JapanSylvian.com

The latest article published is about 'Flux' from David Sylvian's second album with Holger Czukay - Flux & Mutability.

Sylvian felt this track was a struggle to mix and to find the right dynamics - calling in Markus Stockhausen to add flugelhorn after the initial sessions. Divorced from the difficulties of recording it, as a listener I've always enjoyed this instrumental. Jaki Liebezeit's drums differentiate it from the other tracks in the quartet of Plight & Premonition and Flux & Mutability.

It's always a pleasure to revisit these albums.

Here's the link: https://sylvianvista.com/2023/08/11/flux/

I just published a new article looking back to Japan's 'Life in Tokyo', the collaboration with Giorgio Moroder designed by Hansa to give the band a much-needed hit record.

Moroder had earned fame for his use of sequencers on 'I Feel Love' with Donna Summer, which led to his first movie soundtrack - for which he won an Oscar.

Sylvian worked with Moroder's demo to create the song, which did not chart until much later when it was re-worked and re-released to cash in on the success of Tin Drum.

Here's the link: https://sylvianvista.com/2023/09/01/life-in-tokyo/

Thanks for this article. Live In Tokyo wasn't a favorite of mine either. I'm glad it didn't became a hit, because then we might have missed Quiet Life!

For those who like to hear Moroder himself on how he "invented" his sound it's nice to listen to the Daft Punk-song:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zhl-Cs1-sG4

PS. Just listened to the Steve Nye special 7" remix and yes, Mick is so much more in his strengh on this version!
On the 12" mix Mick's guitar is even in a higher pitch.

Thanks to this article I paid some more attention to this song, so thanks again

Thanks Quiet Visitor for that link and for the kind feedback.

I've just published a new article about 'Nothing is Happening Everywhere', a track with David Sylvian on vocals that arrived completely unexpectedly in 2012, and which boasted a percussive drive that was absent from Sylvian's solo material of the preceding years.

Sylvian sang over a track created by L A N D - then a duo of Daniel Lea and Matthew Waters - for their album Night Within.

For the article I was able to interview Daniel Lea to learn more about the collaboration and how it came about.

Read it here: https://sylvianvista.com/2023/09/22/not ... verywhere/

The new boxset means that Uncommon Deities is available again after a long time, and I returned to this album for a new article which I've just published.

I love the way Jan Bang and Erik Honoré melded together Punkt Festival performances from both Kristiansand and Tallinn in 2011 to produce this recording. It's a fantastic memory of my trip to Norway for David Sylvian's 'artist in residence' festival (were you there too?), and especially the performances in the art gallery space of his installation Uncommon Deities (which featured artwork by Atsushi Fukui).

I saw so many artists for the first time, including the incredible Sidsel Endresen who features across the Uncommon Deities cd. I enjoyed finding out more about her art.

Here's the link: https://sylvianvista.com/2023/10/13/the ... organisms/

The first album from Sidsel Endresen I bought was Undertow. This was in 2001 at which time I already had some CD's from Nils Petter Molvær, which was the main reason I bought it at a record-fair without listening. I guess it's one of her most introvert album; later stuff I thought were less my tast (too experimental), although I kept an eye on her work. So it was nice to see the worlds of two musicians from different parts in my collection joined years later.

Thanks as always for reading, Quiet Visitor. Undertow is a fine album by Sidsel and a special cast of musicians.

I have just published a new article about the Darshan mini-album which was released by David Sylvian and Robert Fripp at the close of their tour in 1993.

The 'translucent remix' of the track was created by The Grid - being Dave Ball of Soft Cell fame and Richard Norris. The article looks into Robert's work with the duo that prompted their reinvention of 'Darshan', how Ball & Norris approached their remix, and more...

Here's the link: https://sylvianvista.com/2023/11/03/dar ... -the-grid/

For the latest article I've returned to the wonderful Nine Horses project.

The title track of Snow Borne Sorrow was originally a composition by Steve Jansen for his solo album, with words/vocal added by David Sylvian as well as performances from both Arve Henriksen and Ryuichi Sakamoto. That's quite a quartet!

I love the way a sample from a 1964 Brigitte Bardot song became such an integral part of the arrangement.

Here's the link: https://sylvianvista.com/2023/11/24/sno ... landscape/

Seeing 'Wasn't I Joe?' performed live by David Sylvian and Steve Jansen, with the visuals of Masakatsu Takagi, was a truly memorable experience. For me, this was in Brussels as I couldn't get to any of the UK gigs at the start of the A Fire in the Forest tour.

A new article looks at this wonderful song and dives into the samples and references to other genres and art forms - Arvo Pärt, Samuel Beckett and Andrei Tarkovsky.

What an amazing song this is!

Here's the link: https://sylvianvista.com/2023/12/15/was ... he-papers/

And may I say thank you for all the interest in the blog this year. Every year has set a new record for visits and I'm gratified that folk find something of interest on the site.

The latest article explores the title track of Gone to Earth. Just Sylvian and Robert Fripp perform on the song, its practically a duel between vocal and guitar.

Also looking into the inspiration for the original album cover art by Russell Mills, and how the painting relates to the themes on the record. Includes some comments from Russell himself.

Here's the link: https://sylvianvista.com/2024/01/05/gone-to-earth/

Thanks as always for reading.

I just published a new article about 'Bamboo Music', the more commercial side of the double a-side single with 'Bamboo Houses' released by Sylvian & Sakamoto in 1982.

The pair had wanted to collaborate since Ryuichi guested on Japan's 'Taking Islands in Africa', the opportunity arising when Sakamoto was in the UK to produce Akiko Yano's album Ai Ga Nakucha Ne. The project cemented a musical partnership that would continue across decades to come.

Here's the link: https://sylvianvista.com/2024/01/26/bamboo-music/

Thanks. Love that 12", but I agree it's quite close to Tin Drum.
I once posted this here, a live version of the cover by Yanokami: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WnjiGYxsRI

Thanks Quiet Visitor for reminding me of that live version of 'Bamboo Music' with Akiko Yano on vocals.

The latest article delves into Words with the Shaman. It's the first of two parts, the initial instalment looking at the recording of the piece with first hand insights through an exclusive interview with Nigel Walker who was co-producer.

Sylvian turned to Walker because he wanted to work with someone with a 'pop' sensibility for this project, and Nigel recalls his experiences with Japan that led to him being given the assignment.

To me, Words with the Shaman is a truly remarkable piece of music.

Here's the link: https://sylvianvista.com/2024/02/16/anc ... cantation/

Thanks again for the reminder of this piece of music. I have the 12"-version, but also the Alchemy-CD-version from 2003 and The Brilliant Trees-CD-version on Caroline Records from 1994.

It's nice to see you write a lot about Percy Jones bass-contributions. I don't know if it helped, but the rhythm-duo Jones and Steve Jansen worked previously together on two Ippu-Do albums, the studio-LP Night Mirage and the live-set Live And Zen.

Thanks Quiet Visitor for the reminder of Percy Jones and Steve Jansen having worked together with Ippu-Do. I had forgotten that whilst writing the piece. I will add in a line about that.

Thanks for sharing the thought.