(Milan Records)

In 2017, pioneering avant-garde composer Ryuichi Sakamoto returned with his first solo album of new material in eight years, and since being diagnosed with throat cancer in 2014 (he did contribute soundtrack work to films such as

The record was a triumphant assemblage of ambient textures that ranged from gentle piano compositions to synthesized landscapes to collages of nature sounds and electronics. While the album received critical acclaim, the biggest testament to its success might be the incredible array of renowned electronic artists who contributed to this compilation of remixes. Sakamoto’s Japanese countryman Cornelius dissolves “Zure” into abstract washes of synthesizers, while Venezuelan producer Arca stretches the track “Async” apart and adds operatic singing. Some of the fun moments come when two producers tackle the same song. The Gothic “Andata” is made into a gentle piano and keyboard duet by Oneohtrix Point Never; Electric Youth transforms the same composition into a pulsing club track. Fennesz and Jóhann Jóhannsson both take a turn with “Solari,” and true to the aesthetic that each artist honed over the years, the former imbues it with warmer textures while Jóhannsson (who died in February) brings out cooler tones. In spite of all this, what’s remarkable about the compilation is how uniform it sounds; that’s a testament to the sturdiness of Sakamoto’s compositions and the respectfulness of the various treatments. — Robert Ker