David Sylvian

David Sylvian first attained prominence as the lyricist, composer, and vocalist with Japan, one of the most refreshingly original British groups of the late 1970s and early 1980s. Japan’s albums — including “Quiet Life,” “Gentlemen Take Polaroids,” “Tin Drum,” “Oil On Canvas,” and “Exorcising Ghosts” — and their seminal singles “Ghosts” and “The Art Of Parties” — earned the group an intensely devoted legion of fans. By late 1982, however, the band had decided to separate and pursue individual projects, marking a transition point for Sylvian as he began an exciting, new phase of his career.

A 1982 collaboration with Ryuichi Sakamoto, the 12″ single “Bamboo Houses Bamboo Music,” was followed in 1983 by Sylvian’s vocal version of Sakamoto’s theme from his score for the film “Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence.” Titled “Forbidden Colours,” this recording ushered in the new chapter of music making, and Sylvian embarked on a series of ground breaking solo and collaborative albums, beginning with his 1984 debut solo album “Brilliant Trees.” Subsequent solo disks, 1986’s “Gone To Earth” and the 1987 landmark “Secrets Of The Beehive,” the 1988 “In Praise of Shamans” world tour, and guest appearances, found Sylvian working with a variety of fascinating artists, including Holger Czukay (with whom he made two collaborative albums, Plight and Premonition and Flux and Mutability), Jon Hassell, David Torn, and Britain’s Danny Thompson and Bill Nelson.

In the spring of 1989, the former members of Japan reunited to work on an improvisational album. The result was the formation of “Rain Tree Crow,” and the 1991 release of their self-titled album. In February 1992, Sylvian and Ingrid Chavez were married in Minneapolis (where they currently reside), just two and a half months after meeting while working with Ryuichi Sakamoto on the third Sylvian/Sakamoto single “Heartbeat (Tainai Kaiki II) – returning to the womb,” which was included in Sakamoto’s 1992 “Heartbeat” album.

Sylvian’s collaborative albums and audio installation with Robert Fripp usher in the newest phase in their ongoing musical partnership, dating back to Fripp’s guest appearance on Sylvian’s “Gone To Earth” disk. The two men plan to launch more collaborative projects in the future.

Sylvian is currently devoting much of his time to co-writing and co-producing an album for Ingrid Chavez. He also plans to soon produce a comprehensive compilation of his solo and collaborative work of the past ten years.