 70th. It was some years before Jarre released Oxygene.

Rest in peace Tomita and thanks for your music and inspiration.

(full album of "Pictures At An Exhibtion")
https://videopress.com/v/SElifq26

[annode]

Crap! How did I miss this!
I have three of his albums...vinyl that is. I'm just now reading of his death.
Today, listening to an ambient electronics radio show from Finland, they were playing all Tomita. I don't speak the language so I didn't understand it was a tribute in his memory. They played 'The Planets' also. I noticed how damn good the quality was. I own the LP and CD and both are poor quality compared to this 'must be' remix/remaster! I read about his death while searching for this unknown remix. I haven't found it yet, but if there is one recently remixed, it's amazing and you hear everything crystal clear! I know every note/sound and this was different.

It pisses me off that I didn't hear this from ANY of the many ambient radio shows I listen to.

Isao Tomita (RBMA Tokyo 2014 Lecture)

(his English is weak so it gets pretty boring and you don't learn much but worth a view)

[Vintage73]

Kosmos was my first foray into electronic music when my dad bought it for me on record back in the '70s.

[annode]

Apparently his catalog was remastered in Japan 2007 !
https://www.discogs.com/Isao-Tomita-%E5 ... se/7578850
or
http://www.tower.com/planets-remastered ... ct_details

Listen to this;

[ZeePok]

 
I was gobsmacked when I heard "A Sea named Solaris". This was a true spiritual experience for me!

He also introduced me to "The Firebird Suite" from Stravinski. The original has become one of my favourite classical pieces.