New Sylvian release this year

[dconnery1966]

Its worked Simon its a bid now e-bay lol, anyway spill the beans about the more to come from David

Dougie

[Foales Arishes]

Is the cd a 3" as advertised or is it a full sized disc?

The disc is full size. I thought perhaps they had a limited data capacity, but that does not seem to be the case, as CD-R's like these being sold are standard 700MB.

[Simonp]

Hi Dougie

I don't know anything about future sylvian releases. I just don't think sylvian is done with writing music and we can expect new material from him at some point. he's just wound up samadhisound so I think he'll just be thinking about what his next step will be.

[ccfc1927]

Well, I've listened to it only the once but... its not good is it.
No discernible shape or structure just random sounds thrown together. I was hoping for a longer piece when it was first announced and felt a little short changed with the run time, not any more..
I'm glad that I managed to get a copy but its not going to be on high rotation, I probably wont ever put it on again to be honest.
Sometimes artists challenge themselves and their audience, sometimes they take the piss.
Though I was tapping my toe to the ticking clock at one point..

[Simonp]

there's a few sylvian pieces I hardly listen to to be honest. I think I've only ever listened to "when we return...." once in its entirety. despite the negative reviews from everyone I'm still glad to have bagged a copy. I do suspect that sylvian's next release will be far more accessible though....even sylvian has to pay the bills

[Tin Bird]

...one would think, right? Hoping mine is at home when I get off work....you know, it occurs to me that this release has restarted the whole debate about abstract/improv vs. song structure and pop music. Surely there is middle ground isn't there? I don't think any of us would care if we didn't view David as one of the greatest poets/songwriters of our generation. Anyway...I guess it is what it is. Maybe I will like it, maybe I won't...that doesn't seem to be a concern does it?
Did Jackson Pollock worry whether people would "like" his paintings? Did Miro'? If it's a honest expression from the heart than it exists as that.

[Simonp]

Schoolhouse does make me wonder where Sylvian is going with his "career". its an odd release for him. I hadn't heard of Confront before news of the Sylvian release was made. There's little in the way of design given the fact that Sylvian has been collaborating with Chris Bigg on this aspect of his work for the last ten years. And then there's the music itself...a 15 minute improvisation sound piece of incoherent noises. I've yet to hear the piece but from what I've read Sylvian is testing the patience of even the most ardent of fans. Surely music is about communication. With a diminishing fan base who is Sylvian communicating with these days other than himself?

[inkinthewell]

Got the Tin Box today. Am listening to "Playing the Schoolhouse" for the 4th time in a row and I like it.
It reminds me of Mothlight more than anything else.
I have no idea what the inside of the Schoolhouse is like and what is in there, but I think that the idea is actually to "play" the building, using what is in and around it to produce a set of sounds (the chirping birds, what could possibly be a microwave oven, the clock, recording equipment to play the Otomo Yoshihide/Toshimaru Nakamura/Dai Fujikura snippets, etc.).

[inkinthewell]

For those still interested, this has been posted a couple of hours ago on David's Facebook page:
Just to be clear, there will be a second edition of ‘Playing the Schoolhouse’. It too will be limited, necessarily so (for explanation see previous posts). If you’d like to be placed on the list of possible recipients please write to mark at markwastell@btinternet.com to register your interest thereby eliminating the need to pay extortionate sums to those attempting to make a profit on eBay. Confront will inform applicants of a publishing date for the second edition in due course.

[baht habit]

I have no idea what the inside of the Schoolhouse is like and what is in there, but I think that the idea is actually to "play" the building, using what is in and around it to produce a set of sounds.

That is precisely the idea.

[Tin Bird]

No sign of new cd over on east coast of US...

[baht habit]

No sign of new cd over on east coast of US...

I'm located in the region as well --- rest assured, the disc will get to us. I had previously ordered "Membrane" from Wastell / Confront and that was shipped and received in a reasonable amount of time. Just keep in mind that international transactions include a few more logistical delays. One should also take into account that the volume of units had been much larger than the norm, so shipments were most likely spread out over the course of a week or more.
Wastell / Confront is experiencing an uptick in product demand like never before. Sylvian's decision to distribute through this particular independent label is surely an honorable one. The irony is that the majority of those who had voiced their demand for the second edition will undoubtedly react negatively toward the product's content.

[inkinthewell]

The irony is that the majority of those who had voiced their demand for the second edition will undoubtedly react negatively toward the product's content.

I hope not, but I think things will prove you right.
To say the truth, I would have thought that for this release, at least, it should have been obvious that the track was going to be of the non-melodic improv sort. Yet, looking around on the internet, I have come across an alarming amount of comments from people who were expecting him to sing on this! It's a bit like planning a picnic when a hurricane is brewing.
I'm not attacking those that don't like it, I respect their opinion. What I'm saying is that one look/listen at the Confront site was enough to make clear what this CD was going to be like.

[Tin Bird]

Wishful thinking, while delightful in it's own way, tends to cloud judgment and allow people to believe in the phantoms that they reach for.
Tin Bird 2015

[Halloway]

No sign of new cd over on east coast of US...

I live in England and I haven't received mine yet either.