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David Sylvian

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David Sylvian

David Sylvian (born David Alan Batt, 23 February 1958, in Beckenham, Kent, UK) is an English singer, musician and composer who first gained attention as the lead vocalist and main songwriter in the band Japan. His subsequent solo career has been influenced by a variety of musical styles and genres, including jazz, avant garde, ambient, electronic, and progressive rock.

Biography

Early years

Sylvian is the son of a plasterer and a housewive, and when young listens to glam rock artists like David Bowie and Roxy Music.

Japan

The band Japan, whose other members included bassist Mick Karn, guitarist Rob Dean, keyboardist Richard Barbieri and Sylvian's brother Steve Jansen on drums, began as a group of friends who grew up together. As youngsters they played music as a means of escape, playing Sylvian's two-chord numbers – sometimes with Karn as the front man, sometimes with Sylvian at the fore.

Eventually, they christened themselves Japan in 1974, signed a recording contract with Hansa, and became an alternative glam rock outfit in the mould of David Bowie, T.Rex and The New York Dolls. Over a period of a few short years, however, their music became more sophisticated – drawing initially on the art rock stylings of Roxy Music. Their visual image also evolved and the band was tagged with the New Romantic label. Indeed, it could be argued that Japan was at the forefront of the entire New Romantic movement, even though the band never associated itself with it. Japan recorded five studio albums between March 1978 and November 1981. In 1980, the band signed with Virgin Records, where Sylvian remained as a recording artist for the next twenty years.

The usual recounting of the band's demise in December 1982 has to do with various interpersonal relationships, tensions therein including Sylvian linking with Yuka Fujii, a photographer, artist and designer who also happened to be Mick Karn's former girlfriend. Fujii quickly became an influential figure in Sylvian's life. She was the first person to introduce Sylvian seriously to jazz, which in turn inspired him to follow musical avenues that were not otherwise open to him. Yuka also influenced Sylvian to incorporate spiritual discipline into his daily routine. Throughout David's solo career, Fujii had also maintained a large role in the design of David's album artwork, which resulted in the couple forming Opium (Arts) to manage Sylvian's interests.

In 1982, Sylvian released his first collaborative effort with Ryuichi Sakamoto, entitled "Bamboo Houses/Bamboo Music". He also worked with Sakamoto on the song "Forbidden Colours" for the 1983 Nagisa Oshima film Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence.

Exorcising Ghosts

Sylvian's debut solo album, Brilliant Trees (1984), met with critical acclaim and functioned well as a bridge between the musical sounds he had created with Japan and the more challenging directions he was to pursue in his future work. Sylvian intentionally placed the more accessible tracks on side one of the record, while utilizing the second side for songs of a slightly more experimental nature. The album included contributions from Ryuichi Sakamoto, trumpeter Jon Hassell and former Can bassist Holger Czukay. These three musicians also figured prominently upon the writing and recording sessions which resulted in Sylvian's second release, the entirely instrumental Alchemy: An Index of Possibilities (1985). Imbued with a 'Fourth-World' influence, the album signalled Sylvian's decisive move away from the mainstream.

The next release was the ambitious two-record set, Gone to Earth (1986), which further flouted conventional and commercial wisdom by featuring one record of atmospheric vocal tracks and a second record consisting of ambient instrumentals. The album contained significant contributions from noted guitarists Bill Nelson of BeBop Deluxe and Robert Fripp of King Crimson. On a majority of the songs, Fripp laid a foundation with his patented system of tape delay loops, known as Frippertronics, which gave the album a distinctly vast and spacious sound.

Secrets of the Beehive (1987) made greater use of acoustic instruments and was musically oriented towards sombre, emotive ballads laced with shimmering string arrangements by Ryuichi Sakamoto and Brian Gascoigne. The album yielded one of Sylvian's most well-received songs, "Orpheus", and was later supported by his first solo tour, 1988's 'In Praise of Shamans'. Sylvian's touring band included ex-Japan band mates Jansen and Barbieri along with trumpeter Mark Isham, bassist Ian Maidman and guitarists David Torn and Robbie Aceto.

Thoroughly Lost to Logic

Never one to conform to commercial expectations, Sylvian then collaborated with Holger Czukay to produce a pair of instrumental albums focusing on random chance, found samples and group improvisation. Plight and Premonition, issued in 1988, and Flux and Mutability, recorded and released the following year, also included contributions from Can members Jaki Liebezeit and Michael Karoli. These two albums were released on a Virgin subsidiary called Venture Records, which had been created in 1987 for some of the more experimental artists on their roster.

Virgin then decided to close out the Eighties with the release of Weatherbox, an elaborate boxed-set compilation consisting of Sylvian's four previous solo albums. To accompany this release, the label had requested that Sylvian produce a new song in a more 'pop-oriented vein' which could be released as a single to promote the compilation. Sylvian obliged them with the track "Pop Song", which was anything but aptly described. Essentially the track was an atonal diatribe on the machinations of the music industry, equating the creation of modern music for mass consumption to that of everyday factory work. Yet Virgin chief executive officer Simon Draper admirably continued the support of Sylvian's career no matter how far from the mainstream he was determined to drift.

In 1990, Sylvian collaborated with artists Russell Mills and Ian Walton on the elaborate multi-media installation using sculpture, sound and light titled Ember Glance - The Permanence of Memory. The exhibition was staged at the Temporary Museum on Tokyo Bay, Shinagawa. The music which accompanied the exhibit was an extended improvisation between Sylvian and percussionist Frank Perry.

Rain Tree Crow

Also in 1990, Sylvian reunited with the former members of Japan for a new project. Yet unlike their past work, Sylvian had decided to utilize methods of improvisation like that which he explored in his work with Czukay. This proposal held great appeal to his former band mates and the initial results were extremely promising. Guitarists Bill Nelson, Phil Palmer and Michael Brook were each brought in at various times to augment the quartet for the recording of the album. In an effort to distance the project even more from the sound and atmosphere that surrounded Japan in the early 1980s, but to the dismay of both Virgin and his former band mates, Sylvian insisted on releasing the project under the name Rain Tree Crow. As the group went forward with recording, production costs started mounting and, in order for the label to advance more money, Virgin had suggested that the project be released under the name Japan. Sylvian turned down such an offer of compromise and instead paid any subsequent costs out of his own pocket. Further recording sessions grew increasingly acrimonious as Sylvian reportedly assumed a controlling temperament over the proceedings. Once the time came to mix and master the tapes, Sylvian had completely shut out the other musicians from the process and all decisions regarding the final product were his own. When the album was released in 1991, Karn, Barbieri and Jansen were no longer communicating verbally with Sylvian, though many harsh criticisms regarding his demeanour during the sessions were exchanged in print interviews conducted at the time.

In an effort to divert his attention away from the rancorous aftermath of Rain Tree Crow, Sylvian took up an offer from Hector Zazou to participate in a musical tribute to the work of the 19th Century French poet Arthur Rimbaud. Sylvian was originally slated to read text to one of the pieces. Sakamoto and Fujii also took part in these recording sessions and gradually Sylvian's involvement grew to further vocal, guitar and keyboard contributions, as well as composing brand new material for the project. Zazou and his record label, Made To Measure, then made the strange decision to list Sylvian under the pseudonym of 'Mr. X', rather than requesting the necessary permission from Virgin to use Sylvian's extensive contributions. When the album, titled Sahara Blue, was finally released in 1992, Virgin filed a cease-and-desist case against the Made To Measure label, resulting in the exclusion of two tracks that featured Sylvian's vocal from any subsequent copies of the album that would be produced. Sylvian and Fujii separated shortly after the sessions for Sahara Blue. Around the same time, Ingrid Chavez, an artist signed to Prince's Paisley Park Records, sent Sylvian a copy of her first album. He liked what he heard and thought her voice would fit well with some material that both Ryuichi Sakamoto and he were working on for a new Sakamoto release. Chavez and Sylvian quickly developed a bond and decided to travel together throughout the UK and the USA, where they eventually settled after marrying in 1992.

The Fripp Trip

In late 1991, Fripp had approached Sylvian with the offer to be the vocalist in a new line-up of King Crimson. Sylvian declined the invitation due to the turmoil that had often plagued the band in the past and instead suggested they collaborate on a future project. With frequent Fripp associate Trey Gunn on Chapman Stick, and performing a set of newly composed material, the trio performed throughout Japan and Italy during the spring of 1992 on 'The First Day' tour. With the addition of Jerry Marotta on drums and Marc Anderson on percussion, the group went into the studio in late 1992 to document the material they had written together.

In July 1993, Sylvian startled many of his long-term fans with the album The First Day, which melded Sylvian's philosophical lyrics to funk workouts and aggressive rock stylings very much in the mould of Fripp's King Crimson. To capitalize on the album's success, the musicians went back out on the road in the autumn of 1993. Sylvian, Fripp and Gunn were joined by Michael Brook and ex-Mr Mister drummer Pat Mastelotto for what they dubbed 'The Road To Graceland' tour. A live recording, called Damage and released in 1994, was culled from the final shows of the tour.

Sylvian and Fripp's final collaboration was the installation Redemption – Approaching Silence. The exhibition was held at the P3 Art and Environment centre in Shinjuku, Tokyo and ran from 30 August to 18 September 1994. The accompanying music was composed by Sylvian, with text written and recited by Fripp.

In the late summer of 1995, Sylvian undertook a one-man solo tour of which he called 'Slow Fire - A Personal Retrospective'. Performing either on an acoustic guitar or on keyboards, Sylvian drew largely upon his solo catalogue for song selection, in turn scaling each tune down to its most basic form. He also included a few rearrangements of tracks from his recordings with Japan, Rain Tree Crow and Robert Fripp. The 'Slow Fire' tour marked the end of a highly productive four years.

Everything and Nothing

A period of relative musical inactivity followed, during which Sylvian and Ingrid Chavez moved from Minnesota to the Napa Valley. Chavez had given birth to two daughters and pursued her interest in photography and music. During this time, Sylvian aided Chavez in composing and recording some new material for a possible solo work Little Girls With 99 Lives. Copies of the demo were sent to select friends and distributed to record labels, who were not interested.

In 1999, Sylvian released Dead Bees on a Cake, his first solo album since Secrets of the Beehive twelve years earlier. The disc gathered together the most eclectic influences of all his recordings, ranging from soul music to jazz fusion to blues to Eastern-inflected spiritual chants, and most of the songs' lyrics reflected the now 41-year-old Sylvian's inner peace from his marriage, family and beliefs. Guest musicians included long-time friend Ryuichi Sakamoto, classically-trained tabla player Talvin Singh, avant-garde guitarist Marc Ribot, jazz trumpeter Kenny Wheeler and contemporary jazz guitarist Bill Frisell.

Following Dead Bees, Sylvian released a pair of compilation albums through Virgin, a two-disc retrospective Everything and Nothing and an instrumental collection Camphor. Both albums contained previously released material, some remixes, and several new or previously unreleased tracks which Sylvian finished especially for the projects. In 2001, Sylvian made an effort to promote the compilations with the 'Everything and Nothing' tour. Sylvian travelled the world with a band that included his brother back on drums, Tim Young on guitar, Keith Lowe on bass, and Matt Cooper on keyboards. The US leg of the tour took place in 2002 and was shortened due to poor ticket sales.

Samadhi Sound

Sylvian parted ways with Virgin and launched his own independent label, Samadhi Sound. The first proposed project was a collaboration with his brother Steve, and work had begun in the Autumn of 2002. Bassist Keith Lowe had been retained from the previous tour to help out during the initial writing and recording sessions but the process was slow going and Sylvian did not yet feel fully connected to the project. During a break in the proceedings, Sylvian experimented on his own with treated sounds made from his guitar and computer. The results were recorded during February 2003. A few months later, he released the album blemish. The disc was shockingly stark in its sound and content, partially spurred by the involvement of experimental guitarists Derek Bailey and Christian Fennesz. The lyrical subject matter dealt primarily with the impending dissolution of Sylvian's marriage. With the collaborative effort now put on hold due to the strong reception for the new solo album, Sylvian and Jansen headed out to promote blemish with visual artist/musician Masakatsu Takagi for the 'Fire In The Forest' tour.

Sylvian surprised his fans by lending his vocals to a commercial advertisement for TIAA-CREF. The track was a sixty-second rendition of "Somewhere" written by Leonard Bernstein and the spot ran various times during the course of the 2004 Summer Olympics. Also somewhat out of character, Sylvian commissioned an album of remixes of tracks from blemish, entitled The Good Son vs. The Only Daughter, which was released in early 2005. He also wrote an original song entitled "For the Love of Life" for the anime adaptation of Naoki Urasawa's Monster, which would become the ending theme for the first half of the series.

With the conclusion of the 'Fire In The Forest' tour in 2004, work resumed on the joint project between Sylvian and Jansen. Participants in the sessions included the ever present Ryuichi Sakamoto, vocalist Stina Nordenstam, and trumpeter Arve Henriksen. Yet the course of the album took on a completely new tone after Sylvian's decision to add keyboardist/programmer Burnt Friedman to the proceedings through the technology of file sharing. Friedman brought along with him a large roster of musicians from around the globe and a breadth of musical ideas that Sylvian utilized as foundations for new compositions. Due to his extensive contribution to the project, Friedman was then granted equal partnership with Sylvian and Jansen. The band name Nine Horses was adopted and their first CD, entitled Snow Borne Sorrow, was released in October 2005. The album successfully fused together elements of pop, avant-garde jazz, folk and electronica, creating an overall sound that seemed like a logical path for Sylvian to follow.

In January 2007, Nine Horses released a follow-up EP, Money For All, which included new material as well as remixes of selected songs from their first CD. Also in 2007, Sylvian issued When Loud Weather Buffeted Naoshima, an environmental piece which was commissioned by the Fukutake Art Museum Foundation for the 2006 Standard Festival held on the island of Naoshima. The seventy minute track, which was intended to give the aural sensation of walking around the island during the wintry month of February, included contributions from guitarist Christian Fennesz, trumpeter Arve Henriksen, flautist Clive Bell and samples by Akira Rabelais.

Though he had claimed in recent interviews that he no longer had any particular interest in performing live, Sylvian took to the road once again in September 2007 for 'The World Is Everything' tour. The line-up Sylvian assembled to accompany him included Takuma Watanabe on keyboards, Keith Lowe on bass and Steve Jansen on drums. Nine Horses contributors Theo Travis and Hayden Chisholm also joined the quartet on stage at various shows during the tour. A fusion of styles, including jazz and electronica, the tour enabled Sylvian to perform music from the Nine Horses project, as well as various selections from his back catalogue. In an explanation as to why he opted to tour once again, Sylvian wrote, 'This tour is in part a means of putting earlier chapters of my working life behind me...of embracing the work that was done and, with a sense of finality, cutting the ties that bind me to it as a body, an entity.'[citation needed]

A New Offering

Sylvian has sporadically been working on a new solo project since 2004 and it is expected to be released in 2009. Contributions have come from a crew of cutting-edge artists including guitarists Keith Rowe and Burkhard Stangl, experimental guitarist and soundscape musician Christian Fennesz, saxophonist Evan Parker, pianist John Tilbury, bassist Werner Dafeldecker, drummer/percussionist Martin Brandlmayr and electronic sound specialists Sachiko Matsubara and Toshimaru Nakamura.

Discography

Japan

Solo & Collaborations

Contributions

  • (1982) "Good Night" on Ai Ga Nakucha Ne by Akiko Yano
  • (1983) "Forbidden Colours" on Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence soundtrack by Ryuichi Sakamoto, Shinichi Tanaka and Seigen Ono
  • (1986) "Some Small Hope" on Hope In A Darkened Heart by Virginia Astley
  • (1987) "Buoy" and "When Love Walks In" on Dreams Of Reason Produce Monsters by Mick Karn
  • (1991) "Heartbeat (Returning To The Womb)" and "Cloud #9" on Heartbeat by Ryuichi Sakamoto
  • (1992) "To A Reason" and "Victim Of Stars" on Sahara Blue by Hector Zazou
  • (1995) "Come Morning", "The Golden Way" and "Maya" on Marco Polo by Nicola Alesini & Pier Luigi Andreoni
  • (1995) "Ti Ho Aspettato (I Have Waited For You)" on L'Albero Pazzo by Andrea Chimenti
  • (1996) "How Safe Is Deep?" on Undark:Strange Familiar by Russell Mills
  • (1998) "Salvation" on Discord by Ryuichi Sakamoto
  • (1999) "Rooms Of Sixteen Shimmers" on Pearl And Umbra by Russell Mills
  • (2000) "Forbidden Colours" on Cinemage by Ryuichi Sakamoto
  • (2001) "Zero Landmine" on Zero Landmine by No More Landmine featuring Ryuichi Sakamoto and Various Artists
  • (2001) "Sugarfuel" on Bold by Readymade FC
  • (2001) "Linoleum" on The Attraction to All Things Uncertain by Tweaker
  • (2004) "World Citizen (I Won't Be Disappointed)" on Chasm by Ryuichi Sakamoto
  • (2004) "Transit" on Venice by Fennesz
  • (2004) "Pure Genius" on 2 AM Wake Up Call by Tweaker
  • (2004) "Exit/Delete" on Coieda by Takagi Masakatsu
  • (2004) "For The Love Of Life (Ending Theme Full Version)" on "Monster - Original Soundtrack" by 配島邦明
  • (2005) "The Librarian" on Out In The Sticks by Burnt Friedman & Jaki Liebezeit
  • (2005) "Messenger" on The Secret Society Of Butterflies by Blonde Redhead
  • (2005) "A Fire In The Forest" (Remix) on Babilonia by Readymade FC
  • (2006) "Angels" on Crime Scenes by Punkt
  • (2007) "Playground Martyrs" and "Ballad Of A Deadman" on Slope by Steve Jansen
  • (2008) "Before and Afterlife" from Visionaire Magazine
  • (2008) "Honor Wishes" and "No Question" on To Survive by Joan As Police Woman

References



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