on the horizon - sylvian news update

And as we are approaching the new millennium here is what David Sylvian has to say about it:

"It's just another day. You don't have to make a big spectacle of life for it to be beautiful or interesting. I don't know where we'll be yet. Ingrid and I do everything together - to be separated is to feel not as truly alive as we do in each other's presence. As long as we're together there's this wonderful, grounding chemistry, and we can face anything that life has to throw our way."

New: Tourdates page added: link
New: Interview added: link WDET-FM, Detroit, MI, USA (14.04.99)

Breaking the Silence

After four months of not updating this news section or any other part of my website for personal reasons I have now done some bigger changes to various sections of my homepage.

1) Having bought a new and better scanner I rescanned nearly all of the album and single covers. So you have a far better image quality now. I also regrouped the Sylvian discography into "albums", "singles", "contribution work" and "bootlegs".

2) I also added missing records like Le Pollen from Pierre Barouh or the soundtrack to Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence. I think the disco should be complete the way it is. Should you have any additions to make, feel free to contact me. For ultra-rarities please visit the all new and improved website Trophies.org from Gerrit Hillebrand. This man must have spent hundreds of hours to make his site look that good. You will find nearly any Sylvian rarity here.

3) I also created new images and collages for the links on the index page.

4) I reworked many of the pages for 1024 dpi or higher resolutions.

Pearl and Umbra/Undark

Albumcover_Pearl_And_Umbra.jpg (10038 Byte) is the second album from Russell Mills that has a new beautiful vocal contribution from David Sylvian on "Rooms of the Sixteen Shimmers":

There was light on their wings
As I slipped into the water
There was light on their wings

There was gold on their hands
As they pushed weight upon me
There was gold on their hands

Multiplying in number all around me
The seven in addition to the nine
I won't wrestle I won't fight
This is what the anchor taught me
I won't wrestle in the absence of light

Magnifying their thoughts that never leave me
The red is now reflected in the gold
I will hide among the ghosts and the rooms of sixteen shimmers,
I will listen when my secrets are told.

There was love in their ways
And a face filled with indifference

(Lyrics transscribed by Andy, no guarantees of accurancy.)

I would be very happy if someone could shed some light of the lyrics. What is the anchor here? And what is multiplying all around him? Or do you make out different words? Let me know.

The album also features the musicians Brian Eno and Bill Laswell.

Approaching Silence

Album_Approaching_Silence.jpg (3309 Byte) is the latest release from David Sylvian. It features the two ambient tracks from the Ember Glance box set plus the unreleased title track from a multi-media exhibition by Robert Fripp and David Sylvian in 1994. It's good to have it finally released. Something for long winter nights lying streched out on the carpet in near darkness and letting the music wash over you.
Personally I was a little bit diappointed by the concept of the booklet. I was hoping to see some images of the original installation instead of fishes hanging under ceilings and parking lot lamps.

Don't believe the hype

Singlecover_GodMan.jpg (4963 Byte) The other new release is the EP Godman featuring two (great) mixes by Guy Sigsworth and Wagon Christ plus two tracks that are called Shadowland and Shadowland (Northfield). The "original version" can be found on Russell Mills' first album Undark under the name of How Safe is Deep? (It could also be that Shadowland was first and the Russell Mills track came later.) May as it be.
A very nice addition is the 14 min. video Time Spent that was filmed by Sylvian and his wife for the so called EPK (electronic press kit) that is usually been sent out to the media in order to promote an album. This film is beautifully done. Giving insight into his private life. Showing Ingrid and their two daughters Ameera-Daya and Isobel and Ingrid's older son Tinondre. The underlying theme of the film is "love, devotion, divine intoxication".

The bizarre thing about this release is, that Virgin promoted it in adverts in music magazines saying that it is a limited and numbered release of 5000 copies only. The truth is that copies high above 5000 have been spotted (the highest number I heard of was around 5600). There is also an identical unlimited version in a seemingly equal amount. The only difference is the missing number in the lower righthand corner.

I have created mp3-excerpts from the video.
It Is As It Should Be (text and narration DS)
Daily Routine (text Danin Katagiri, narration Ingrid)
Bright Existence (text Brenda Hillman, narration Ingrid)

In the Future

There are no definite releases planned for the near future. But early next year will most likely see the release of the long awaited rarities compilation including songs like the mysterious Ride, the "centerpiece" from the Beehive sessions that was never finished due to budget limitations, and the beautiful instrumental Blue of Noon. Also planned is a second album from Ingrid Chavez.
Most likely they will embark on a world tour together next year. Looking forward to see that happen.

Announcing Cinemage by Ryuichi Sakamoto:
Cinemage will be released worldwide (except Japan) on January 3, 2000 by Sony Classical. This release includes new orchestral versions of The Last Emperor, El Mar Mediterrani (from the opening ceremonies of the 1992 Summer Olympics), and Forbidden Colours, with vocals recently recorded by David Sylvian.

The new Slow Fire bootleg (mentioned below) can be ordered in Japan at CD Gold http://www.cd-gold.co.jp/ for ~~3200~~ Yen (sorry my mistake, the bootlegs costs around 6400 Yen). Orders can be made via email and payment by credit card (card number must be sent by fax for security reasons).

John Taylor (ex-Duran Duran) on Japan: Q: Was Japan a big influence on you in the early days? In the scrapbook you mentioned them being next door doing "Gentlemen.." while you guys were working and I know you still listen to them now. You blew me out of the water when you played Japan on KROQ during one of your visits.
JT: "Nick and I first saw Japan in Birmingham, at Barbarella's, on the tour supporting the release of their second album, 'Obscure Alternatives'. It was love at first sight. I bought 'Quiet Life' on Canadian import and the sound of that album, the title song and 'Love's In Vogue' in particular, made me weep. I loved the sound of that band, they were all tremendously characterful players, particulary Steve Jansen and Mick Karn." (taken from his website)

Nick Rhodes (Duran Duran) in a Top of the Pop online chat: Q: I recently bought the biographie of David Sylvian, in it he claims you approached him to produce Duran Duran, is this true? Nick: "No. Not at all. I admire some of his work but we never approached him." (taken from the fanzine Medazzaland)

I just got the recent issue of Tricycle, which is an American Buddhist magazine (and a consistently fine read for those interested in that sort of thing...) and there is a 1/3 page ad for DBOAC. I think this is a pretty interesting market choice (and one that makes sense). I found it unusual in that I don't think I've ever seen another ad for "mainstream" music in the years that I've been a subscriber.

In the June number of the Italian musical fanzine Blow Up (one of the best musicl magazines in these days in Italy) there's an interview to David Sylvian and a retrospective about his career. The retrospective is one of the best ever read from the beginning of the Dead Bees promotion but the interview adds nothing really new to what we already read elsewhere. Just some more accurate hints (at least for me) about who Sylvian admires as new artists and his willingness to collaborate with them.
"Which kind of discs are you listening to?" Sylvian: "A lot of music, from jazz to contemporary pop rather than past music. Surely I listen to all the musical genres". Q: "And is there someone you like in the contemporary English scene?" S:"If you're referring to recent groups, I must say that I like what is happening in the electronic scene; it's been years that I like what Aphex Twin, Squarepusher and Wagon Christ are producing. Theirs it's material I've always been interested in." Q: "Why don't you try to do something with one of these musicians, like Aphex Twin? Wouldn't you like?" S: "If it were possibile... but I'm not sure since it depends on the kind and nature of the project and on the context in which I would be involved. It really depends on the nature of new adventures in which I will be involved in the next future. In general, in music it is necessary to explore ourselves, but I'm interested in returning to involve myself in electronic music; it was the context that I experienced some years ago with the single Pop Song that pointed to me the musical direction towards that area. At this moment it would be fantastic to go back to that period, but the problem lies in the fact that I work very slowly... it takes me several years... so I have to leave behind a lot of ideas to let myself focus on one or two projects I believe of highest priority in that particular moment. It would be nice to know when, but I'll go back to electronic music when I will believe it prioritary in that moment".

There's also a sort of explanation of the themes behind Dead Bees: "The thread of the album is the Genesis: this theme is reflected both in lyrics and in music. The various sequences of the album which divide the theme in differents episodes are Love, Devotion and Divine Intoxication. These are the thoughts that flow through the album, but I didn't go further with a precise object."

..about Divine Intoxication: "We all make the same experiences, but we describe them in different ways. I had experiences, by means of the relationships I had with people or Masters, which brought me to a sort of feeling of communion between me and the world: the world could be considered as a whole, if you want. It's an experience so beautiful and simple, but it's not something which is happening in a precise moment, when you finally are able to communicate. As my Masters say, it is when you are able to show your devotion consecrating your life to God, that you reached your goal, that something shows in the experience of the present... and there is something of this process in the moment you record your music."