DAVID SYLVIAN
Crossover Prog • United Kingdom
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David Alan Batt - Born 23 February 1958 in Beckenham, England
It is difficult to describe David SYLVIAN's music. It is ambient, dark, although not heavy with sombre vocal and very experimental playing. David SYLVIAN was born as David Batt in Kent, England on February 23, 1958. In 1974 he formed Japan, initially a glam rock band, which eventually evolved into a stylish synth-pop group. After a quite successful career, Japan was dissolved in 1982. SYLVIAN's first solo album "Brilliant Trees" was released in 1984 featuring besides others Richard Barbieri (ex-Japan) and Holger Czukay (ex-CAN). "Brilliant Trees" is a very atmospheric record, mixing funk, jazz, and ambient in beautiful although eclectic music.
David SYLVIAN's next solo album was "Gone to Earth" with Robert Fripp, Mel Collins and SYLVIAN's ex-Japan colleagues Barbieri and Steve Janson. Although brilliant like his previous record, it was less accessible thus got less favourable response from critics. In 1987 SYLVIAN released his most successful and critically acclaimed album "Secrets of the Beehive". A fine and gentle record made with the help of Ryuichi Sakamoto with beautiful songs and elegant arrangements.
After three solo records, David SYLVIAN undertook a number of collaborations with other musicians. In 1988-89 he released two albums with Holger Czukay. In 1993 saw "The First Day", one of the greatest prog records with Robert Fripp, which was followed by a live version "Damage", which also featured Trey Gunn and Pat Mastelotto, would-be members of KING CRIMSON. The superb "Dead Bees on a Cake" followed in 1999; "Approaching Silence", a collection of instrumental material, appeared later that fall. In fall 2000 SYLVIAN returned with the double-disc "Everything & Nothing", which made for an excellent introduction to some of SYLVIAN's projects.
In 2003 David SYLVIAN released "Blemish", a minimalist records, where he plays with Derek Bailey and Christian Fennesz.
DISCOGRAPHY:
1984 Brilliant Trees - 2003 Brilliant Trees (remastered)
1985 Alchemy: An Index of Possibilities
1986 Gone To Earth - 2003 Gone To Earth (remastered)
1987 Secrets Of The Beehive - 2003 Secrets Of The Beehive (remastered)
1988 Plight and Premonition (with Holger Czukay)
1989 Flux + Mutability (with Holger Czukay)
1989 Weatherbox (5 disc box set, includes all previously released solo albums)
1991 Ember Glance - The Performance of Memory
1993 The First Day (...read more
DAVID SYLVIAN forum topics / tours, shows & news
- David Sylvian Brilliant Trees
- Bryan Ferry vs David Sylvian
- David Sylvian / Nine Horses
- David Sylvian - Gone to Earth
- David Sylvian & Robert Fripp - The First
- Nine Horses: David Sylvian Project
- David sylvian !
- David Sylvian
DAVID SYLVIAN Videos (YouTube and more)
Showing only random 3 | Show all DAVID SYLVIAN videos (7) | Search and add more videos to DAVID SYLVIAN
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Sylvian & Sakamoto - Forbidden Colours
(5 min 43 sec )Added by Seyo
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David Sylvian - Orpheus
(6 min 32 sec )Added by Seyo
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Sylvian & Fripp - Every colour you are (live ''93)
(6 min 56 sec )Added by M3g52
Buy DAVID SYLVIAN Music
![]() | Victim of Stars 1982-2012 101 Distribution 2012 | $6.88 $12.64 (used) |
![]() | Dead Bees On A Cake VIRGIN 2011 | $4.97 $2.95 (used) |
![]() | Secrets Of The Beehive / David Sylvian spectrum 2017 | $3.82 $2.82 (used) |
![]() | Brilliant Trees / David Sylvian Remastered spectrum 2017 | $3.82 $5.86 (used) |
![]() | Secrets of the Beehive Virgin | $23.49 $1.98 (used) |
![]() | Alchemy-Index of Possibilities Remastered Caroline 2007 | $5.02 $4.11 (used) |
![]() | The First Day Virgin | $224.11 $5.31 (used) |
![]() | Manafon (Limited Edition Double LP) Extra tracks · Limited Edition · Limited Collector's Edition Samadhisound | $279.96 |

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DAVID SYLVIAN discography
Ordered by release date | Showing ratings (top albums) | Help Progarchives.com to complete the discography and add albums

DAVID SYLVIAN top albums (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)
DAVID SYLVIAN Live Albums (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)
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DAVID SYLVIAN Videos (DVD, Blu-ray, VHS etc)
DAVID SYLVIAN Boxset & Compilations (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)
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DAVID SYLVIAN Official Singles, EPs, Fan Club & Promo (CD, EP/LP, MC, Digital Media Download)
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DAVID SYLVIAN Reviews
Showing last 10 reviews only
David Sylvian Crossover Prog
Review by Lewian

The music is a single long piece, it could be classified as somewhat minimalist experimental avantgarde music, dark, but with a very emotional , breathing character. It features a well balanced mix of freedom and recurring structures, mainly from the omnipresent pianos, never done in a formalist and rigid way. One could even call it "swinging", if this wouldn't create totally different associations. While something is always is motion, the motions are subtle, like a very gentle wind breezing through the scenery. The atmosphere doesn't change a lot through the about 64 minutes but there is enough variation to keep the attention up. Sounds are very important; the piano and guitar sound very natural and the many samples and electronics add to the "dark forest" mood; nothing of this sounds cold, intellectual and artificial.
This really belongs to the realm of contemporary art music but there it stands out for being emotional, lively and not academic. I think that this works perfectly as what it sets out to be. It is an extremely fascinating composition, but it needs listeners who are open to this kind of free atmospheric musical landscape. Don't look for songs, melodies or clear rhythms.
It is long ago now that David Sylvian started to leave conventional pop and rock music (be it progressive) and set out for less inhabited, stranger spheres. "There's a light that enters houses..." is a very mature work and very rewarding. It is a clear 5 stars for me personally and I'd call it a masterpiece indeed, but it's not "progressive rock" by any means, so the 4 stars description fits it better.
David Sylvian Crossover Prog
Review by
Dobermensch
Prog Reviewer

I''m still a big fan of his first four solo albums, but from 'Dead Bees on a Cake' onwards he sounds like a spoiled child, crying and whining at the theft of a bag of jelly-babies that a bigger boy stole from him after stamping on his feet in a school playground.
The bloke may just have had a marriage split and is attempting to exorcise a few demons, but that's not something I want to listen to as entertainment.
There's a lot of strange glitchy and digital electronic effects on 'Blemish' and that's not necessarily a good thing. They're random and tuneless. I don't know what on earth has happened to David Sylvian during the last ten years or so. A once brilliant singer songwriter has plumbed the depths of misery and despair that no reasonable listener can tolerate or have any time for. Certainly not me, that's for sure.
'Blemish' sounds half-hearted and disinterested within itself displaying no discernible direction or raison d'etre. Derek Bailey's fractured stabs of atonal guitar do nothing to increase my interest. I've never heard an album where the lead singer sounds so dissociated and separate from proceedings.
An added star just for the fact that there's a lot happening on a subsonic level if listened to whilst wearing a good set of headphones. At the end of the day, it's instantly forgettable, poorly structured and is a mile removed from his monumental scores for 'Brilliant Trees' and 'Gone to Earth'.
You'll be hard pushed to hear such continual moaning and grumping anywhere in the Prog Archives. And you thought Leonard Cohen was a miserable git? What a dirge.
David Sylvian Crossover Prog
Review by
Warthur
Prog Reviewer

David Sylvian Crossover Prog
Review by
admireArt
Prog Reviewer

The consequence of self-indulgence. David Sylvian's, self-aquired musical language does not save these "Manafon Variations" or the crumbs of that previous album, of being irrelevant. Even his best "discoveries" work against the music. The usually inviting and mysterious songwriting, is reduced to "raw" emotionless experimentations, that should never have been brought outside his private personal collection.
No attractive melodies, forget whole songs. His usual, charged with emotions, introspective "atmospheres" , sound as empty as repetitive. And the "melancholic" lyrical world it presents, is more exclusive than inclusive, therefore uninteresting for third parties. Go backwards and listen to the original "Manafon", that one is worth the ticket. This one not.
For "die hard fans" only.
Disappointing **2 PA stars.
David Sylvian Crossover Prog
Review by
admireArt
Prog Reviewer

David Sylvian Crossover Prog
Review by VOTOMS

I was presented to David Sylvian music when I was looking for the OST from the thriller seinen (adult anime series) Monster. I fell into David Sylvian official website catalogue, since my favorite song, and probably the song that made me search for the OST, was For The Love Of Life. David Sylvian was a cooperator to the Monster animated series soundtrack, but the only track that was really written by him is For The Love of Life, and this one can't be found on any other Sylvian release, so I will focus my review on this single, but DEEP track. This song is one of the most brilliant songs that I have ever heard in terms of soundtrack composition. Genial. It's some kind of spacey atmospheric music, calm but with a thriller background. The beauty singing and vocal melody is just wonderful. At the first time I have heard For The Love of Life, i thought that the song was weird and I didn't get it. The good side of being an "ending theme" is that I had to listen to it after every single episode, and 'slowly I realise', this fits perfect! The song transmits exactly what it should! The background painting of a monster (something like a green witch) at the ending of the animated series is freak as hell, and makes the song very much more darker. Talking about this music as single, it's still an awesome 5/5 track. Trippy and catchy. Is a hard listening song, maybe you need time to understand the whole thing. A masterpiece.
The rest of the album is very well done, the soundtrack works perfect as a thriller soundtrack, dark and elaborated. The plot of the series is one of the most intelligent and one of my favorites, and the music there is brilliant as well.
David Sylvian Crossover Prog
Review by sinslice

'I Surrender' is slow and repetitive, but subtle and moving, passionate. Smooth Jazz intelligent, distinctive, with a touch of Soul. Café Europe, Thalheim, Wanderlust are held in the same pillars. Krishna Blue is a bit more intimate and ethnic feel.
Other songs are introspective as Dobro, Alphabet Angle and The Shining of Things. Midnight Sun and its course Blues. Darkest Dreams is a grand finale. And some songs inconsistent for me as Godman, Pollen Path and Praise.
I couldn´t choose two or three references as a parameter to help someone who has never heard an idea of how found, or who resembles his voice. Is David Sylvian, trademark....
David Sylvian Crossover Prog
Review by
admireArt
Prog Reviewer

Low profile by nature, David Sylvian's offerings have. also by nature. a certain elegance in both his songwriting and arrangement skills. The recording studio, as such, has always been, also part of his game. Intelligent and attractive poetry, is of course his main attribution to prog, rock, folk, you name it. Therefore when such a "great dish" is presented, with all its ingredients in top shape of substance and flavor, will seem senseless to just let go.
Every time, I play this "Nine Horses:Money for All", extended EP, it still thrills me, as the first time, so by logic, this is the kind of effort that I know, has become in my play ground, an evolving "essential" masterwork, or in "rating" language the 4.5 star deserving kind of album.
It really does not amaze me, the few ratings or attention given to such an uncomparable artist as David Sylvian is. A shame that it happens in such a "universal" page of Prog is. But still it ain't no surprise.
Now, to round things up, by subversive, I don't mean RiO, or Metal music, I mean, non-mainstream music that defies the "markets" because it never compromises, artistry for money, less subdue intelligent and emotional compositions, in able to become accessible to every "market". But otherwise completely appealing to non-mainstream, Prog/Rock audiophiles, who are kind of tired of the same old "new"? Prog repetitions and cliches.
4 becoming a 5 PA star work.................. Climb the ladder!
David Sylvian Crossover Prog
Review by
admireArt
Prog Reviewer

David Sylvian Crossover Prog
Review by
admireArt
Prog Reviewer
