12 (Ryuichi Sakamoto album)

12 has been noted to be an "unhurried" minimalist electronic album that features the "sound of him breathing as though engaged in strenuous activity" overlaid on "sparse piano pieces within electronic soundscapes imbued with a sobering weight."{{Cite web |last=Attard |first=Paul |date=2023-01-11 |title=Ryuichi Sakamoto '12' Review: A Stark Song Cycle About Mortality |url=https://www.slantmagazine.com/music/ryuichi-sakamoto-12-album-review/ |access-date=2023-03-07 |website=Slant Magazine |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |title=Ryuichi Sakamoto: 12 |url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/ryuichi-sakamoto-12/ |access-date=2023-03-07 |website=Pitchfork |language=en-US}}{{Cite news |date=2023-01-20 |title=Ryuichi Sakamoto: 12 album review — the sound of ongoing life |work=Financial Times |url=https://www.ft.com/content/e764cd3f-460f-4048-9738-03081b15084e |access-date=2023-03-07}}

{{Music ratings

| ADM = 7.9/10{{Cite web |title=12 by Ryuichi Sakamoto (reviews) |url=http://www.anydecentmusic.com/review/13514/Ryuichi-Sakamoto-12.aspx |access-date=January 23, 2023 |publisher=AnyDecentMusic?}}

| MC = 85/100{{Cite web |title=12 by Ryuichi Sakamoto Reviews and Tracks |url=https://www.metacritic.com/music/12/ryuichi-sakamoto |access-date=July 27, 2023 |publisher=Metacritic}}

| rev1 = AllMusic

| rev1score = {{Rating|3.5|5}}{{Cite web |last=Simpson |first=Paul |date=January 20, 2023 |title=Ryuichi Sakamoto – 12 Album Reviews, Songs & More |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/12-mw0003866256 |access-date=July 21, 2023 |work=Clash}}

| rev2 = Clash

| rev2score = 9/10{{Cite web |last=Roseblade |first=Nick |date=January 18, 2023 |title=Ryuichi Sakamoto – 12 |url=https://www.clashmusic.com/reviews/ryuichi-sakamoto-12 |access-date=January 23, 2023 |work=Clash}}

| rev3 = Financial Times

| rev3score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{Cite web |last=Hunter-Tilney |first=Ludovic |date=January 20, 2023 |title=Ryuichi Sakamoto: 12 album review — the sound of ongoing life |url=https://www.ft.com/content/e764cd3f-460f-4048-9738-03081b15084e |url-access=limited |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/RCxSh |archive-date=January 23, 2023 |access-date=January 23, 2023 |work=Financial Times}}{{cbignore}}

| rev4 = Loud and Quiet

| rev4score = 6/10{{Cite web |last=Younis |first=Reef |date=January 16, 2023 |title=Ryuichi Sakamoto – 12 |url=https://www.loudandquiet.com/reviews/ryuichi-sakatomo-12 |access-date=January 23, 2023 |work=Loud and Quiet}}

| rev5 = Pitchfork

| rev5score = 7.6/10{{Cite web |last=Arcand |first=Rob |date=January 17, 2023 |title=Ryuichi Sakamoto – 12 |url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/ryuichi-sakamoto-12 |access-date=January 23, 2023 |work=Pitchfork}}

| rev6 = The Skinny

| rev6score = {{Rating|5|5}}{{Cite web |last=Inglis |first=Tony |date=January 11, 2023 |title=Ryuichi Sakamoto – 12 |url=https://www.theskinny.co.uk/music/reviews/albums/ryuichi-sakamoto-12 |access-date=January 23, 2023 |work=The Skinny}}

| rev7 = Slant

| rev7score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{Cite web |last=Attard |first=Paul |date=January 11, 2023 |title=Ryuichi Sakamoto 12 Review: A Starkly Beautiful Song Cycle About Mortality |url=https://www.slantmagazine.com/music/ryuichi-sakamoto-12-album-review |access-date=January 23, 2023 |work=Slant}}

| rev8 = Spectrum Culture

| rev8score = 75%{{Cite web |last=Rega |first=Konstantin N. |date=January 23, 2023 |title=Ryuichi Sakamoto – 12 |url=https://spectrumculture.com/2023/01/22/ryuichi-sakamoto-12-review |access-date=January 23, 2023 |work=Spectrum Culture}}

| rev9 = Uncut

| rev9score = 9/10{{Cite magazine |last=Bonner |first=Michael |date=March 2023 |title=Ryuichi Sakamoto – 12 |url=https://archive.org/details/uncut-uk-03.2023/page/n29 |magazine=Uncut |issue=310 |page=30 |access-date=April 3, 2023}}

}}

At Metacritic, which assigns a weighted rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album has an average score of 85 based on nine reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".

Reviewing the album for AllMusic, Paul Simpson compared it to Sakamoto's previous work. Simpson claimed that, "While [async] was an inventive, ambitious work incorporating field recordings, spoken word vocals, and several guest musicians, 12 is considerably more stripped-down, created entirely by Sakamoto, mostly playing piano and synthesizers." Simpson concluded by stating that, "being aware that it was his final work adds emotional weight to music that appears fragile and delicate." In a review for The Skinny, Tony Inglis awarded 12 a 5-star rating and noted that unlike Sakamoto's previous works, 12 is a "collection [that] instead deals in the turbulent and unpredictable period that comes before the unknown." In a positive review for Pitchfork, Rob Arcand highlighted how "Rarely does an album this understated say so much."

{{Track listing

| headline = 12 track listing

| all_writing = Ryuichi Sakamoto

| title1 = 20210310

| length1 = 6:53

| title2 = 20211130

| length2 = 5:22

| title3 = 20211201

| length3 = 5:32

| title4 = 20220123

| length4 = 8:40

| title5 = 20220202

| length5 = 6:22

| title6 = 20220207

| length6 = 7:01

| title7 = 20220214

| length7 = 9:09

| title8 = 20220302 – Sarabande

| length8 = 3:10

| title9 = 20220302

| length9 = 2:52

| title10 = 20220307

| length10 = 2:31

| title11 = 20220404

| length11 = 2:26

| title12 = 20220304

| length12 = 1:08

| total_length = 60:01

}}

• Ryuichi Sakamoto – performance, production, mixing
• Zak – mixing
• Robin Schmidt – mastering
• Norika Sora – associate production
• Alec Fellman – associate engineering, production management
• Maria Takeuchi – production management assistance
• Makoto Kondo – engineering assistance
• Takuya Minami – artwork

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Category:2023 albums

Category:Milan Records albums

Category:Ryuichi Sakamoto albums

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