Manafon - on second thoughts...

[Blemished]

Well even though the CD & book remains undelivered, the download has come to the rescue and I've been able to get initially acquainted with Manafon.I have to admit to a scary moment when I first played it and thought 'oh no, those samples were the easy bits - this is too hard to digest'! But that soon passed...so just some further impressions to add to the pile...

New sounds: I remain awestruck at DS's ability to gather together cutting-edge musicians and go off into uncharted waters. I wasn't aware of sine samplers and no-input mixing desks for example and this has opened up new avenues of music for me already. So much modern music is stale and limited; to my ears, this seems a really quite radical attempt to marry songs with modern, digitally-edited sound.

The voice: It may just be because I am listening on headphones, but I no longer find his voice intrusive or even too high in the mix. It seems to be sitting just right, acting as the link. In a perfect world, he might have mixed it ever so slightly lower, but I can now understand and appreciate why he has mixed it that way.

Hearing afresh: as others have remarked this is a great album for listening too in places with external sounds - in work, on trains etc. At times the combined effect has been mesmering. I find myself hearing the world differently too straight after listening to Manafon. Suddenly there is music in everything - in photocopiers whirring, keys jangling, muted voices...and as always with DS/Japan, there are such extraordinary details in the production to pick up on - my current favourites are the subtle echoes of vocals, awash with reverb and pushed right back in the mix...

Fennesz: This guy is surely the new Sakamoto. He is only nearly every track and his textures are a crucial thread of continuity in my view. He really makes Emily Dickinson such a special track for example. I really hope they can do more work together.

Blemish: Immediately on listening to Manafon I found myself also returning to Blemish with fresh ears and greater appreciation. The more direct emotional power is striking in contrast to the subtlety of Manafon - particularly on Blemish itself. The different instrumentation on the two also makes for a great contrast, albeit within a clearly consistent approach. I can see a merged running order (Blemafon!) of the best of the both emerging on the ipod any day now!

Negatives: Call me a lightweight, but I simply can't get anything out of The Rabbit Skinner or Greatest Living Englishman at the moment. They are the type of DS tracks I wish he could restrain from putting out, even though he probably thinks they are the best tracks. In my view, the second half of the album is the stronger.

All the best

Blemished

[javier]

Blemished, after switching to headphones I am in complete agreement with everything you say.

Manafon continues to surprise and entrance me, but I still feel Rabbit Skinner and Englishman detract from the album. In fact I'm now skipping those two when I listen and without these tracks I feel Manafon is far stronger.

Regarding hearing the world differently and ambient sounds becoming music, it harks back to what I wrote upon visiting Naoshima and hearing "Loud Weather..." in its intended setting:
http://www.japansylvian.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=421&p=8982#p8982
Others may be able to confirm, but the Manafon sessions were made around the same time as "Loud Weather..." as far as I can gather.

And "Blemafon" will be going into iTunes soon as a new genre - thanks for that.

[Tin Bird]

Well, I guess I'm in the same camp w you. I received Manafon yesterday and have now listened through the entire disc twice. I've since gone back and listened to a coup e of my fave tracks a few more times. I seem to have the very same reaction to this as I had w Blemish...I like exactly half the album. I seem to have an affinity with the more etheral electronic soundscapes whereas the atonal guitar plunking leaves me cold. Hence, I really like Snow White, Small Metal Gods, Emily Dickenson, and Manafon...but don't care for Englishman, Rabbit, or Random Acts. By far, my fave track is Snow White...seems to be the distant cousin of Fire in the Forest a bit. So, overall, I have to admit to disappoinment. While I think the work has merit and I will listen to some of the tracks on a frequent basis, I used to lose myself inside a Sylvian album...don't think it's going to happen here. Interesting work, some unsettling, worrying undertones that smack of depression. I give it a solid 3 out of 5 stars.

[Blemished]

Regarding hearing the world differently and ambient sounds becoming music, it harks back to what I wrote upon visiting Naoshima and hearing "Loud Weather..." in its intended setting:
http://www.japansylvian.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=421&p=8982#p8982
Others may be able to confirm, but the Manafon sessions were made around the same time as "Loud Weather..." as far as I can gather.

Thanks for that - great to read a really interesting piece putting Naoshima in its context...I have to admit I've only listened to it once all the way through...will have to give it another go now I'm getting acclimatised to Blemafonics...

And I think Tin Bird's comments about depression have an uncomfortable ring of truth....there is a terrible bleakness at times...I think part of the reason I dislike Rabbit Skinner is the overwhelming sense of self-loathing...a bit troubling really...hope he's moved on a bit from that period...

[Paperback Jack]

I think it's worth sticking with 'The Rabbit Skinner'. We me, it suddenly clicked and now I find it one of the most delightful tracks. There's a very strong melody sung with a jazzy lilt that undercuts some of the self-loathing. It might help to imagine it as a Billie Holiday or Frank Sinatra track.

[pradakid900]

OMG - so true. I can totally see (in black and white with ever-present cigarette and drink in hand) and hear Frank belting out Rabbit Skinner!

[Paperback Jack]

[digimarsh]

I have been listening to Manafon for around 10 days now, after going through a range of feelings as regards to it,i have
come to the conclusion that its superb.
Each time i listen to it always hits me with something new, and i can't understand why some critics have bemoaned the absence of the contributions of the musical players on the record.Even though Davids voice is the centre of the sound,there is plenty of other things going on and its amazing how these make themselves apparent out of the blue.
I invested in some high quality noise cancelling headphones recently and listening to Manafon through these is a memorable experience and i keep coming back to it over and over.This album for me ranks among sylvians finest work and i love it.

[Simonp]

It's interesting that people seem to dislike Rabbit Skinner, Random Acts..., and Englishman and favour Snow White and Emily. I too preferred the latter tracks on first hearing Manafon but I have listened to the album countless times over the last couple of weeks and my favourites are now Rabbit Skinner and Englishman. Its certainly not an immediate album, you have to stay with this one for a while before you really appreciate it.

[Blemished]

Each time i listen to it always hits me with something new, and i can't understand why some critics have bemoaned the absence of the contributions of the musical players on the record.Even though Davids voice is the centre of the sound,there is plenty of other things going on and its amazing how these make themselves apparent out of the blue.

Couldn't agree with you more, digimarsh. The more I listen to Manafon, the less I understand the Wire review. It's very musical, very emotional, very memorable! And the sound layering really makes it very deep.

It's interesting that people seem to dislike Rabbit Skinner, Random Acts..., and Englishman and favour Snow White and Emily. I too preferred the latter tracks on first hearing Manafon but I have listened to the album countless times over the last couple of weeks and my favourites are now Rabbit Skinner and Englishman. Its certainly not an immediate album, you have to stay with this one for a while before you really appreciate it.

I've been following paperback jack's advice and trying to imagine that the Rabbit Skinner is really a jazz toon - working a bit...growing on me somewhat...so as you got an early start Simon that encourages me to keep trying to get into Englishman...hard though...the skip button is usually tempting!

Also finding am preferring to start with Appalachia and then loop around...odd, I know

[hego]

I listen to Manafon now several times per day, In normal stereo version and in dts 5.1. De 5.1 is mine favourite the bleeps, scratches, musicpieces coming from every corner, and then that voice it's awfull. Thanks goes to Tony Cousins for mastering this piece of art. http://www.imastering.co.uk/engineers/tony_cousins

5 Records that Tony Cousins loved mastering:

* David Sylvian – Brilliant Tree
* Massive Attack – Blue Lines
* Mark Knopfler – The Ragpicker’s Dream
* Susheela Raman – Music for Crocodiles
* Peter Gabriel – Growing Up DVD