David in New Internationalist

[untitled]

Got my copy of New Internationalist today. It’s a magazine that (in their words) “reports on the issues of world poverty and inequality; to focus attention on the unjust relationship between the powerful and powerless worldwide; to debate and campaign for the radical changes necessary to meet the basic needs of all; and to bring to life the people, the ideas and the action in the fight for global justice."

It’s a great read and gives a point of view that you just don’t get from TV news. Anyway, I opened up my envelope and scanned the front page to see what was in this month’s issue: A special feature on Uganda and David Sylvian on music and spirit! It turned out only to be a short piece, with not much new info and an inaccuracy or two, but NI isn’t know for its music journalism, so I’ll forgive them those errors. Still, nice to see David being recognized in this kind of publication.

Not near a scanner today (no new picture anyway) and as it was a short piece. I typed it up:




MAKING WAVES


Interview with David Sylvian on his musical and spiritual journey as a World Citizen



David Sylvian becomes more interesting with time. He first captured the hearts of many angst-ridden teens back in the 1980’s with his band Japan but opted out of pop stardom just as he seemed to have found a new and more alternative voice with the song ‘Ghosts’. Cocaine addiction and phobia led him into a deep isolation and exploring his spirituality he nearly left music altogether. Ultimately, however, he continued his musical journey that has borne fruit in haunting, unique albums such as Gone to Earth (1986) Secrets of the Beehive (1987), Dead Bees on a Cake (1999) and Blemish (2003).

“I was suffering, and still suffer from a form of social phobia. I decided to leave Japan. I had to face up to personal issues that I’d been working around, rather than dealing with head on. That was the painful part of the process, moving on from a cushioned state of a minor celebrity to a more everyday, interactive existence. It was a necessary transition.”

“I have a strong will, a survival instinct, that has served me well. I still think often about the possible outcomes of leaving music and the material world. That path is still an option. I’m not certain how radically different my life would have been though, if I had taken that course. A spiritual life isn’t an easy option; it’s not an escape. For me it entails a ruthlessness and integrity rarely found in other aspects of life.”

“I was obviously searching for answers. I delved into different sources of knowledge and disciplines with an open mind, trying to find truths that resonated with me. I often felt I was reading a deconstruction of the same experience – for example, the fullness of the Hindu experience of Samadhi and the emptiness of the Buddhist Nirvana are so obviously descriptions of the same experience. “

“Spirituality has helped me in every aspect of my life; however I wouldn’t want to give the impression that my belief system, such as it is, doesn’t undergo constant re-adjustment and radical re-evaluation.’

One of David’s most recent collaborations this year was with Japanese musician Ryuichi Sakamoto for the soundtrack to the movie Babel. Ryuichi and David had originally collaborated on the 1983 film Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence. They made a pact to work together again, when the time was right.

“Ryuichi asked me if I’d write a song about the Bush Administration’s response to Iraq and the events of 9/11. I’ve never seen myself as a political writer in the traditional sense of the word. This was the second time in as many years that Ryuichi had asked me to get involved in something as a writer that was overtly political. The first time was a piece we did in protest against landmines.”

“My first response was to refuse. It was too big an issue to cover and I felt I was the wrong person for the job. But after a couple of weeks the idea for ‘World Citizen’ came to mind and I wrote the piece very quickly in one short sitting. I sent a demo of the piece to Ryuichi. I basically felt that there were no audible voices of dissent in American culture towards the oncoming war - there were of course, but they were generally suppressed, blacked out. The exercise can feel rather artless, but art sometimes really isn’t the aim or the issue.”

“I’m still not that enamoured of the protest song. I think music is far more powerful when it is not being used as a soapbox of some kind. Nevertheless, sometimes its simply not possible to remain silent.”

In 2002 Sylvian launched his own record label SamadhiSound, as a platform for new artists.

“With the collapse of the music industry and its stranglehold on artists, in the age of the internet, the global art community can now interact on a one-to-one basis. The work that we’ve released on the label is material that is close to my heart. I’d like to broaden the scope of the label in the coming years to include more songwriters and vocalists.”

There is now a plethora of artist-run labels, enabling a diversity of music that previously would have been rebuffed by the big commercial labels.

“There’s so much interesting work being done in the area where electronics, the so-called avant-garde and improvisation meet. I’ve been fortunate enough to work with some of the leading exponents in this rather broad, but poorly defined field, over the past few years. I think we are now collectively reinventing the industry from an artist-centric viewpoint.

David Sylvian spoke with Hugh Bohane

[tallulahtaurus]

Very interesting, thank you immensely for your efforts...With every article I find I like him a bit more.

I enjoy reading about his and other people's experience of social phobia - I have a nice chunk of it myself - and my brother is quite badly socially phobic.

So yeah basically ta.

[sisterlondon]

Thanks so much for this one! Very interesting!

[proggrl]

Wow - Thanks for typing that up! That was great. Cheers.

Interesting to hear how he keeps changing his outlook and perspective - even in his own spirituality. I think in life you really have to do that.

[Steerpike]

Thanks for typing that up. It was an interesting read.

[Melaszka]

Thank you! I'm so glad you took the time to type that out. Yes, he does sound liek such a nice bloke.

[heartofdavid]

Thanks much for sharing this, good read.