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David Sylvian
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===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 | 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>
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