Ryo Kawasaki, synth pioneer and early digital music virtuoso, dies at 73

Japanese composer, guitarist and inventor Ryo Kawasaki has died in Tallinn, Estonia at the age of 73. He has left a remarkable imprint on the digital music world. His pioneering works ranged from being one of the first artists to play jazz fusion music in the '60s and '70s to setting an example with one-man-band type recordings, to being the inventor of the first guitar synthesizer in 1979 alongside Korg and Roland.

He even extended his many talents to develop the popular Commodore 64 8-bit home computer system. His album, 'Ryo Kawasaki and the Golden Dragon Live', was also one of the first all-digital recordings.

Kawasaki was born in 1947 in Tokyo and was quickly driven into the music scene with his passion for music at an early age. While advancing in his interest in electronics, he gained a love for jazz as a teenager and became a skilled guitarist. In 1973, Kawasaki relocated to New York and began working as a session guitarist and touring musician support for artists such as  Gil Evans, Elvin Jones, Chico Hamilton, and more before he started his solo career.  In the late '80s, Kawasaki pursued an interest in dance music, when he ran a label called Satellite Records and played at nightclubs around New York City. He later moved to Estonia and returned to jazz, performing live and making music up until his death.

Kawasaki has an extensive list of album and singles under his name, but a few notable ones from different decades include 'Juice' (released 1976), 'Images' (1987) and 'Cosmic Rhythm' (1998). His final studio album was last year’s 'Giant Steps', which featured solo acoustic guitar compositions recorded between 2007 and 2012. Kawasaki's music fused multiple influences of music between traditional Japanese music, jazz, techno, house and more, presented in a unique digital music listening experience.

Kawasaki's daughter, Tane Kawasaki Saavedra, shared the news on April 13 on Facebook along with a heartfelt note. Reminiscing of times hearing her dad practicing and mixing songs for weeks  "into perfection", Tane followed her note with, "My daddy. A true original. Just as your name suggests, you did illuminate, set it afire, and your fire will burn forever as your music plays on and we continue to carry your light. I love you. Ciao Papa. (sic)."