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12 is the fifteenth and final solo studio album (twentieth studio album overall) by Ryuichi Sakamoto. It was released on January 17, 2023, two months before his death from cancer, through Milan Records and commmons.
Composition
12 has been noted to be an "unhurried" minimalistelectronic 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."
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 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 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."
