New record, releasedate in sweden 29 feb

[pn]

EMI, A Victim Of Stars, 1982-2012
with new song Where’s Your Gravity?
A Victim Of Stars, 1982–2012

CD1:
Ghosts (Remix) / Bamboo Houses / Bamboo Music / Forbidden Colours / Red Guitar / The Ink In The Well / Pulling Punches / Taking The Veil / Silver Moon / Let The Happiness In / Orpheus / Waterfront / Pop Song / Blackwater / Every Colour You Are / Heartbeat (Tainai Kaiki II)

CD2:
Jean The Birdman / Alphabet Angel / I Surrender / Darkest Dreaming / A Fire In The Forest/ The Only Daughter / Late Night Shopping / Wonderful World / The Banality Of Evil / Darkest Birds / Snow White in Appalachia / Small Metal Gods / I Should Not Dare / Manafon / Where’s Your Gravity? New song

[baht habit]

I can't help but be of the opinion that this concoction must be an illegitimate release of some sorts. Sylvian no longer has any access to the material recorded while he was with Virgin and I doubt if he would grant Virgin the rights to package the material he has recorded since creating Samadhi Sound.
As for a new song titled Where's Your Gravity?....could this possibly be some alteration to a previously released track by a manufacturer who hopes to lure in naive consumers? Or could it be an entirely fraudulent track on its own?
I wouldn't exactly mind being wrong in my suspicion, but I'm even more cynical after reading this:


Acclaimed multi-musician David Sylvian released collection album "A Victim of Stars, 1982-2012" at the beginning of next year. On leap day February 29 reaches the double-CD stores in Sweden, just in time for Sylvian concert in Filadelfia church in Stockholm on 14 March.

"A Victim of Stars" picks the best from David Sylvain 30-year musical career, from '80s pop-funk via jazz in the 90s to the 2000s leaning to electronica, according to a press release.

Last year, released David Sylvian "Sleepwalkers", also a compilation album, but focused on the songs released in the last decade, mainly guest appearances by musicians such as Ryuichi Sakamoto, Tweaker, Nine Horses and Steve Jansen. GAFFA critic Andrew Fallman gave the album five stars on the ground "an inexhaustible bag of candy for both the hardcore fans and new believers":

"The Sleepwalkers Sylvian has collected the songs that define his music creation in the last ten years and he has also had the good sense to throw in odd single track, previously unreleased songs and guest appearances on other artists' records." Read the full review here. <----this 'here' is merely a link to an old review of the 'Sleepwalkers' comp. ?

"A Victim of Stars, 1982-2012" contains the following tracks:

CD1:
First Ghosts (Remix) / 2. Bamboo Houses / 3. Bamboo Music / 4. Forbidden Colours / 5. Red Guitar / 6. The Ink In The Well / 7. Pulling Punches / 8. Taking The Veil / 9. Silver Moon / 10. Let The Happiness In / 11. Orpheus / Waterfront / 12. Pop Song / 13. Blackwater / 14. Every Colour You Are / 15. Heartbeat (Tainai Kaiki II)

CD2:
16th Jean The Birdman / 17. Alphabet Angel / 18. I Surrender / 19th Darkest Dreaming / 20. A Fire In The Forest / 21. The Only Daughter / 22nd Late Night Shopping / 23. Wonderful World / 24. The Banality Of Evil / 25. Darkest Birds / 26th Snow White in Appalachia / 27th Small Metal Gods / 28th I Should Not Dare / 29th Manafon / 30. Where's Your Gravity? * (* New songs)

[pn]

is this only for sweden?

[Blemished]

Any news on whether this is genuine? Over on the 'Sons of pioneers' list they seem to have convinced themselves that it is.

[karnsculpture]

One of the guys on japan-pioneers works for EMI and confirmed it's happening, and is David's concept. There were originally going to be two new songs so one has gone AWOL.

[karnsculpture]

I can't help but be of the opinion that this concoction must be an illegitimate release of some sorts. Sylvian no longer has any access to the material recorded while he was with Virgin and I doubt if he would grant Virgin the rights to package the material he has recorded since creating Samadhi Sound.

It's quite savvy actually to include so much Samadhi material because EMI will be paying him for the privilege, or if not he will earn a higher percentage of the profits for those songs. It may help him fund future work - and provides a more rounded view of his vocal work than leaving it all to EMI. David has always had a working relationship with EMI/Virgin, despite what may have been interpreted from things he's said in interviews, and they seem to respect his preferences when consulting him on back catalogue releases.

[Blemished]

Wow. Thanks for the confirmation, Paul. I guess it's always been a bit of missed opportunity in terms of broadening the audience not to have something like this available.

So, there's a tour, a single-heavy compilation, duets with Joan Wasser...nice to see David pushing the boat out a bit.

[deadbees]

Whilst I have no complaints about the track list and i like the fact that it differs greatly from the previous E&N and Sleepwalkers compilations, I would have liked a (limited edition) 3rd disc containing rarities covering the same time period (ones not previously included on aforementioned earlier collections). (I thought with the title being A Victim of Stars; this track would be part of a 3rd disc) This would make the package more attractive to long term fans as well as casual buyers. I would also be pleased if the versions of Bamboo Houses/Bamboo Music/Red Guitar/Pulling Punches/Let The Happiness In were the single edits.

[Simonp]

Sylvian fair works in mysterious ways? I've got nothing against the tracklisting of this release but at least 10 of the songs have either a) appeared on an original album then a series of reissues as well as b) Everything & Nothing. I'm also surprised that Sylvian has allowed the Samadhi tracks to appear on this compilation given the fact he ain't going to make that much money from it. He's normally quite precious about his releases. People buying this and then heading along to one of the Implausible Beauty shows are in for a shock.

[angel-a]

FACT Magazine:
http://www.factmag.com/2011/12/20/david ... -of-stars/

ALL SOUNDS:
http://hangout.altsounds.com/news/14084 ... 011-a.html
http://hangout.altsounds.com/news/14084 ... html#title

[billster]

EMI own all the material Sylvian ever recorded in any form whilst he was on Virgin. (And hansa too, I guess).
(Luckily Sylvian retains the publishing).

So they can do whatever they want with everything he ever did up to 'Dead bees'- how they like, when they like.

Given this, it seems Sylvian, being typically pragmatic, has opted to make the best of it by working with them to provide a more balanced and up to date collection. (ie, by including the Samhadi sound stuff).
It also works with the tour ; or doesn't harm it ant any rate.

The inclusion of new and extra tracks would hardly broadedn the sales potential in any real terms.

A proper DVD release seems the obvious niche in the market.

[Simonp]

The inclusion of new and extra tracks would hardly broadedn the sales potential in any real terms.

A proper DVD release seems the obvious niche in the market.

I'd have thought that new and extra tracks would've been the USP of yet another compilation and therefore making it more attractive to exisiting fans who already own the older material tow/three times over?

A DVD is definitely desirable.

[Blemished]

Unless I'm missing something, both those links angel-a posted mention the addition of a further tour date - a festival in France in April. What next? Glastonbury?!

I think that the VofS collection might appeal to people who liked Japan and stopped following David sometime after Brilliant Trees. Not sure E&N ever fitted that bill.

[Chet]

I am very curious to see the artwork and what format this will be released in...

[baht habit]

Great sleuthing everyone! Thanks so much for the vast amount of info you've gathered. My skepticism was unwarranted. I always enjoy hearing a new track -- two would have been nice but one can't have everything.
I find it interesting how it appears as though Sylvian opted to go with the orchestrated versions of Snow White In Appalachia, Small Metal Gods and Manafon from this year's Died In The Wool rather than include any of the original tracks from Manafon. I'm just basing this assumption on the durations of each track.
It's quite encouraging that the length of 'Where's My Gravity?' runs over five minutes, for I seem to be slightly let down when a new track is much too brief - i.e. Modern Interior. I suppose I am really hoping that the song is some outtake from Sylvian's work with Dai Fujikura, as I am yearning for more of that direction. But it'll most likely be a collaboration with Bang and his crew, or one of the 'acoustic miniatures' he has been working on of late.