Has Japan inspired you to write your own music....

[kinki]

....take interesting photos, make sculpture...etc? Or simply wear lots of make-up and weird and wonderful clothes when you go out?

Im interested to know - I know Kera said she plays bass now (Id be interested to hear more). I have two keyboards and dabble with my own ambient stuff and occasionally take silly Sylvianesque photos...

[Silver Moon]

Yes! Japan has actually inspired me to do a lot of things! Thanks to Mick, I am playing bass now! I also really want to make a giant portrait of Mr Sylvian next year in my art class- Then I'll have the materials! I already draw comics of them all the time (Mostly in class- *Snooze*) But here's something kind of funny- Odd you should mention that as I am today going to get a wedge haircut, dye it blonde on top, and bright red on the bottom! I am such a silly girl- But I love it!

-Kera-

PS: I shall post pictures if you want to see... Be warned- I will look goofy!

[krausy]

Yes! Japan has actually inspired me to do a lot of things! Thanks to Mick, I am playing bass now! I also really want to make a giant portrait of Mr Sylvian next year in my art class- Then I'll have the materials! I already draw comics of them all the time (Mostly in class- *Snooze*) But here's something kind of funny- Odd you should mention that as I am today going to get a wedge haircut, dye it blonde on top, and bright red on the bottom! I am such a silly girl- But I love it!

-Kera-

PS: I shall post pictures if you want to see... Be warned- I will look goofy!

You will NOT look goofy and YES I want to see the finished product---can't wait---damn this is sooo cool.

Now to the question----years ago bands used to influence me as far as dress and look, but my musical ability was all mine I guess. I started playing violin at age 10, and I have also dabbled at guitar, drums and keyboards in the past. I still have my violin and I also own a Washburn acoustic guitar.

I guess my main thing is just being into Music and musicians in general and making sure everyone knows it is my passion.

[John Trevethan]

I've mentioned elsewhere on this forum that for a while I was trying to make my music sound like Japan, to the point of attempting (poorly) to have it sound as if Mick Karn was playing the bass. So, if anyone is interested I'll point you to a couple of examples. Please keep in mind that these were written many years ago!

"A World Apart" - I wrote this around '85 or '86 and recorded it a few years later. It's a typical example of how I was trying to emulate Mick Karn's bass playing. However I don't have the bass skills, particularly with fretless bass. (And to think that Mick hardly ever looks at his bass during the Oil On Canvas show... incredible!) What I did have was a fretless bass which I sampled extensively and then played from a keyboard. This is what you hear on the track, as well as some feeble attempts at Barbieri-style Asian influenced keyboard sounds. The only "real" instrument on this track is the flute, played by my wife Brenda.

"Islands In The Clouds" - is from the same batch of music. It is less Eastern sounding and features a clarinet melody (again from Brenda). Both this track and the one above have somewhat of a bass solo in their middle sections.

Finally, for Proggrl - "A Lost Science". This is probably the most progressive track from a project called Element 115 which consisted of myself, Mike Griffith (bass/sax), and Chris Tench (guitars). We made an album around 1997 - here is a sitewhere you can listen to the entire album. Try not to laugh, we were very into the whole UFO thing that was popular in the late 90's.

[lastgoldstar]

All of the above!

Well, I've always been deep into music. I've played the clarinet for seven years and I taught myself keyboard about five years ago. Though through the Japan influence, I'm yearning to buy a synthesizer. And I'm definitely influenced in writing music, as well. I've got lots of pieces saved (I like to write using Finale NotePad) but I always get sidetracked and never finish them! And now I really like to get into percussion. It's something I've wanted to do for almost a decade but now I actually have some time to do it. And I draw all the time, as well. And take photos...

I get a lot of comments on my clothes, too. They're all actually good comments, though- I'm "modern with an '80s twist"! A lot of times I go into a store and look at some clothing and think, "This looks like something David Sylvian would wear" (Or in my case, Nick Rhodes as well ), and so I'll buy it! And then I lighten the front of my hair so I have the David a la Tin Drum look going on (I need to re-do it as it's grown out a lot since I've last done it, but I'll definitely post pictures of that!). Actually, I'd really like to go for the Quiet Life look but it's hard to find a good product that'll bleach out dark brown hair... and I'm a bit scared, too. Argh, I didn't mean to say this much! Ha ha...

Wowza, Kera! I definitely want to see your hair!

John, I'm listening to "A World Apart" right now and it is amazing! I can't wait to listen to the others, great!

[kinki]

OK I DEFINITELY want to see pics of Kera's and Goldstar's hair now!

And doesnt David have naturally dark hair? He managed the bleached look 25 years ago...which must have knackered his hair...so these days you should be able to get that effect without damaging it TOO much...(I have naturally dark brown hair and have blondified it without a problem)

Great to hear that people are doing or wanting to do their own music...Japan's (and what I've heard of subsequent solo stuff) music has always been RIGHT on my wavelength and has thus inspired me to write similar stuff...melodic, ambient, dreamy, experimental... I get a HUGE amount of pleasure from it...

I'm going to (hopefully) listen to John's stuff shortly...

and Kera, do post the giant pic of David when you do it wont you eh? And do you have scans of your comics? I'm intrigued....

[Silver Moon]

Hmm... I don't think you have to bleach your hair to get it blonde if you go to a stylist, but that can cost some moolah. Right now I have blue-black hair and my stylist said he didn't have to bleach it to get the top blonde. Anyway, I'm afraid I'm going to have to postpone the posting of pictures- I got stood up by the guy whos supposed to have done my hair today! He never showed up and I can't get ahold of him via the salon or his home phone... He better have a good excuse, hehe...

-Kera-

[kinki]

What a b*gger Kera - I hope you manage to track down the guy.

Incidentally, was....


what you were aiming for?

[Poisoned_Apathy]

Well, I've always been into music too. I took music lessons and play the piano for 6 years after I left ballet actually , though I had to leave it cause I was too bussy at college

I love photography, though I'm still learning about it but it's cool!!

And I've already talked about my love for Androgyny and men clothes, which for sure was inspired in Japan , Duran Duran and the Mod movement as well.

[kinki]

What sort of clothes do you wear when you go for the androgynous look? Apologies if you've mentioned it before - Im getting old and forget what people have said...hehehe....

[Poisoned_Apathy]

Jackets and shirts ,above all. Ties ,sometimes. My short hair helps a lot also

It's kinda sylvianesque because I wear make up also

[kinki]

Sounds good...do post pics if you get the chance...

[godisinthesilences]

I used to write poetry...lots and lots of it. But, over the years I found it was too much to write it all down...
But, once I found David again I felt this urge to get back into writing. To better my vocabulary once again (I used to read the dictionary and thesaurus as a teenager). Now I want to become better at understanding not just english but some buddhist writings as well. I'm also gaining a keen interest and more mature understanding of Asian culture. I have to thank Japan, but mostly David for this....

[kinki]

Indeed....there is something very appealing about Asian spiritual culture as opposed to the empty capitalism of the west.....I must admit watching things like Preparations for a Journey made me think more about becoming more spiritual.

[godisinthesilences]

I have actually begun a spiritual trek investigating Buddhism... However, I think for me I will always be a Pagan in my core. I do so much love the calmness and peaceful qualities of deep meditation as well as daily prayer. It has to be the most soothing thing for one's soul to encounter daily... gives one a proper perspective on daily living.