Sakamoto formed Yura Yura Teikoku in 1989 with drummer Atsushi Yoshida and bassist Chiyo Kamekawa, two other students at
Tama Art University. The band released 21 albums from 1989 to 2010, and produced music with indie labels until 1997, after which they moved on to
Sony Music Entertainment and
DFA Records. After reaching a high point in reputation and popularity in Japan, Yura Yura Teikoku disbanded on March 31, 2010. Sakamoto collaborated with drummer Yuta Suganuma and bassist AyA of Japanese psych-rock band
OOIOO, handling much of the instrumental duties, to produce his second LP ''Let's Dance Raw'', which released in 2014. The album blended Sakamoto's work in psychedelic rock and funk with a variety of global influences. Of his use of the
steel guitar on the project, Sakamoto said "Without making it feel too Hawaiian, I wanted to incorporate the damp style of Japanese instruments. I wanted to feel the outskirts of a city". The music videos for many tracks on ''Let's Dance Raw'' featured animated water colors painted by Sakamoto himself. == Discography ==