Vista blog

[silentwings]

So, this site is presenting very strangely for me right now. I hope we don't lose it - to this day I find very useful material for my blog project on the past threads here. If you are the site owner and reading this - please preserve the archive, I really believe it's important.

Anyway, this post to say that a couple of weeks ago I published the second part of my articles on Words with the Shaman, this time looking into what David Sylvian had to say about the image of the shaman, and also delving into the very appropriate musical reference point of Steve Reich.

I hope you are able to read this message and follow the link to the article here:

https://sylvianvista.com/2024/03/08/awa ... tree-tops/

Thank you!

[silentwings]

So, this site is presenting very strangely for me right now. I hope we don't lose it - to this day I find very useful material for my blog project on the past threads here. If you are the site owner and reading this - please preserve the archive, I really believe it's important.

Anyway, this post to say that a couple of weeks ago I published the second part of my articles on Words with the Shaman, this time looking into what David Sylvian had to say about the image of the shaman, and also delving into the very appropriate musical reference point of Steve Reich.

I hope you are able to read this message and follow the link to the article here:

https://sylvianvista.com/2024/03/08/awa ... tree-tops/

Thank you!

[Quiet Visitor]

You can contact the moderator here: blemished@japansylvian.com

Hopefully you'll get an answer.

[silentwings]

The latest article on Vista is dedicated to Ryuichi Sakamoto, one year on from his passing. His 2017 album async has two prominent voices: that of author Paul Bowles reading from The Sheltering Sky, and David Sylvian reciting an Arseny Tarkovsky poem.

Sylvian said the album ‘sings of mortality. It expresses a love and gratitude for life accompanied by the knowledge of its fragility.’

I've always enjoyed the little-known remodel of the track with Sylvian, 'Life, Life', by LA-based artist Anenon which was released by Ryuichi as a digital single in 2018.

Here's the link to the article: https://sylvianvista.com/2024/03/29/life-life/

[silentwings]

I just published a new article about David Sylvian's 1995 'Slow Fire' tour.

The London show was completely unexpected by me and I really enjoyed the stripped-back versions of the songs.

This article focuses particularly on the acoustic guitar renditions of favourite pieces.

Here's the link: https://sylvianvista.com/2024/04/19/jea ... wall-live/

[silentwings]

I have so many fond memories tied to Japan's song 'Nightporter'.

It was a pleasure diving into the background and making of this track for the latest article on my blog site.

Here's the link: https://sylvianvista.com/2024/05/10/nightporter/

I hope you enjoy!

[Quiet Visitor]

Thanks! Nightporter has a special place in my heart and life.

I became familair with the music of Satie in the late 70s while watching a Spanish movie on TV. Later on I bought Reinbert De Leeuw's very slow interpretations of his pianoworks. When I heard The Tenant after Obscure Alternatives was released I immediately recognized the Satie-influence. What a great track. Then came Quiet Life with Despair, still my favorite album by Japan (together with Tin Drum). When Gentlemen Take Polaroids was released I first thought it was a lesser duplicate of Quiet Life, so I didn't buy it. But when I heard Nightporter I felt in love with it. I bought the 12"-version with Methods Of Dance on the B-side. Later I bought a poster with the cover of the 12" which stills hangs above my bed after all these years.
I tried to hear the words of the song and wrote them in my own poem-diary, but I must admit David didn't sing all the words that clear, so I made some mistakes
Later on I bought the Polaroids-CD and the album grew on me.

Nightporter, together with all quiet songs of Japan, was a favorite on a tape I made which I ofter played while making love....

[silentwings]

The latest article I've published remembers the In Praise of Shamans shows from 1988.

I was privileged to interview Jennifer Maidman about her memories of being in the tour band, playing both bass and percussion.

Read her insights here: https://sylvianvista.com/2024/05/31/let ... arth-live/

[Quiet Visitor]

As always, thanks for this fine article.

A musical friend of mine from Italy once sent me the complete session Sylvian did for DOC. It's a real shame there're so less official DVD's from Sylvian with this band or with Fripp.

Good thing you mentioned Jennifer Maidman's wonderrous solo-album Dreamland. I had the pleasure reviewing that one and when I sent her the review I got a really nice reaction.

[silentwings]

Thanks Quiet Visitor for reading and commenting.

I just published an article exploring the string quartet arrangements that Dai Fujikura produced for Died in the Wool, particularly the new settings for songs from Manafon such as 'Small Metal Gods' and 'Random Acts of Senseless Violence'.

With material from Dai's book Too Soon for an Autobiography - which is published only in Japanese - the fortuitous background to the collaboration is outlined, together with how the assignment morphed from contributing to Manafon itself to providing new settings for the songs.

Read here: https://sylvianvista.com/2024/06/21/sma ... ariations/

[silentwings]

Good to see this site up and running again. There is a lot of information here that is difficult to archive, so thank you to whoever keeps the forum alive.

During the temporary downtime of the site I published two new articles on Vista:

Oil on Canvas - looking at David Sylvian's inspiration from art and artists in 1982 whilst he took a break from songwriting, including taking up drawing once again, meeting Andy Warhol, and inspiration from Frank Auerbach whose painting 'Head of JYM II (1980)' became the cover image for Japan's Oil on Canvas album. Auerbach's method informed Sylvian's approach to music in his early solo career.

Read here: https://sylvianvista.com/2024/07/12/oil-on-canvas/

The Beekeeper's Apprentice - Sylvian created music with Frank Perry as the 'soundtrack' for Ember Glance: The Permanence of Memory, the installation staged by Sylvian with artists Russell Mills and Ian Walton in Tokyo in 1990. Perry's mastery of ancient percussion instruments made him the perfect partner for this work. Looking at the music and the art that it accompanied.

Read here: https://sylvianvista.com/2024/08/02/the ... pprentice/

Thanks for the ongoing interest in the blog.

[silentwings]

In 2006 David Sylvian held the second sessions for the album that would become Manafon. Having first recorded in Vienna, he then gathered a quartet of Japanese musicians in Tokyo.

These four musicians were all leading lights in the music scene that emerged at the unique venue there, Off Site. The nature of the venue directly impacted the music - it had to be quiet because of the 'paper-thin walls'!

'The Greatest Living Englishman' was the fruit of the Tokyo sessions, a track Sylvian described as 'centrepiece of the album'.

Read a new article with all the background here: https://sylvianvista.com/2024/08/23/the ... nglishman/

[silentwings]

The latest article published is about 'Midnight Sun' from Dead Bees on a Cake.

Sylvian said that the track was originally 'a piece of fun' but he became fascinated with creating a hybrid of musical styles.

Incorporating a John Lee Hooker sample, guitar from Tom Waits band-member Marc Ribot and a Ryuichi Sakamoto brass arrangement with echoes of Gil Evans.

Here's the link: https://sylvianvista.com/2024/09/13/midnight-sun/

[silentwings]

It's always a pleasure when Ryuichi Sakamoto's creative world crosses over with David Sylvian's.

For the latest article I wrote about Ryuichi's four part symphony - 'Grief'/'Anger'/'Prayer'/'Salvation' - released on his Discord CD in 1998.

Sakamoto composed the piece for an orchestral tour of Japan, the themes prompted by a TV documentary he watched about the unfolding crisis in Rwanda. David Sylvian contributed to the final movement.

David Torn was also involved in the project.

Here's the link: https://sylvianvista.com/2024/10/04/salvation/

[Quiet Visitor]

Thanks as always.

I have that Discord-CD, the enhanced version with that glittering blue slipcase. Haven't played it in ages. I also bought the Prayer/Salvation-CD with remixes, edits and long editions. Haven't had that in the player for a long time either. Sakamoto made so much music, the last one I bought was a cheap version of his soundtrack The Last Emperor. I also noticed Coda was rereleased.