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Following the recent news of Milan Records releasing Ryuichi Sakamoto’s score for the film Nagasaki: Memories of My Son on September 23rd, the label today announces that Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence — the 1983 World War II Nagisa Ôshima film starring David Bowie and Ryuichi Sakamoto, with an incredible score by Ryuichi Sakamoto — is getting the deluxe vinyl reissue treatment as a part of the Nicolas Winding Refn Presents series on October 21st. It is the 5th release in director’s curated series (other titles included It Follows, Robocop, The Terminator, Oldboy).

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The reissue features original artwork designed by famous Belgian illustrator Laurent Durieux. The vinyl includes the entire score on 180gm pressed vinyl, 1 LP housed in a tip-on gatefold w/ download card, and features the entire score by Ryuichi Sakamoto and the vocal theme “Forbidden Colours” featuring David Sylvian on vocals. Head to Pitchfork for the full details on the reissue, as well as the stunning Sakamoto track “Ghost” from Nagasaki: Memories of My Son.

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Nagasaki: Memories of My Son’s thought-provoking and often times deeply hued music is shaded both by Japan’s history, as well as the human relationships in flux within its borders. Yoji Yamada, the writer-director of Nagasaki: Memories of My Son and legend of Japanese cinema, along with Japanese acting star Sayuri Yoshinaga, a national star and veteran actor, both occupy a significant portion of the Japanese consciousness, deeply influencing generations of people in the post-war period. Ryuichi Sakamoto was no exception. Born in 1952, Sakamoto was a big fan of them both as well as a past collaborator with Yoshinaga from time to time. So, when the two legends approached him for the film, he emphatically agreed to join the project. His score evokes a nostalgic landscape of the humble everyday life of Japanese people while successfully paying homage to the film music of the Golden Age of Japanese Cinema.

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01 Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence
02 Batavia
03 Germination
04 A Hearty Breakfast
05 Before The War
06 The Seed and The Sower
07 A Brief Encounter
08 Ride, Ride, Ride (Cellier’s Brother’s Song)
09 The Fight
10 Father Christmas
11 Dismissed
12 Assembly
13 Beyond Reason
14 Sowing The Seed
15 23rd Psalm
16 Last Regrets
17 Ride, Ride, Ride
18 The Seed
19 Forbidden Colors (vocals by David Sylvian)

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