FROM THE ARCHIVE: 'Before the Bullfight' from David Sylvian's Gone to Earth. Richard Barbieri brings atmospherics, Steve Jansen's drums personify the bull, Kenny Wheeler's flugelhorn brings to mind Miles' Sketches of Spain and Bill Nelson's guitar sparkles.
sylvianvista.com/2022/01/07/b...
REMINDER: The latest article features 'Bringing Down the Light', the closing track from Sylvian/Fripp's album, The First Day. Hope emerges as the album develops, intensified in this finale. With past quotes from David & Robert about their collaboration.
Link: sylvianvista.com/2026/02/13/b...
NEW ARTICLE: Sylvian/Fripp's album The First Day ends with 'Bringing Down the Light'. It's the first recorded instance of Robert Fripp's Soundscapes technique, the digital evolution of Frippertronics. David Sylvian called it a 'very hopeful and uplifting' resolution.
sylvianvista.com/2026/02/13/b...
FROM THE ARCHIVE: 'Darkest Dreaming' closes David Sylvian's album Dead Bees on a Cake. Just Sylvian's voice, his processed guitar/keyboards, and a sample of Djivan Gasparyan's haunting duduk playing from the track 'Mother of Mine'. Beautiful.
Link: sylvianvista.com/2019/04/05/d...
#davidsylvian
REMINDER: The latest article features 'Weathered Wall' from David Sylvian's debut solo album Brilliant Trees. Berlin was the location for the initial sessions, with Sylvian meeting both Holger Czukay and Jon Hassell for the first time at Hansa Tonstudio.
Read here: sylvianvista.com/2026/01/23/w...
NEW ARTICLE: 'Weathered Wall' from David Sylvian's Brilliant Trees featured Jon Hassell, Holger Czukay & Ryuichi Sakamoto along with 3 ex members of Japan. It was recorded at Hansa by the Wall in Berlin - a location that was 'native to no one involved'.
sylvianvista.com/2026/01/23/w...
#davidsylvian
FROM THE ARCHIVE: 'Snow White in Appalachia', the story of David Sylvian's meetings in Köln in 2004, of exploratory sessions in Vienna, never-used recordings with Noël Akchoté, and the hand of Christian Fennesz in this highlight from Manafon.
Read here: sylvianvista.com/2021/07/23/s...
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REMINDER: The latest article looks at Japan's 'Burning Bridges' from Gentlemen Take Polaroids - which was influenced by David Bowie's albums Low & Heroes. David Sylvian & Steve Jansen met Bowie in '77, the year those albums were released.
Read here: sylvianvista.com/2025/12/26/b...
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NEW ARTICLE: 'Burning Bridges' was a late addition to Japan's Gentlemen Take Polaroids. David Bowie was an influence for the band from teenage years and here the influence of Low and Heroes can be heard - especially the instrumentals involving Brian Eno.
sylvianvista.com/2025/12/26/b...
REMINDER: The latest article is about 'Wonderful World' by Nine Horses. It was one of the early tracks worked on when David Sylvian & Steve Jansen started writing together in 2002, Keith Lowe joining them in New Hampshire to record upright bass.
Read here: sylvianvista.com/2025/11/29/w...
NEW ARTICLE: 'Wonderful World' is the opening track of the Nine Horses album, Snow Borne Sorrow. It was recorded early on by a trio of David Sylvian, Steve Jansen and Keith Lowe, with an additional vocal overlaid later by the wonderful Stina Nordenstam.
sylvianvista.com/2025/11/29/w...
FROM THE ARCHIVE: Propaganda's 'A Secret Wish' is celebrating 40 years, so reposting this article about David Sylvian's fleeting involvement with the album: his synth & guitar lines for 'p:Machinery', and a reportedly gorgeous mix of 'Duel'.
Read here: sylvianvista.com/2022/07/22/p...
One of the most read blog posts on Vista is about the Sylvian/Joan duets project that was never completed, tracing songs that were to have been part of it, such as Sylvian’s ‘Beautiful Country’ & Joan’s ‘Warning Bell’ - the latter was performed last night.
sylvianvista.com/2020/05/29/b...
Saw Joan as Police Woman perform last night at a packed EartH in Dalston as part of the London Jazz Festival. The highlight for me was the title track of Joan’s latest album, ‘Lemons, Limes and Orchids’.
REMINDER: the latest article features Lucrecia Dalt's A Danger to Ourselves. David Sylvian is her partner and his 'contribution became fundamental', she says, as inspiration, 'creative mixer', vocalist on the opener and lead guitarist on the final track.
sylvianvista.com/2025/11/01/a...
NEW ARTICLE: Lucrecia Dalt's new album A Danger to Ourselves has been widely acclaimed. Exploring her approach to developing the record's enthralling sound and David Sylvian's role as inspiration, mentor, co-producer & lead guitarist for 'Covenstead Blues'.
sylvianvista.com/2025/11/01/a...
FROM THE ARCHIVE: posted in memory of Dave Ball of Soft Cell & The Grid who passed away this week. An article about The Grid's 'translucent remix' of Sylvian/Fripp's 'Darshan'. Dave & Richard Norris stayed faithful to the track but gave it a new flavour.
sylvianvista.com/2023/11/03/d...
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REMINDER: The latest article explores 'Cosa Rara' by Lucrecia Dalt which features David Sylvian, who also co-produced and mixed the song. Recorded at the home they share in New Mexico, the lyric references road trips, Twin Peaks, and car crashes...
sylvianvista.com/2025/10/10/c...
#davidsylvian
NEW ARTICLE: 'Cosa Rara' - the single that paved the way for Lucrecia Dalt's new album A Danger to Ourselves. Structured around Alex Làzaro's percussion, with Cyrus Campbell on bass. The coda features David Sylvian's vocal and he also completed the mix. sylvianvista.com/2025/10/10/c...
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REMINDER: The latest article features 'Alphabet Angel' from David Sylvian's album Dead Bees on a Cake. A gem with vocals by Sylvian and 'pseudo rhodes' played by Ryuichi Sakamoto. The sweet melody is offset by 'discolouration' in the mix.
Read here: sylvianvista.com/2025/09/19/a...
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NEW ARTICLE: David Sylvian's album Dead Bees on a Cake celebrates many joys of life, with 'Alphabet Angel' highlighting the 'miracle' of parenthood. The song is performed by Sylvian and Ryuichi Sakamoto. 'Strange harmonics' lurk beneath the surface.
sylvianvista.com/2025/09/19/a...
#davidsylvian
FROM THE ARCHIVE: One of the earliest blog articles from the series, about 'Small Metal Gods'. I really like the sparse accompaniment to this song and Sylvian's rich vocal as he delivers the 'slightly bitter, quite petulant, disillusioned, angry' lyric.
sylvianvista.com/2018/11/09/s...
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REMINDER: The latest article features 'Blackwater' by Rain Tree Crow, the first we heard of the project by the ex-members of Japan. An atmospheric song with intricate brushed drumming from Steve Jansen & unique atmospheres from Richard Barbieri.
Read here: sylvianvista.com/2025/08/29/b...
NEW ARTICLE: 'Blackwater' was the single that heralded the new incarnation of Richard Barbieri, Steve Jansen, Mick Karn & David Sylvian as Rain Tree Crow. The members of Japan released new music a decade after Tin Drum. Bill Nelson is a welcome guest.
sylvianvista.com/2025/08/29/b...
#japantheband
FROM THE ARCHIVE: 'Victim of Stars' was one of two vocal tracks featuring David Sylvian from the first edition of Hector Zazou's album Sahara Blue. The project was a celebration of Arthur Rimbaud and Sylvian's lyric was inspired by his poetic vision.
sylvianvista.com/2019/01/11/v...
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REMINDER: The latest article features David Sylvian's Steel Cathedrals which he called the 'first step in a new approach for me', opening up the music for guest musicians to respond. The approach was rewarded with beautiful work from Sakamoto, Fripp et al.
sylvianvista.com/2025/08/01/s...
NEW ARTICLE: David Sylvian's 'Steel Cathedrals' has a wonderful line up of guests: Ryuichi Sakamoto, Robert Fripp, Holger Czukay, Kenny Wheeler, Steve Jansen & Masami Tsuchiya. Developed from an earlier piece called 'Showing the Wound (A Will to Health)'.
sylvianvista.com/2025/08/01/s...
FROM THE ARCHIVE: Looking back to David Sylvian's first solo tour in 1988, with a stellar band of Isham, Torn, Jansen, Barbieri, Maidman and Aceto. Some terrific musicianship on display - the Hammersmith show I attended is a treasured memory.
sylvianvista.com/2021/11/05/b...
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REMINDER: The latest article features the new album by Melaine Dalibert & David Sylvian, Vermilion Hours, with exclusive input from Melaine who gives insight into the work and its context - particularly 'Music for the Break of Day'.
Read here: sylvianvista.com/2025/07/04/m...
NEW ARTICLE: An interview with Melaine Dalibert on the release of his new album with David Sylvian, Vermilion Hours. We talked about his motivation for revisiting the composition 'Musique pour le Lever du Jour' and inviting Sylvian to contribute electronics.
sylvianvista.com/2025/07/04/m...
