Hello. Allow me to introduce myself.
My path in finding David Sylvian seems to differ a lot from the majority in here. First I ran into Samadhi Sound by accident. Nine Horses - Snow Borne Sorrow had just come out and I was drawn to it over and over again even though I disliked Sylvians voice at first. The detailing of subtle melodies beneath the surface and Sylvians charismatic and elegant - yet sincere - lyrics draw me in. After that, I was even more impressed with Blemish, and then everything else came rolling in to my record shelf. With one notable exception. I can't stand Japan. I've glanced through their discography but have been unable to find anything I liked (although I don't mind the more modern live versions).
Some other artists I love as much as Sylvian include names like Krister Linder, Saul Williams, Thomas Feiner and Harold Budd.
I've been reading this board about a year now, but the anticipation for Manafon drove me to actually write something.