bomb mag

David's solo career interviews

Re: bomb mag

Postby neonico on Tue Mar 16, 2010 7:36 am

digimarsh wrote:I find most of his interviews in recent times of little value,to be honest, they tend to tread the same path and give very little solid info.David tends to ramble a bit i would say,he is very intelligent and articulate ,we have known this for years.
What we want to know is what are you working on now,when will it be released and what will it be like.By the way i agree recent photos of him do not do him any favours, he looks better in the flesh i would imagine.



I agree just other questions not always the same ones weve seen a thousand times...yes other questions like what hes doing now ,hows the label doing or just silly questions like whats you faviort drink...do you have a cuddely toy ..or what makes you cry ...to ligten up an interview.....
perhaps theres another reporter thats simlar to the late ms yates

and the fotos yes they are all the same style ...... David Sylvian took amazing photos of ingrid chavez for her site...perhaps ingrid should take a few fotos of david shes the only one i think that could take a nice pic of mr sylvian....
neonico
 

Re: bomb mag

Postby baht habit on Tue Mar 16, 2010 11:11 am

Realizing that only an excerpt has been made available, I would have to wait until I have an opportunity to read the full interview before I could decide the validity regarding the content.
Already, I found it interesting how Rowe makes mention of the importance of having a creative mentor. Sylvian points out that he would have benefitted highly from some stronger guidance during his formative years. It seems that all of the advisors who surrounded him were commercially driven and Sylvian realizes that he had no true mentors who concerned themselves with the artistic side of music. He probably could have avoided the creation of material which he now considers lacking in merit. Since I agree with that assessment, I obviously have no problem with the interview taking such a direction. I assume those who disagree would have a problem with that line of conversation.
I'm looking forward to reading the rest. Thanks so much for making us aware of this.
baht habit
Everything & Nothing
Everything & Nothing
 
Posts: 680
Joined: Sat May 20, 2006 3:37 pm

Re: bomb mag

Postby inkinthewell on Tue Mar 16, 2010 12:43 pm

digimarsh wrote:What we want to know is what are you working on now,when will it be released and what will it be like.


You won't get any of that if the interviewer is a fellow artist. Anyhow, I don't know how much good it would be for us if he should say: "My next album will be released in early 2011", and then we're still waiting in late 2012!
Personally, like Baht, I'm looking forward to reading the whole interview, and I'd be quite interested to know what their reaction to Manafon has been; I mean, David Sylvian, being the commander in chief, had a goal to reach, and worked his way to get there, but Keith Rowe had no idea what David had in mind, so, it'd be nice to know if David thinks he got where he wanted to go, and what did Keith expect was going to turn up from this collaboration and if he ever thought he might have gone top of the charts! :D
Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans - JL 1940-1980
User avatar
inkinthewell
Everything & Nothing
Everything & Nothing
 
Posts: 982
Joined: Tue Aug 28, 2007 3:38 pm
Location: Italy

Re: bomb mag

Postby tracycowell on Tue Mar 16, 2010 5:38 pm

david would never have agreed to an interview with paula yates she was far too light hearted.She also had a style that was very "familiar" with the musicians that she interviewed!

On the subject of hair neo, its not men should have this and women that. I love long hair on men (kurt cobain for example) but i just dont think it suits david now. i wasnt keen when i saw it at the in praise of shamans tour, it was very long and tied back. i myself have a pixie crop type style and im female. its about what suits you.

I just think it ages david, he has a great bone structure and should show it off with a shorter style.... Just my opinion. :D
Ask yourself: Do I know who I am? Perform sincere self-inquiry, and find the permanent solution to all of life’s problems. — Amma
User avatar
tracycowell
Regular
Regular
 
Posts: 48
Joined: Fri Jan 25, 2008 5:29 pm
Location: kent,uk

Re: bomb mag

Postby Tim91 on Tue Mar 16, 2010 8:25 pm

tracycowell wrote:
On the subject of hair neo, its not men should have this and women that. I love long hair on men (kurt cobain for example) but i just dont think it suits david now. i wasnt keen when i saw it at the in praise of shamans tour, it was very long and tied back. i myself have a pixie crop type style and im female. its about what suits you.

I just think it ages david, he has a great bone structure and should show it off with a shorter style.... Just my opinion. :D

I second that emotion!
User avatar
Tim91
Obsessed
Obsessed
 
Posts: 135
Joined: Mon Dec 08, 2008 4:52 pm
Location: Boston, U.S.

Re: bomb mag

Postby jon abbey on Tue Mar 16, 2010 9:39 pm

this interview was evidently extremely long and was quite cut down in the end. the version I've seen (4800 words) I thought was really interesting/illuminating, although of course my perspective comes from the Keith end of things, not David.
jon abbey
Fanatic
Fanatic
 
Posts: 99
Joined: Tue Jun 23, 2009 4:56 am

Re: bomb mag

Postby baht habit on Tue Mar 16, 2010 10:39 pm

Keith Rowe comes across as an extremely insightful and intelligent man. So when an intelligent interviewer asks intelligent questions to an intelligent subject, then obviously the interview itself will exude intelligence. :-) I would think by now that reasonable fans would surely not be seeking fun and frivolity by now. The days of fanzines and 'teen beat' type articles are long past.
To basically accuse these two artists of being 'pseudo-intellectual' unfortunately reflects mainly on the accuser rather than on the accused. I wouldn't expect these gentlemen to make simple small talk. I can somewhat understand how the manner in which they choose to discuss their work could possibly turn off certain members of the fan base, but again - shouldn't we all know what we are in for by now?
baht habit
Everything & Nothing
Everything & Nothing
 
Posts: 680
Joined: Sat May 20, 2006 3:37 pm

Re: bomb mag

Postby Simonp on Wed Mar 17, 2010 1:47 am

baht habit wrote:To basically accuse these two artists of being 'pseudo-intellectual' unfortunately reflects mainly on the accuser rather than on the accused.


Charmed I'm sure
MANAFON MANAFON MANAFON MANAFON MANAFON MANAFON MANAFON MANAFON MANAFON
User avatar
Simonp
Everything & Nothing
Everything & Nothing
 
Posts: 820
Joined: Tue Sep 26, 2006 12:00 pm
Location: Scotland

Re: bomb mag

Postby neonico on Wed Mar 17, 2010 2:48 am

So when an intelligent interviewer asks intelligent questions to an intelligent subject, then obviously the interview itself will exude intelligence.




The paula yates thing was only meant as a bit of fun and was a sugesstion from my father who is very intelligent and articulate where i come from is intelligence measured by what youve studied ie a university degree...

In the UK this is more open the word intelligent is thrown around like fish and chips ....if you throw fish and chips around of course ..... you can be called intelligent without even having completed school (sorry david this wasnt directed towards you this is meant in general)......i find this interesting......where as in my country this wouldnt be excepted.....

That i have a university degree and proud of it i dont have to prove that im intelligent or articulate when my posts dont show this......

and for me the below interview shows intelligence and open heartness without trying to be intelligent(this is also not directed towards keith rowe or jon abbey both who i admire and respect)


Ingid chavez interview by the pandorian

Pop Music is shorthand for ‘popular in the taste of many.’ Poetry uses words to provoke emotional or sensual responces, often adding a creative meaning to a message. The music industry produces its share of mass-consumed anthems to escapism, but occasionally, a voice and talent is heard among the offerings and it shines when surrounded by others’ work.

A Flutter and Some Words is Ingrid’s long-awaited return to songwriting. She was gracious to oblige our request for an interview during the launch and promotion of her new album.



TP. Your eponymous album Ingrid Chavez – May 19,1992 (released in 1991, The title is the first anniversary of the date the cover art was photographed) was a revelation and the spoken words, the poetry and the dance-pop tracks were visionary for that time. How did the collaboration with Prince begin?

IC. I ran into Prince at a nightclub in 1987 I think, and we made an instant connection. I was bold enough to tell him that I was a singer-songwriter. I started writing poetry for him and he really liked it. He wanted to see what I would do in the studio on my own so he gave me a day in the studio at Paisley Park. I had no idea what I might do in there but I was up for the challenge. I recorded some very strange pieces. I’ve always loved experimenting with flipping tracks so I had backwards guitar and pitched vocals with layers of harmony. I had the engineer help me record some percussion and then the vocals were a mix of spoken word and singing. I recorded two tracks that day. Both were very strange and the look on his face was priceless. He was intrigued. He made an offer that if I wrote 21 poems that he and I would go into the studio together. Once I had the poems, we went in and he put me on a microphone and set up a keyboard in the control room. He would ask the title of the poem, play around sounds on his keyboard until he found a sound that suited the title and then he would signal for me to start reading. We went through all 21 poems this way. The original performance was completely improvised. Prince and I parted ways shortly after that and I went on to form a band with Richard Werbowenko called Skyfish. I ran into Prince’s brother one day and gave him a copy of the Skyfish record to give to Prince. I came home a few days later and my little apartment was completely filled with white flowers. Prince called and said that he just finished recording Heaven Must Be Near and that it sounded like spring time in Paris. He asked me if I would like to finish the Poetry album.

TP. Tell us about your childhood and your musical education. At what point did you decide to pursue a career in music?

IC. I remember falling in love with David Bowie’s song Fame. I didn’t buy many records as a child but I did buy that single and although I loved Fame it was the B-side, Golden Years that I fell in love with. I started fantasizing about being a singer myself, I suppose. Later I would discover Prince and that was when I decided I would make becoming a singer/songwriter my goal. A few years later I discovered David Sylvian’s music and it heavily influenced my approach to writing lyrics and my songwriting in general. I had no formal musical education. Music was just a calling.

TP. Were you a femme fatale, a tomboy or a geek in high school?

IC. I didn’t really belong in any group in high school. For the most part I would say that I was a bit of an outsider looking in, counting down the days for it all to end.

TP. Most singers and other performers looking to break into the business go to New York, Los Angeles or Tennessee. Why Minnesota?

IC. It was fate and an unfortunate turn of events that would place me in Minneapolis. I was living in Atlanta and I was in a band called China Dance with my partner at the time, Steve Snow. We moved into this old candy factory on the outskirts of the city. It was big enough for us to live, record and rehearse in. A few weeks after moving in, we left for a few hours to take a friend to the airport and when we came back, everything was gone. All of our equipment was stolen. Steve is originally from Minneapolis, so the logical thing to do was to move there and start over. About a year after moving there, Steve and I went our separate ways. The arts and music were thriving in the city back then, so it wasn’t too long before I was on my merry musical way.

TP. Of artists that inspired you, were there any men or women who made a lasting impression on your style or your charismatic presence?

IC. Marlene Dietrich was a great inspiration for me. I loved her style. She was strong and she influenced my love of women wearing men’s clothing. I was also really influenced by the world of Man Ray during his Paris years. That influence shows in the video for Elephant Box and the May 19, 1992 album artwork. I worked with Mathew Rolston on the video because he loved Man Ray as well and he heard me when I said I wanted to bring Man Ray’s photographs to life.

TP. Most artists have beautiful stories to tell behind their songs. Tell us a bit more about your first single, By The Water.

IC. By The Water is a very sensual song. It’s about that moment when you lay yourself open and allow yourself to be vulnerable, that moment when you let someone in and they let you in.



TP. What are favourite moments or anecdotes you would like to share with us from the development of your album A Flutter and Some Words?

IC. Well, I got to spend some wonderful time in Northern Italy. All of the vocals were recorded there over three different sessions. One time we were at a big beautiful retreat space called Shanti House on the countryside in a region called Lunigiana. It borders Tuscany. We set up a recording space in one of the buildings on the property, The Gompa. It was very hot in August and of course, there was no air conditioning, so we would close the windows to record the vocals and then quickly opened them up for playback. It was over 100 degrees outside. At one point it just got too hot to close the windows and we were recording some flexible tubing that Lorenzo found on the property that when swung in circles made a really interesting whistling sound. We were working on the title track, A Flutter And Some Words. Every time we would push record these birds outside the windows would start singing really lovely melodies very loudly. We decided that they should be on the recordings or rather they decided, so we recorded them and they appear in A Flutter Coda.

TP. What inspires you?

IC. Beginnings and endings; snow, the change of seasons. Driving. Andrei Tarkovsky. Sally Mann. Writing a new song.

TP. The video for your single By The Water shows a tender focus. There is an aura of spirituality and romance to it. Has your family life influenced your vision and your art?

IC. My family is my life. Everything revolves around it. Putting music out into the world only works when it’s working in my home life. That’s the beauty of having a place you call home, you can live there and create there. This record was written here where I sit now and the video was filmed on a friend’s property. It’s all close and familiar and unpretentious. There is a romance and spirituality in living and loving your environment.

TP. Why so long between your last release (sixteen years) and now?

IC. I was busy being married and being a mother. My experience of the music business prior to meeting David really put me off it. I was not cut out for that world of Prince. When I was part of that world, way too many things were asked of me that I did not feel comfortable with. I threw myself into domesticity and closed the door to that part of my life. I was content for a while to live vicariously through David’s career. When our marriage fell apart, I obviously could no longer live through him so, I had to make some choices for myself, to start over with some entirely new path or pick up where I had left off before getting married. Music is all I really know, so I began my journey back and in so doing realized that there is nothing more fulfilling or gratifying then completing a song.

TP. Have you devised a routine or work method when you write your poetry or the lyrics to a song?

IC. I don’t have a method of work. I write when I feel like it. I write when I have something that needs to be said. I am not good at adhering to routine. I wish that I was, I admire people who do.

TP. Are there special things you do to make everyone around you feel at ease during a recording session or a live performance?

IC. There is nothing in particular that I do. I have very calming energy and that goes a long way in a studio environment.

TP. Do you miss special moments from the beginning of your career?

IC. I feel like I am there again in a way. I have a lot of creative energy flowing and everything is new in the way that I am working and trying to get this album out into the world. Meeting Prince was really magical and the whole experience of making the album and the movie was like a fairy-tale. I would never wish to turn back the pages because life continues to be magical and full of wonder for me.

TP. How did you meet Richard Werbowenko?

IC. I met Richard through a friend in Minneapolis. He used to wear his hair in what looked like a big dandelion. I liked him from the moment I first met him. It wasn’t long before we formed our band Skyfish and started recording and performing.

TP. Did your collaborations with David Sylvian and Richard Werbowenko in the album Little Girls With 99 Lives and in Ryuichi Sakamoto’s Heartbeat influence your current album?

IC. Well, as they say, we are the sum of all of our parts and that music and time in my life is a part of me. I am constantly challenging myself musically and lyrically so in that sense, everything that came before now is an influence.

TP. Tell us about the band Ova and Tommy Roberts. What brought you together?

IC. Tommy Roberts used to own a recording studio in Minneapolis called The Underground. I was in a band called Skyfish with Richard Werbowenko back then and we did some recording at Tommy’s studio. Skyfish broke up and I went on to work with Prince and then I married David. I was pretty much out of the music scene altogether when Tommy showed up out of the blue at my door asking me if I would be interested in being in a band with him and Josh Holland. I wasn’t sure about it, but after giving it some thought I joined. We named the band Ova. I really loved the music we made. Tommy (who goes by the name Zachary Vex now) is a guitar pedal designer and so there was a lot of great guitar throughout the songs. My soft voice with this heavy guitar and beat-based music was a nice mixture.

TP. Lorenzo Scopelliti, Alessandro Mazzitelli, El Perdido (Frank Verdeja, who designed the album’s cover artwork) and Marzio Mirabella came into your world and the synergies between you and these artists bring us a much-anticipated new album and films to accompany the music. Are you bringing your fans closer into your life, sharing your previous experiences through the songs or are you looking to explore musically and visually a new reality to share with them as you evolve? Is this a beautiful intersection between your past and your future?

IC. Not being signed to a label has given me a lot of freedom to be as prolific and creative as I can and want to be. It is wonderful to work with artists who are not in it for the money, but are in it because they believe in what you are doing and they want to be a part of that creative energy. I love people who are generous with their creative energy. I want to keep growing as an artist and keep challenging myself. As long as I keep evolving as a person there will be songs to write. This current album is very different from my Paisley Park album, Little Girl With 99 Lives, Skyfish and Ova but that is the beauty of constantly evolving as a person, your art is bound to evolve as well.
neonico
 

Re: bomb mag

Postby tracycowell on Wed Mar 17, 2010 9:00 am

Yes all ingrids interviews seem "open hearted", I wish davids could be more like that. Not silly things like favourite colour e.t.c just more about his life in general. I know this would never happen though,27 years as a "fan" has taught me that...
Ask yourself: Do I know who I am? Perform sincere self-inquiry, and find the permanent solution to all of life’s problems. — Amma
User avatar
tracycowell
Regular
Regular
 
Posts: 48
Joined: Fri Jan 25, 2008 5:29 pm
Location: kent,uk

Re: bomb mag

Postby baht habit on Wed Mar 17, 2010 9:47 am

Simonp wrote:
baht habit wrote:To basically accuse these two artists of being 'pseudo-intellectual' unfortunately reflects mainly on the accuser rather than on the accused.


Charmed I'm sure


Come on now, Simon, that is not quite fair to take the quote out of the context of my other remarks and then possibly take offense by the sentiment, for that was not my intention. Please don't take offense. I am just attempting to put forth the idea that if we are bored by the nature of Sylvian's interviews at this point in time, then it has more to do with our expectations or preferences rather than how he chooses to conduct himself during any interview. I think you must agree that he has been fairly consistent over the past few decades. To claim this guy is being 'pseudo-intellectual' when he has proven himself to express his thoughts and processes intelligently only leads me to believe that either we all haven't been paying close attention or that some of us want him to project himself as something he clearly is not nor ever will be. I can't fathom why some would expect him to come across as some average bloke, especially while being interviewed by another artist.
I for one always had to chuckle at any of the spiritual b.s. or mystical ideas he seemed to have espoused in the past, but I knew what to expect whenever I read or listened to him. And I'd just glance over what I perceived to be ridiculous junk until I found the sections dealing with the musical aspects, which I knew would appeal more to my sensibilities. I found that quite easy to do and recommend it highly. :-)
baht habit
Everything & Nothing
Everything & Nothing
 
Posts: 680
Joined: Sat May 20, 2006 3:37 pm

Re: bomb mag

Postby inkinthewell on Wed Mar 17, 2010 10:15 am

neonico wrote:where i come from is intelligence measured by what youve studied ie a university degree...


Well, in the world I live in, a university degree only means you have (probably, hopefully!) a wee bit more specific knowledge of a certain argument than the average person; but that doesn't necessarily make you an intelligent being. I tend to measure intelligence by the use a person makes of his or her knowledge, however big (or small) that may be.
(My cat played truant once too many to be allowed to attend the University of Cambridge, yet she is extremely intelligent. Actually, she's a genius.)

P.S. I have ordered the magazine, and I'd be rather glad if the interview could offer glimpses of Manafon (and making music in general) from David's and Keith's different points of view.
Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans - JL 1940-1980
User avatar
inkinthewell
Everything & Nothing
Everything & Nothing
 
Posts: 982
Joined: Tue Aug 28, 2007 3:38 pm
Location: Italy

Re: bomb mag

Postby neonico on Wed Mar 17, 2010 10:31 am

inkinthewell wrote:
neonico wrote:where i come from is intelligence measured by what youve studied ie a university degree...


Well, in the world I live in, a university degree only means you have (probably, hopefully!) a wee bit more specific knowledge of a certain argument than the average person;
.


well if the above is true a wee bit more knowedge then you d let yourself be operated in hosital by a person thats hasnt studied

good argument...

and david not being an average bloke i cant answer that one never lived with him and dont know him personally and never will ....like the rest of us...
neonico
 

Re: bomb mag

Postby Foales Arishes on Wed Mar 17, 2010 3:15 pm

Is it possible to obtain this publication in the UK anywhere, or does it have to be posted from the US?

I rather like his interviews myself, though they often tread the same ground, which is not surprising as they have all been in the context of Manafon and its promotion... I'm new to DS, so have only read what has emerged in the past six months or so.

We - modern culture - in general, seems to be embarrassed by any hint of the intellectual, everything seems to be taken down to the lowest common denominator, so its quite refreshing to read something less trivial... even if it is a little dry :)
Foales Arishes
Everything & Nothing
Everything & Nothing
 
Posts: 242
Joined: Mon Oct 19, 2009 1:15 pm

Re: bomb mag

Postby Hawk on Wed Mar 17, 2010 3:21 pm

I love David's hair at the moment.

:-)

I also think that however intelligent everyone is, you all make such interesting comments. I am glad people are free to debate here.

Obviously I can't speak for David but if I were in his position I think I would find it difficult if people asked me about my life...as my life is essentially very simple and without much activity... I don't feel that I can speak or express myself as 'my life' as I don't really have much to tell other than what people know or could guess already ... but if people asked me about 'my art' I would have lots to say as I have travelled to many places through that medium. I guess it could be seen as hiding....or it could be that I use art so much as a device to speak, to think, to feel, to communicate, that anything complex or interesting has been fed onto that canvas, leaving the painter just painting and that's it. In essence, when I look in the mirror I don't see the flesh and blood that stares back at me but a combination of selves and timespaces and memories and atmospheres and genders all put into one image - and it's that level that I would find it easier to communicate - or be interviewed - on. For someone else to be able to read on that level, or even be interested on what happens on that level, they don't have to be intelligent or artistic, just accepting that reality plays on many stages and for some people, physical reality is actually quite plain and almost deceptive of who that person really is. The truth is the mask - that is why it was created. It is a combination of everything inside and outside. Still, I can understand when people say David tends to 'tread the same path' in his interviews. Reading one after the other, both in a specific time bracket, or reading one on its own, does seem to give this impression, although in reflecting on his thoughts I always learn something new. If I had time and was obsessive about it, I would read all the interviews he has ever done - not necessarily in chronological order, in fact they might be more revealing jumbled up. But I guess I might as well just listen to the music... I would have to see a purpose in such detailed study.

But I know I ramble on.....and even if what I say is important to me it doesn't make it any less of a ramble...so maybe David is just an old rambler... Same with being pretentious and self-absorbed... if you want to point fingers. But I'm not asking anyone to change. Ask me what my favourite drink is and I'd probably stand there pondering for half an hour rather than give a quick response I later regret through its superficiality... which is stupid but its me and finally I'm ok with that. Maybe David is finally settled with who he is too...

Agh I'm gonna have to click submit now before I regret typing all this........ :oops:
User avatar
Hawk
Obsessed
Obsessed
 
Posts: 137
Joined: Fri Nov 14, 2008 5:27 pm
Location: UK

PreviousNext

Return to Interviews

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 10 guests

cron