Some critics noted Sakamoto 's worries about death seeping into the album , which were influenced not only by his experience with cancer but also the many earthquakes and tsunamis that occurred in Japan in 2011 . He said in an interview , " We were warned about how our civilization is fragile and how the force of nature is great . " David Sylvian , who reads a poem by Arseny Tarkovsky on the song " Life , Life " over pizzicato strings , synthesizers , and a shō , said '' async '' " expresses a love and gratitude for life accompanied by the knowledge of its fragility . " On " Life , Life , " Sylvian reads , " To one side from ourselves , to one side from the world / Wave follows wave to break on the shore , / On each wave is a star , a person , a bird , / Dreams , reality , death - on wave after wave . " The recording was done in 2011 and was one of ten poem readings Sylvian submitted to Sakamoto for a charity concert supporting victims of the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami
2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami
2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami
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