Editing David Sylvian (section)

==Biography==
===Early years===
David Sylvian was born David Alan Batt in [[Beckenham]], [[Kent]], England.<ref name="LarkinGE"/> He grew up in nearby [[Lewisham]], South London, in a working-class home. His father Bernard was a [[plasterer]] by trade, his mother Sheila a housewife. He had an older sister and a younger brother, [[Steve Jansen|Steve]]. Sylvian later said he never enjoyed his childhood, mainly because of the environment of mid-1960s Lewisham. In 1966, he and Steve applied to appear in an advertisement for [[Mattel]]'s [[Major Matt Mason]] action figures.<ref>{{cite tweet|user=davidsylvian58|number=1607486783306227715|title=… someone (not Santa) is coming to pick u up for a little Christmas outing}}</ref> As an escape and emotional release from his discomfort he found an interest in music via his sister, who brought [[Motown]] and [[Soul music|soul]] records to the home. He attended Catford Boys School where he became a friend of Anthony Michaelides, later known as [[Mick Karn]]. When David received an acoustic guitar and his brother a drum kit as Christmas presents from their father, the three boys began to play music together.<ref>Power, Martin, ''David Sylvian: The Last Romantic''. Omnibus Press, 2012, chapter 1</ref>

===1970s–early 1980s: Japan===
[[File:Japan band.jpg|thumb|220px|right|[[Japan (band)|Japan]] in Toronto, 24 November 1979]]
The band [[Japan (band)|Japan]], whose other members included [[Mick Karn]] on bass, guitarist [[Rob Dean]], keyboardist [[Richard Barbieri]] and Sylvian's brother Steve as drummer (under the name Steve Jansen), began as a group of friends. As youngsters they played music as a means of escape, playing Sylvian's two-chord numbers – sometimes with Karn as the frontman, sometimes with Sylvian at the fore.

They christened themselves Japan in 1974, signed a recording contract with [[Hansa Records]], and became an alternative [[glam rock]] outfit in the mould of [[David Bowie]], [[T. Rex (band)|T.&nbsp;Rex]], and the [[New York Dolls]]. A fan of the New York Dolls, Sylvian adopted his stage name from [[Sylvain Sylvain]], while his brother took Jansen from [[David Johansen]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Jansen|first=Steve|title=Answer to question regarding Jansen and Sylvian name origin|url=http://sleepyard.tumblr.com/post/139670955058/were-the-names-sylvian-and-jansen-really-based-on|website=Sleepyard|publisher=Tumblr|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161012181457/http://sleepyard.tumblr.com/post/139670955058/were-the-names-sylvian-and-jansen-really-based-on|archive-date=12 October 2016}}</ref> Over a period of a few years, their music became more sophisticated, drawing initially on the [[art rock]] stylings of [[Roxy Music]]. Their visual image also evolved and, although they had worn make-up since their creation in the mid-1970s, the band was tagged with the [[New Romantic]] label in the early 1980s. The band themselves disputed any connection with the New Romantic movement, and Sylvian stated: "I don't like to be associated with them. The attitudes are so very different." Of Japan's fashion sense, Sylvian said: "For them [New Romantics], fancy dress is a costume. But ours is a way of life. We look and dress this way every day."<ref>{{cite news |title=Rolling Stone Random Notes |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ricdAAAAIBAJ&pg=3175,3968351&dq=japan+sylvian&hl=en |newspaper=[[The Tuscaloosa News]] |location=Tuscaloosa, AL |date=17 July 1981 |page=6}}</ref> In an October 1981 interview, at the pinnacle of the New Romantic movement in mainstream pop music, Sylvian commented: "There's a period going past at the moment that may make us look as though we're in fashion."<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Rimmer |first=Dave |title=Japanese Boys (an interview with David Sylvian and Mick Karn) |magazine=Smash Hits |publisher=EMAP Metro |date=October 1981 |volume=3 |issue=22 |pages=42–43}}</ref>

Japan released five studio albums between March 1978 and November 1981. In 1980, the band signed with [[Virgin Records]], where Sylvian remained as a recording artist for the next twenty years. The band suffered from personal and creative clashes, particularly between Sylvian and Karn, with tensions springing from Sylvian's relationship with Yuka Fujii, a photographer, artist, and designer, and Karn's former girlfriend.<ref>{{cite web |title=YUKA FUJII Gallery |url=http://www.netcomuk.co.uk/~lenin/YUKA_FUJII.html |publisher=Netcomuk.co.uk |access-date=12 January 2015}}</ref> Fujii quickly became an influential figure in Sylvian's life. She was the first person to introduce Sylvian seriously to [[jazz]], which in turn inspired him to follow musical avenues not otherwise open to him.<ref name="The Last Romantic">{{cite book |last=Power |first=Martin |title=The Last Romantic |publisher=Omnibus Press |date=1998 |page=72}}</ref> She also encouraged Sylvian to incorporate spiritual discipline into his daily routine. Throughout his solo career, Fujii maintained a large role in the design of artwork for his albums.<ref name="The Last Romantic"/> Japan played their final concerts in December 1982 before dissolving, their ultimate show taking place in [[Nagoya]] on December, 16.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Power |first=Martin |url=https://www.google.pt/books/edition/David_Sylvian_The_Last_Romantic/BDkDAwAAQBAJ?hl=fr&gbpv=1&dq=japan+last+concert+1982+sylvian+nagoya&pg=RA1-PA1981&printsec=frontcover |title=David Sylvian: The Last Romantic |date=2012-04-10 |publisher=Omnibus Press |isbn=978-0-85712-820-1 |language=en}}</ref>

===1980s–1990s: Solo career===
In 1982, Sylvian released his first solo record, a double A-side single and the result of a collaborative effort with [[Ryuichi Sakamoto]], entitled "[[Bamboo Houses]]/Bamboo Music". Sakamoto's first contribution to Sylvian's work, though, had been as co-writer of "Taking Islands in Africa" on the Japan album ''[[Gentlemen Take Polaroids]]'' (1980). Sylvian also worked with Sakamoto on the UK Top 20 song "[[Forbidden Colours]]" for the 1983 [[Nagisa Oshima]] film ''[[Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence]]''.<ref>{{cite book|last=Reynolds|first=Anthony|title=Japan - A Foreign Place (The Biography 1974-1984)|publisher=Burning Shed|year=2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|date=24 July 2021|title=gentlemen-take-polaroids|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/gentlemen-take-polaroids-mw0000190462|publisher=AllMusic|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120624004527/http://www.allmusic.com:80/album/gentlemen-take-polaroids-mw0000190462 |archive-date=24 June 2012}}</ref>

Sylvian's debut solo album, ''[[Brilliant Trees]]'', released in June 1984, was a critical and commercial success.<ref>{{cite book|last=Reynolds|first=Anthony|title=Cries and Whispers|publisher=Burning Shed|year=2018|pages=44}}</ref> The album included contributions from Sakamoto, [[Kenny Wheeler]], [[Jon Hassell]], [[Holger Czukay]], [[Ronny Drayton]], [[Danny Thompson]], and from Sylvian's former bandmates Steve Jansen and Richard Barbieri. The lead single became the UK Top 20 single "[[Red Guitar]]", with a promo video directed by [[Anton Corbijn]].<ref name="auto">{{cite web|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/search/singles/red-guitar/|title=Red Guitar &#124; full Official Chart History |website=Officialcharts.com|access-date=14 October 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.davidsylvian.com/discography/albums/david_sylvian_brilliant_trees.html|title={ davidsylvian.com } David Sylvian - "Brilliant Trees"|website=Davidsylvian.com|access-date=14 October 2021}}</ref>

Between 19 June and 30 June 1984, Hamiltons Gallery in London held an exhibition, ''Perspectives'', of [[Polaroid film|Polaroid photographs]] by Sylvian. The major exhibition of his work coincided with the release of his book ''Perspectives – Polaroids 82-84'', documenting these pictures. There were also exhibitions in Tokyo and Turin.<ref>{{cite web|date=1 April 2021|title=art-exhibitions|url=https://www.davidsylvian.net/category/miscellaneous/art-exhibitions/|website=Davidsylvian.net|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190507192734/https://www.davidsylvian.net/category/miscellaneous/art-exhibitions/ |archive-date=7 May 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=Perspectives: Polaroids, 1982-84|publisher=Opium (Arts) Limited|year=1984}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.leninimports.com/pages/m.david-sylvian-perspectives.html|title=David Sylvian :: Perspectives: Polaroids, 1982-84 Hardcover Book|website=Leninimports.com|access-date=14 October 2021}}</ref>

In 1985, Sylvian released an instrumental [[Extended play|EP]] ''[[Words with the Shaman]]'', in collaboration with Jansen, Hassell, and Czukay. The recording was re-released the same year on a compilation album, ''[[Alchemy: An Index of Possibilities]]'', with the addition of "Steel Cathedrals", a piece recorded with Sakamoto, Czukay, Jansen, Wheeler, [[Robert Fripp]] and [[Masami Tsuchiya]]. "Steel Cathedrals" was the soundtrack to a 20-minute video.<ref>{{cite web|date=25 July 2021|title=alchemy-an-index-of-possibilities/|url=https://www.davidsylvian.net/releases/albums/alchemy-an-index-of-possibilities/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200918233525/https://www.davidsylvian.net/releases/albums/alchemy-an-index-of-possibilities/ |archive-date=18 September 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|date=24 July 2021|title=alchemy-an-index-of-possibilities-2019|url=https://www.davidsylvian.net/releases/albums/alchemy-an-index-of-possibilities-2019-vinyl/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210724180250/https://www.davidsylvian.net/releases/albums/alchemy-an-index-of-possibilities-2019-vinyl/ |archive-date=24 July 2021}}</ref> The short film was shot in two days during November 1984 in and around the outskirts of Tokyo, Japan. A large part of the music was completed during that same month and recorded over a period of three days. Sylvian later updated the material in London in an attempt to elaborate on the theme started earlier in Japan, and to further improve the quality of the soundtrack.<ref>{{cite web|date=27 July 2021|title=David-Sylvian-Steel-Cathedrals/release|website=[[Discogs]]|url=https://www.discogs.com/David-Sylvian-Steel-Cathedrals/release/1868353|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190715035007/https://www.discogs.com/David-Sylvian-Steel-Cathedrals/release/1868353 |archive-date=15 July 2019}}</ref> He would identify "Steel Cathedrals" as his first experience with improvisations.<ref>{{cite book|last=Reynolds|first=Anthony|title=Cries and Whispers|publisher=Burning Shed|year=2018|pages=67}}</ref>

Sylvian's demo "Sylvian's Machine" became [[Propaganda (band)|Propaganda's]] single "[[p:Machinery]]", released in 1985. Singer [[Claudia Brücken]] stated that Sylvian helped them with his writing and musical skills on "p:Machinery", pretty much influencing the final structure and atmosphere of the piece.<ref>{{cite book|last=Reynolds|first=Anthony|title=Cries and Whispers|publisher=Burning Shed|year=2018|pages=70}}</ref>

His next release was the two-record set ''[[Gone to Earth (David Sylvian album)|Gone to Earth]]'', which featured one record of atmospheric vocal tracks and a second record consisting of ambient instrumentals. The album contained significant contributions from noted guitarists [[Bill Nelson (musician)|Bill Nelson]] (formerly of [[Be-Bop Deluxe]]) and [[Robert Fripp]] (of [[King Crimson]]), and a rhythm section comprising Steve Jansen on drums and [[Ian Maidman]] of [[Penguin Cafe Orchestra]] on bass.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/gone-to-earth-mw0000650859|title=Gone to Earth|first=Scott|last=Bultman|publisher=AllMusic}}</ref> Released on 13 September 1986, the album reached Number 24 on the UK Album chart.<ref>{{cite web |title=DAVID SYLVIAN {{!}} full Official Chart History {{!}} Official Charts Company |url=https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/21702/david-sylvian/ |access-date=2023-04-02 |website=www.officialcharts.com}}</ref>

Composition of new material in early 1987 was followed by recording sessions at [[Château Miraval, Correns-Var|Chateau Miraval]] in the south of France, and by May 1987 ''[[Secrets of the Beehive]]'' was completed, finally being released in October 1987.<ref>{{cite book|last=Young|first=Christopher|title=On the Periphery|publisher=Malin Publishing Ltd|year=2013}}</ref>

''Secrets of the Beehive'' made greater use of acoustic instruments and was musically oriented towards sombre, emotive ballads laced with string arrangements by Ryuichi Sakamoto and Brian Gascoigne. It reached number 37 in the UK charts and remained for two weeks.<ref>{{cite book|last=Reynolds|first=Anthony|title=Cries and Whispers|publisher=Burning Shed|year=2018}}</ref>

The album was followed by his first live outing as a solo artist, in an 80-day world tour called "In Praise of Shamans", from March to June 1988. Alongside Sylvian were Jansen, Barbieri, guitars and keyboards from Robbie Aceto, brass and sax from [[Mark Isham]], bass from Ian Maidman and lead guitar from [[David Torn]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.davidsylvian.com/discography/other_editions/live_performances.html|title=David Sylvian: Live Performances|website=Davidsylvian.com}}</ref> There were no songs from Sylvian's former band Japan in the setlist.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/david-sylvian/1988/hammersmith-odeon-london-england-3bdbf4a8.html|title=David Sylvian Setlist at Hammersmith Odeon, London|website=Setlist.fm|access-date=14 October 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.davidsylvian.net/live-and-tv-performances/1988-in-praise-of-shamans/hammersmith-odeon-london-uk-30041988/|title=Hammersmith Odeon, London UK|website=Davidsylvian.net|date=14 March 2015|access-date=14 October 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.davidsylvian.net/live-and-tv-performances/1988-in-praise-of-shamans/guthrie-theatre-minneapolis-usa/|title=Guthrie Theatre, Minneapolis USA|website=Davidsylvian.net|date=14 March 2015|access-date=14 October 2021}}</ref>

"Beehive was the summation of all the solo material that went before it", Sylvian said. "I knew when I had finished I wouldn't be returning to quite the same waters again. The period following on from...''Beehive'' was the hardest of my life. A descent into hell."<ref>{{cite book|last=Reynolds|first=Anthony|title=Cries and Whispers|publisher=Burning Shed|year=2018|pages=137}}</ref>

Following ''Secrets of the Beehive'', it would be 1999 before he released his next solo offering, as he descended into a prolonged period of clinical depression. The crisis began to gather momentum prior to undertaking a 1988 tour. That took its toll and Sylvian found himself in a frighteningly unstable state, which he would experience in varying degrees of intensity over the next 3 or 4 years. Sylvian was unable to work in isolation, but at the same time felt the need to throw himself into collaborative project after collaborative project in a hope of recognising via his response something of what he was dealing with. At these times, manifestations of the crisis were less apparent.<ref>{{cite book|last=E. Young|first=Christopher|title=On the Periphery|publisher=Malin Publishing Ltd.|year=2013|pages=119}}</ref>

Ultimately he left behind his Christian roots and via explorations of widely varied philosophies ranging from the writings of [[Gurdjieff]] to [[Gnosticism]] to [[Zen Buddhism]], all of which left its traces in his lyrics and music, he settled on Buddhism as his primary spiritual path.<ref>{{cite book|last=Young|first=Christopher E|title=On the Periphery|publisher=Malin Publishing Ltd|year=2013}}</ref>

Never one to conform to commercial expectations, Sylvian then collaborated with Holger Czukay. Sylvian was at [[Can (band)|Can]]'s studio in Cologne in 1986 to do a vocal for Czukay's record, but instead they started to improvise, and recorded the first piece in three nights. Their collaborative album, ''[[Plight and Premonition]],'' was released in March 1988 while Sylvian was still on tour.<ref>{{cite book|last=Reynolds|first=Anthony|title=Cries and Whispers|publisher=Burning Shed|year=2018|pages=181}}</ref> ''[[Flux and Mutability]]'' was released the following year, and it also included contributions from Can members [[Jaki Liebezeit]] and [[Michael Karoli]]. ''Flux and Mutability'' was less spontaneous in its conception than ''Plight and Premonition''. For ''Flux'', Sylvian travelled to Cologne for a two-week creative Christmas break at the end of 1988, so this was planned unlike the unexpected genesis of ''Plight''.<ref>{{Cite book|last=E. Young|first=Christopher|title=On the Periphery|publisher=Malin Publishing Ltd.|year=2013|pages=122}}</ref>

Virgin decided to close out the 1980s with the release of ''[[Weatherbox (album)|Weatherbox]]'', an elaborate boxed-set compilation designed by [[Russell Mills (artist)|Russell Mills]], consisting of Sylvian's four previous solo albums. Concurrent with ''Weatherbox'', Sylvian released the non-album single "[[Pop Song (David Sylvian song)|Pop Song]]".<ref>{{cite book|last=E. Young|first=Christopher|title=On the Periphery: A Biography|publisher=Malin Publishing Ltd|year=2009}}</ref>

In 1990, Sylvian collaborated with artists [[Russell Mills (artist)|Russell Mills]] and Ian Walton on the elaborate multi-media installation using sculpture, sound, and light titled ''[[Ember Glance: The Permanence of Memory|Ember Glance – The Permanence of Memory]]''. The exhibition was staged in September and October 1990 at the temporary museum 'Space FGO-Soko' on Tokyo Bay, [[Shinagawa, Tokyo]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.shedmatter.co.uk/russellmills/mills/installations/emberglance.htm|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090115103707/http://www.shedmatter.co.uk/russellmills/mills/installations/emberglance.htm|date=15 January 2009|archive-date=15 January 2009|title=Ember Glance: The Permanence of Memory}}</ref>

===1991–1994: Rain Tree Crow and Robert Fripp===
The members of Japan came together once more, as [[Rain Tree Crow]], after a nine-year hiatus. The majority of the material was written as a result of group improvisations, with no rehearsals. This approach to writing was an integral element to the whole project, and in many ways it was the reason for the collaboration. The Rain Tree Crow project had initially been conceived as a long term album deal, with Sylvian's insistence that the name Japan would not be used in conjunction with its promotion. But the recording went over budget and Virgin refused to put in any more money unless the name Japan could be used. The resulting deadlock was resolved by Sylvian's decision to personally finance the mixing of the album. However, the group was no longer interested in re-forming, and the album was released as a one-off.<ref>Article by Nigel Humberstone (SOUND ON SOUND magazine, June ’91)</ref>

Sylvian first thought of collaborating with guitarist Robert Fripp in 1986, but, characteristically, it took them a while to manage it. They only began to improvise and write as a duo at the end of 1991. That same year, Fripp had approached Sylvian to front a possible new version of the band [[King Crimson]], but Sylvian declined.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.elephant-talk.com/faq/et-faq.txt |title=King Crimson FAQ|access-date=2007-08-29|publisher=Elephant Talk (archived page from elephant-talk.com) |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050828134638/http://www.elephant-talk.com/faq/et-faq.txt |archive-date=2005-08-28}}</ref>

Fripp had encouraged Sylvian to return to the live-stage, a place he admitted he did not find comfortable ('Sylvian didn't like being the centre of attention'). The pair's concerts were, like Sylvian's work in the studio, largely improvised. On the few dates they undertook in Japan and Italy in 1992, they had no idea when they walked out into the lights what might happen, even what time they would finish their night's work. One evening Sylvian felt moved to play an acoustic version of "Ghosts", Japan's biggest hit. It was the first time he had played it since 1983; Sylvian stated 'It was quite nice because it somehow satisfied the expectation of the audience that I should play something from my songbook'.<ref>It can't be him (''The Independent'', June 1993) JIM WHITE</ref> Sylvian has commented that his improvised and 'unstable' trio work with Fripp and [[Trey Gunn]] in Europe was amongst the first times that he enjoyed performing live, and said that 'Up until that point it was all about reproducing the songs and presenting them in such-and-such way. But this was different, and it began to interest me, and it opened up my eyes to the pleasures of performing'.<ref>{{cite web |last=Dahlen |first=Chris |date=16 January 2006 |title=Interview with David Sylvian |url=http://www.savetherobot.com/articles/Interview_David_Sylvian.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210505220103/http://www.savetherobot.com/articles/Interview_David_Sylvian.html |archive-date=5 May 2021 |access-date=5 May 2021 |website=Pitchforkmedia.com}}</ref>

Fripp and Sylvian then recorded the album ''[[The First Day (David Sylvian and Robert Fripp album)|The First Day]]'' between December 1992 and March 1993 at studios in New York and New Orleans, and released the album in July 1993. Something of a departure for Sylvian, the album melded his own philosophical lyrics to funk workouts and aggressive rock stylings very much in the mould of Fripp's King Crimson.

To capitalise on the album's success, they went back out on the road on their "The Road to Graceland Tour" which began in Tokyo on 14 October 1993. The additional musicians on stage with Sylvian, Fripp and Gunn were [[Michael Brook]] and [[Pat Mastelotto]].<ref>{{cite web|date=1 April 2021|title=tour-programmes/the-road-to-graceland-1993|url=https://www.davidsylvian.net/printed-matter/tour-programmes/the-road-to-graceland-1993/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200927025840/https://www.davidsylvian.net/printed-matter/tour-programmes/the-road-to-graceland-1993/ |archive-date=27 September 2020}}</ref> A live recording, titled ''[[Damage: Live|Damage]]'', released in 1994, was culled from the final shows of the tour.<ref>{{cite web|date=1 April 2021|title=kcrimsonlive|url=https://kcrimsonlive.webs.com/19851993.htm|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210301072401/https://kcrimsonlive.webs.com/19851993.htm |archive-date=1 March 2021}}</ref>

Sylvian and Fripp's final collaboration was the installation ''Redemption – Approaching Silence''. The exhibition was held at the P3 Art and Environment centre in [[Shinjuku, Tokyo]], and ran from 30 August to 18 September 1994. The accompanying music was composed by Sylvian, with text written and recited by Fripp.

===1995-1999: Slow Fire Tour and ''Dead Bees on a Cake''===
At the end of August 1995, Sylvian undertook a one-man solo tour which he called 'Slow Fire – A Personal Retrospective', with dates in Italy, Germany, Japan, Belgium, The Netherlands, England, Canada and North America.<ref>Slowfire – A Personal Retrospective 1995, Tour Program</ref> The last show on the tour was played in New York City at [[The Town Hall (New York City)|The Town Hall]] 11 November 1995. The show featured songs drawn from throughout Sylvian's career, singing and playing piano and guitar.<ref>{{cite book|last=E.Young|first=Christopher|title=On the Periphery|publisher=Malin Publishing Ltd.|year=2013|pages=186}}</ref>

In 1999, Sylvian released ''[[Dead Bees on a Cake]]'', his first solo album proper since ''[[Secrets of the Beehive]]'' 12 years earlier. Once the album was mixed at Dave Kents Napa Studio, the project was finished, from the beginning to end a process that extended from 1993 to the late summer of 1998, ''Dead Bees on a Cake'' eventually being released in March 1999.<ref>{{cite book|last=E Young|first=Christopher|title=On the Periphery|publisher=Malin Publishing Ltd|year=2013|pages=197}}</ref>

The album gathered together the most eclectic influences of all his recordings, ranging from soul music to jazz fusion to blues to Eastern-inflected spiritual chants, and most of the songs' lyrics reflected the now 41-year-old Sylvian's inner peace resulting from his marriage, family, and beliefs. Guest musicians included long-time friend Ryuichi Sakamoto, classically trained [[tabla]] player [[Talvin Singh]], avant-garde guitarist [[Marc Ribot]], jazz trumpeter [[Kenny Wheeler]], and contemporary jazz guitarist [[Bill Frisell]]. In 2010, Sylvian said, "Since the early '80s I've been interested in deconstructing the familiar forms of popular song, in retaining the structure but removing the pillars of support. My work continually returns to this question: how much of the framework can you remove while still being able to identify what is, after all, a familiar form?"<ref name="Rowe" />

===2000 to 2009: Samadhi Sound===
Following ''Dead Bees'', Sylvian released two compilation albums on Virgin Records: a two-disc retrospective, ''[[Everything and Nothing]]'' (2000), and an instrumental collection, ''[[Camphor (album)|Camphor]]'' (2002). Both albums contained previously released material, remixes and several new or previously unreleased tracks which Sylvian finished especially for the projects. Combined, the retrospective releases effectively marked a full stop to Sylvian's association with Virgin, the split coming at the beginning of 2001.

Also in 2001, the track "Linoleum" was released on [[Tweaker (band)|Tweaker]]'s album ''[[The Attraction to All Things Uncertain]]''. Sylvian co-wrote and sang on the collaboration.<ref>{{cite web|date=2021-08-01|title=davidsylvian.net|url=https://www.davidsylvian.net/tracks-poems/tracks-by-with-david-sylvian/linoleum/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201020083849/https://www.davidsylvian.net/tracks-poems/tracks-by-with-david-sylvian/linoleum/ |archive-date=20 October 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|date=2021-08-01|title=tweaker-talks|url=https://www.davidsylvian.net/articles-and-interviews/davidsylvian-net-exclusives/tweaker-talks/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210805174931/https://www.davidsylvian.net/articles-and-interviews/davidsylvian-net-exclusives/tweaker-talks/ |archive-date=5 August 2021}}</ref>

Sakamoto wanted some English lyrics for his project ''[[Zero Landmine]]'', and asked Sylvian to write a simple, tender lyric that could be sung by children. Included on the release were various versions of the song, one being a Sylvian vocal with just the backing of Sakamoto's piano.<ref>{{cite book|last=E. Young|first=Christopher|title=On the Periphery}}</ref>

In September 2001 Sylvian embarked on the 'Everything and Nothing Tour', which kicked off in [[Osaka]] on 17 September, and wound its way through Europe until 27 October that year. The tour continued into 2002, revisiting Japan and taking concerts to the US and Canada. Sylvian was accompanied on stage by Jansen, keyboard player Matt Cooper, guitarist Timothy Young and bassist Keith Lowe.<ref>{{cite book|last=E. Young|first=Christopher|title=On the Periphery|publisher=Malin Publishing Ltd.|year=2013|pages=231}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|date=2021-07-01|title=David Sylvian: Live Performances|url=http://www.davidsylvian.com/discography/other_editions/live_performances.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091004135740/http://www.davidsylvian.com:80/discography/other_editions/live_performances.html |archive-date=4 October 2009}}</ref>

After Sylvian left Virgin Records he launched his own independent label, [[Samadhi Sound]]. He released the album ''[[Blemish (album)|Blemish]]'', which included contributions from [[Christian Fennesz]] and [[Derek Bailey (guitarist)|Derek Bailey]]. Sylvian used a different approach with this album, starting each day in the studio with a very simple improvisation on guitar. Once recorded, he would listen back and use cues from the improv—the dynamic and so on—to dictate the structure of the piece. He wrote lyrics and melody on the spot, and would follow that up with the vocal recording.<ref name="Rowe">{{cite web|url=https://bombmagazine.org/articles/david-sylvian/|title=David Sylvian by Keith Rowe|work=Bomb Magazine|date=April 2010 |access-date=12 January 2015}}</ref>

Sylvian recorded the EP ''[[World Citizen (EP)|World Citizen]]'' with Sakamoto, which was released in Japan in October 2003, and in Europe in April 2004. Sylvian also collaborated with [[Chris Vrenna]]'s Tweaker again, on the track "Pure Genius", which was released on the album ''[[2 a.m. Wakeup Call]]''.<ref>{{cite web|date=1 August 2021|title=davidsylvian.net|url=https://www.davidsylvian.net/tracks-poems/tracks-by-with-david-sylvian/pure-genius/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200920072133/https://www.davidsylvian.net/tracks-poems/tracks-by-with-david-sylvian/pure-genius/ |archive-date=20 September 2020}}</ref>

In the period 23 September 2003 to 27 April 2004 Sylvian toured in Europe and in Japan, on the "Fire in the Forest Tour" featuring Steve Jansen, with visuals and video images by [[Masakatsu Takagi]].<ref>{{cite web|date=1 August 2021|title=live_performances|url=http://www.davidsylvian.com/discography/other_editions/live_performances.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091004135740/http://www.davidsylvian.com:80/discography/other_editions/live_performances.html |archive-date=4 October 2009}}</ref>

In 2004, Sylvian was commissioned by [[Madhouse (company)|Madhouse]] to compose the ending theme for the anime adaptation of [[Naoki Urasawa]]'s ''[[Monster (manga)|Monster]]'', titled "For the Love of Life", alongside Japanese composer [[Kuniaki Haishima]]. Sylvian said that he was "attracted to the ''Monster'' material by the moral dilemma faced by its central character."<ref>{{cite web|date=22 July 2022|title=davidsylvian.net|url=https://www.davidsylvian.net/tracks-poems/tracks-by-with-david-sylvian/for-the-love-of-life/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220215153728/https://www.davidsylvian.net/tracks-poems/tracks-by-with-david-sylvian/for-the-love-of-life/|archive-date=15 February 2022}}</ref>

Simultaneously Sylvian had started a project with Jansen and [[Bernd Friedmann|Berndt Friedman]] called [[Nine Horses]]. They released the album ''[[Snow Borne Sorrow]]'' in October 2005, and mini-album ''[[Money for All]]'' in January 2007.

Sylvian took to the road again on 17 September to 30 October 2007 for 'The World Is Everything' tour, which included concerts in Europe, Hong Kong and Japan, featuring Steve Jansen, Keith Lowe, and Takuma Watanabe.<ref>{{Cite web|date=31 December 2020|title=Live|url=http://www.davidsylvian.com/discography/other_editions/live_performances.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091004135740/http://www.davidsylvian.com:80/discography/other_editions/live_performances.html |archive-date=4 October 2009 }}</ref> A fusion of styles, including jazz and electronica, the tour enabled Sylvian to perform music from the Nine Horses project, as well as various selections from his back catalogue. Jansen also released his solo album [[Slope (album)|''Slope'']] in 2007, with two tracks co-written by Sylvian: "Ballad of a Dead Man" (a duet with singer [[Joan As Police Woman|Joan Wasser]]), and "Playground Martyrs".

A solo album entitled ''[[Manafon (album)|Manafon]]'' was released on 14 September 2009 in two editions – a regular CD/digipak edition and a twin boxset deluxe edition with two books that include the CD and a DVD featuring the film 'Amplified Gesture'. ''Manafon'' featured contributions from leading figures in [[electroacoustic improvisation]], such as saxophonist [[Evan Parker]], multi-instrumentalist [[Otomo Yoshihide]], laptop and guitarist [[Christian Fennesz]], [[Polwechsel]]'s double bassist Werner Dafeldecker and cellist Michael Moser, sinewaves specialist [[Sachiko M]] and [[AMM (group)|AMM]] alumni guitarist [[Keith Rowe]], percussionist [[Eddie Prévost]] and pianist [[John Tilbury]]. In 2010, talking about ''Manafon'', Sylvian said:<blockquote>"What happened with ''Manafon'' was that the work abandoned me. As I was writing and developing the material, the spirit holding all these disparate elements together just left me. I sat stunned for a moment and then realised: It's over; this is as far as it goes…In a sense, I'd been steadily working my way toward Manafon since I was a young man listening to [[Stockhausen]] and dabbling in deconstructing the pop song. Having said that, I don't think we only develop as artists practising in our chosen fields. For me, that meant an exploration of intuitive states via meditation and other related disciplines which, the more I witnessed free-improv players at work, appeared to be crucially important to enable a being there in the moment, a sustained alertness and receptivity."<ref name=Rowe/></blockquote>

===2010 to present===
In 2010, Sylvian released ''[[Sleepwalkers (David Sylvian album)|Sleepwalkers]]'', a compilation album of his collaborative works with musicians over the previous 10 years, including songs with [[Ryuichi Sakamoto]], [[Tweaker (band)|Tweaker]], [[Nine Horses]], [[Steve Jansen]], [[Christian Fennesz]] and [[Arve Henriksen]]. Also included were a few new songs, such as "Sleepwalkers" which was co-written with drummer [[Martin Brandlmayr]] of [[Radian (band)|Radian]] and [[Polwechsel]].

In 2011, the double album ''[[Died in the Wool – Manafon Variations|Died in the Wool]]'' was released as variations on the 2009 release ''[[Manafon (album)|Manafon]]'' with the addition of six new pieces, including collaborations with composer [[Dai Fujikura]], producers [[Jan Bang]] and [[Erik Honoré]], and a roster of contemporary musicians and improvisers. For the first time, a stereo mix of the audio installation "When We Return You Won't Recognise Us" was available on CD, pairing a group of improvisers – [[John Butcher (musician)|John Butcher]], [[Arve Henriksen]], [[Günter Müller]], [[Toshimaru Nakamura]], and [[Eddie Prévost]] – with a string sextet directed by Fujikura.

Also in 2011, Sylvian acted as the artist in residence at the Punkt Festival in Norway. In addition to curating the events of the festival, Sylvian performed both compositions from the [[Holger Czukay]]-collaborated album ''[[Plight & Premonition]]'', backed by John Tilbury, [[Jan Bang]], Phillip Jeck, [[Eivind Aarset]], [[Erik Honoré]], and [[Arve Henriksen]]. The positive reception led to the decision to tour throughout Europe in 2012. "The Implausible Beauty" tour was due to feature a line-up of musicians including Jan Bang, guitarist Eivind Aarset, pianist Sebastian Lexer, cellist Hildur Gudnadottir and trumpeter Gunnar Halle, but was cancelled in late January 2012 due to a back injury Sylvian had sustained.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.davidsylvian.com/news/david_sylvian_cancels_tour_dates_in_march_april.html|title=David Sylvian Tour Dates in March / April Postponed|publisher=Davidsylvian.com|access-date=12 January 2015}}</ref>

In 2013, Sylvian released the single "Do You Know Me Now?", a one-time vinyl pressing released with a re-mastered version of "Where's Your Gravity?" on the [[B-side]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.samadhisound.com/catalogue_singles/david_sylvian_do_you_know_me_now.html|title=Do You Know Me Now?|access-date=2 July 2017}}</ref>

In 2014, Sylvian released ''[[There's a Light That Enters Houses with No Other House in Sight]]'', a long-form composition with contributions from [[Christian Fennesz]] and [[John Tilbury]] and featuring spoken word by American [[Pulitzer Prize]] winning poet [[Franz Wright]] of excerpts from Wright's own ''Kindertotenwald''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.davidsylvian.com/theresalight/information.html|title=David Sylvian: Information|access-date=2 July 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.davidsylvian.com/theresalight/franz_wright.html|title=Franz Wright|access-date=2 July 2017}}</ref>

In 2015, Sylvian released ''Playing The Schoolhouse'' with Confront Recordings in two limited editions. The release, a 15-minute long composition, was composed based on improvisations by Sylvian and Jan Bang – with contributions by Otomo Yoshihide and Toshimaru Nakamura – and was recorded in a schoolhouse in Norway.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.confrontrecordings.com/david-sylvian|title=David Sylvian: Playing the Schoohouse|access-date=2 July 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.davidsylvian.com/news/playing_the_schoolhouse.html|title=Playing the Schoolhouse|access-date=2 July 2017}}</ref> Sylvian collaborated again with Confront Recordings in 2017, with [[Mark Wastell]] (who runs Confront Recordings) and Rhodri Davies for the first release of the Confront Core Series, ''There Is No Love''. The long-form composition was created with previously recorded materials, and features text from [[Bernard-Marie Koltès]]'s ''[[In the Solitude of Cotton Fields]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.confrontrecordings.com/core-series|title=Rhodri Davies/David Sylvian/Mark Wastell – There Is No Love|access-date=2 July 2017}}</ref>

In July 2018, Sylvian said:<ref>{{cite web|title=An interview with David Sylvian|first=Michael|last=Bonner|date=13 July 2018|work=Uncut|url=https://www.uncut.co.uk/features/interview-david-sylvian-106403/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200809050405/https://www.uncut.co.uk/features/interview-david-sylvian-106403/ |archive-date=9 August 2020}}</ref>{{blockquote|I'm not currently thinking about a future in the arts. To quote [[Sarah Kendzior]] from her book ''[[Sarah Kendzior#The View from Flyover Country|The View From Flyover Country]]'', "In an article for ''[[Slate (magazine)|Slate]]'', Jessica Olien debunks the myth that originality and inventiveness are valued in U.S. society: 'This is the thing about creativity that is rarely acknowledged: Most people don't actually like it.'"<ref>{{cite web|url=https://slate.com/technology/2013/12/creativity-is-rejected-teachers-and-bosses-dont-value-out-of-the-box-thinking.html|title=Inside the Box: People don't actually like creativity|first=Jessica|last=Olien|date=6 December 2013|work=Slate}}</ref>}}

In July 2021, [[Grönland Records]] announced 'ERR', a photographic essay by Sylvian, with text by [[Shin'ya Fujiwara|Shinya Fujiwara]] and an untitled original poem by [[Daisy Lafarge]].<ref>{{cite web|date=2021-07-28|title=David Sylvian: ERR|website=davidsylvian.com|url=http://davidsylvian.com/err/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210728152409/http://davidsylvian.com/err/ |archive-date=28 July 2021}}</ref>

Sylvian contributed to the album ''[[To the Moon and Back (album)|To the Moon and Back]]'' (2022)'','' a [[Tribute album|tribute]] to [[Ryuichi Sakamoto]] recorded by various artists who reworked his material.<ref>{{cite web |title=Musicians pay tribute to Ryuichi Sakamoto's journey in 'To the Moon and Back' |url=https://mixmag.asia/read/ryuichi-sakamoto-tribute-rework-album-to-the-moon-and-back-local |access-date=2023-04-02 |website=Mixmag Asia}}</ref> In January 2023, Sylvian announced that a compilation of his Samadhisound works would be released later in 2023 as a [[Box set|boxset]] entitled ''Do You Know Me Now?'' on the Grönland Records label.<ref>{{cite web |date=19 January 2023 |title=Sleepwalkers - back in stock |url=http://www.davidsylvian.com/news/2301_sleepwalkers_restock.html |access-date=2 April 2023 |website=www.davidsylvian.com}}</ref>

French actress [[Isabelle Adjani]] recorded a duet with David Sylvian, back in 2010, and it was finally included on her album with duets, ''Adjani Bande Originale,'' released on 10 November 2023. Sylvian sang on the track ''Il Manque Un Mot.''<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-11-16 |title=isabelle-adjani-feat-duet-sylvian-album-to-be-released-on-november-10th-2023 |url=https://www.davidsylvian.net/news/latest-news/isabelle-adjani-feat-duet-sylvian-album-to-be-released-on-november-10th-2023/}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-11-16 |title=lemonde. |url=https://www.lemonde.fr/en/culture/article/2023/11/10/after-forty-years-isabelle-adjani-is-finally-releasing-her-second-album_6245621_30.html}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-11-16 |title=isabelleadjani. |url=https://www.isabelleadjani.fr/musique}}</ref>