Page 6 of 13

Re: Vista blog

PostPosted: Fri Aug 21, 2020 12:06 pm
by silentwings
It's always a privilege to have a guest contributor to the blog articles, and the latest is no exception.

I spoke to Jennifer Maidman about recording tracks for Gone to Earth, including the debut single 'Taking the Veil'.

As an admirer of the music for so long, it's great to be taken back to the studio sessions, to hear Jennifer's commentary on her bass part - and why Steve Jansen's approach to the drums is so important.

Here's the link: https://sylvianvista.com/2020/08/21/taking-the-veil/

Re: Vista blog

PostPosted: Sat Aug 22, 2020 12:36 am
by javier
Great write-up as always!

I so wish we could hear the original version of Wave...

Re: Vista blog

PostPosted: Sat Aug 22, 2020 12:59 pm
by Quiet Visitor
Thanks for this fine piece. And great to have Jennifer Maidman talking to you. For those who missed it, she released a beautiful, brave solo-album some years ago, called "Dreamland" which features David Torn, Jerry Marotta and a couple of PCO-colleagues.
http://jennifermaidman.weebly.com/

Re: Vista blog

PostPosted: Fri Sep 04, 2020 1:10 pm
by silentwings
Thank you for the feedback on 'Taking the Veil'.

Many people have said how much they like the 12" version.. ..well the article's publication led to a brief conversation with the remixer, Julian Mendelsohn, so I've added in a few lines about his remembrances of creating it.

The updated version can be found at the same link: https://sylvianvista.com/2020/08/21/taking-the-veil/

Re: Vista blog

PostPosted: Fri Sep 11, 2020 12:14 pm
by silentwings
A new article has just been published on 'Science Fiction 1 & 2' by David Sylvian & Steve Jansen.

David Sylvian approached photographer Charles Lindsay for the distinctive cover photography of 2002's Camphor. In return, Lindsay invited Sylvian to create music for two videos of his innovative abstract photographs. Sylvian and Steve Jansen produced two pieces to complement the photographer's hyper-resolution pictures.

The videos were posted in low resolution on davidsylvian.com and samadhisound.com many years ago, but are included in the article in HD.

I spoke to Charles about the project and working with Sylvian & Jansen.

Here's the link: https://sylvianvista.com/2020/09/11/science-fiction/

Re: Vista blog

PostPosted: Fri Oct 02, 2020 12:50 pm
by silentwings
Two new things to bring to your attention:

1) A new article just published on 'The Banality of Evil' by Nine Horses - includes an interview with Theo Travis who recalls the recording sessions, how he came to be involved, and the story of Robert Fripp's never-heard session for the song. Whilst Robert and Theo never met during the sessions, the link with Nine Horses led to them linking up for their Travis and Fripp project. The article also traces the influence of a Nazi war trial on the song's title.

Here's the link - https://sylvianvista.com/2020/10/02/the ... y-of-evil/

2) An updated and much expanded version of the article on 'The History of Holes' has gone live. Also including memories from Theo and much insight into the lyrics from David Sylvian's interviews in 2004/5.

Here's the link: https://sylvianvista.com/2018/05/04/a-history-of-holes/

As ever, I really hope you enjoy them and that maybe they encourage you to dig out the songs and give them a listen.

Re: Vista blog

PostPosted: Fri Oct 23, 2020 12:15 pm
by silentwings
The latest article on Vista features 'Preparations for a Journey', from Alchemy - An Index of Possibilities

It was a fascinating period in the early '80s, with Sylvian taking a break from songwriting in 1982 during the last days of Japan, finding inspiration in art, photography and travel. After the positive critical reception of Brilliant Trees, he records 'Preparations for a Journey' late in '84, initially for the documentary of the same name. A man truly finding his feet as a solo artist...

Here's the link: https://sylvianvista.com/2020/10/23/pre ... a-journey/

Re: Vista blog

PostPosted: Fri Nov 06, 2020 1:12 pm
by silentwings
To coincide with the 50th article to be published on Vista, I was thrilled to talk again with Russell Mills. This time we spoke about the 1990 installation by David Sylvian and Russell entitled 'Ember Glance: The Permanence of Memory'.

The result is a two-part series of articles, the first of which will be released next week.

Ahead of then, here is a 'virtual viewing' of the installation which took place in Japan. I wish I had been able to see it in person...

Here's the link: https://sylvianvista.com/ember-glance-t ... of-memory/

Re: Vista blog

PostPosted: Fri Nov 13, 2020 1:37 pm
by silentwings
The first of two articles on Ember Glance: The Permanence of Memory has just been published.

This edition explores the gem of a track, 'Epiphany'. Less than three minutes in duration, it's almost a post-script to the main installation music on the cd. But in the exhibition hall, these samples were constantly intermingling with the longer piece by Sylvian & Frank Perry. Russell Mills talked to me in depth about the significance of each voice and sound on this short track, and how it encapsulates artistic and literary influences that were at the heart of Ember Glance.

Here's the link: https://sylvianvista.com/2020/11/13/epiphany/

Re: Vista blog

PostPosted: Fri Nov 27, 2020 1:28 pm
by silentwings
The video section on this site contains the best quality version I have seen of the complete Japan appearance on 'The Old Grey Whistle Test' in March 1982. It's so good to see this as broadcast with the full introduction by presenter Annie Nightingale.

This is when they played 'Ghosts' and 'Cantonese Boy' and were joined by Ryuichi Sakamoto and David Rhodes.

I hope nobody minds that I've linked this into my article on 'Ghosts - live' here: https://sylvianvista.com/2020/07/31/ghosts-live/

Re: Vista blog

PostPosted: Fri Nov 27, 2020 2:37 pm
by Quiet Visitor
Thanks for sharing. I must have seen these clips years ago, but can't remember the introduction and especially not seeing Mick looking so bored in Ghosts. Reading your block makes clear what happened (of course I read it in Mick's autobiography, but it's been years ago I read that). Indeed, too bad they didn't change the arrangement so Mick could have played whatever he was good at (and that was a lot!).

Re: Vista blog

PostPosted: Fri Dec 04, 2020 12:39 pm
by silentwings
I just published part two of my new interview with Russell Mills on Ember Glance, the 1990 installation which he and David Sylvian staged in Tokyo.

Russell talks about the trip that he and David made to gather material for the project, how elements of the installation emerged from the rubble of a previous artwork, the cultural references that anchor the work, and the final realisation of their vision in Japan.

I enjoyed returning to the video footage of the making of Ember Glance which circulated in the 1990s. My VHS copy from back then was barely watchable, but thankfully there are some better (but still imperfect) versions online.

Here's the link: https://sylvianvista.com/2020/12/04/ember-glance/

Re: Vista blog

PostPosted: Sat Dec 26, 2020 1:23 pm
by silentwings
For the latest article I interviewed Theo Travis about being part of David Sylvian's touring band for The World is Everything tour in 2007.

Theo tells the story of how he joined the band at the very last minute and traces connections that started with his appearance on stage with Jansen/Barbieri/Karn ten years earlier.

Here is the link - https://sylvianvista.com/2020/12/26/ride-live/

Thanks for all your interest and encouragement in the blog this year.

Re: Vista blog

PostPosted: Sun Dec 27, 2020 9:27 am
by Quiet Visitor
Thanks. Lovely story.

"But the other version was that Mick saw the name Theo – which is a Greek name and thought, “great – I will get another Greek person in the band!” (he was a Greek Cypriot). I have no Greek blood, however. My parents just liked the name! "

:D

I was at one of the shows during The World Is Everything Tour; Thuesday October 4th 2007 in Oosterpoort, Groningen, The Netherlands. Of course I bought the tour-book, which includes the Samadisound-sampler, which contains one song of Harold Budd, Templar from the download-only album Perhaps.

Re: Vista blog

PostPosted: Fri Jan 15, 2021 1:24 pm
by silentwings
For the next article I focused on 'Thalheim', for me one of the stand-out tracks on Dead Bees on a Cake.

Sylvian first visited Mother Meera there in 1992. He has described the impact this had on him, but not the experience itself. I discovered a beautifully written account of a visit just a few months before David and Ingrid, which allows us to picture exactly what it was like to be there.

This led to an interesting connection with Sylvian's poem, 'The Church Bells Strike'.

Here's the link: https://sylvianvista.com/2021/01/15/tha ... ls-strike/