Ryuichi Sakamoto

Another Sakamoto smorgasbord of sound, with French rap one moment and the theme to High Heels ("Song Lines") the next. The album's centerpiece is "Heartbeat (Tainai Kaiki II)," one of two collaborations with vocalist David Sylvian. This brooding, tense ballad pre-dates trip-hop by a number of years -- but all of its noirish, otherworldly elements are in place.