I’d never heard of this session. Tom Verlaine with Sylvian and Sakamoto? Does anyone have any more details please?
It's all pretty mysterious. Sylvian was working on a new vocal album as well as the project with Joan Wasser periodically from 2011 onwards until 2014. Various session players and tech staff had the project listed on their CVs - recording was done in the US and UK. Late 2014 I was told that the solo album was all but done and was pencilled in for release the following year to coincide with the reissues that did happen eventually through Universal. Then Sylvian retired and the project was shelved but the reissues (much delayed) went ahead.
I wonder how close it was to completion. His brother has said he's made great albums and then just tossed them away. I believe that picture was taken in Berlin, so maybe some sessions took place there. The only thing I can think of is that maybe Sylvian didn't think it advanced enough on what he had done with Manafon, and maybe considered it a step backwards for him musically, so decided to shelve it? But then again he's said before that there is a more "pop" side to his avant-garde work, and the two co-exist, so who knows?
No. Actually, I think it's Stephan Mathieu, who did the Wandermude album with Sylvian, and I heard they had a major falling out over something.
Wow, Tom Verlaine is tall! Having never seen any footage of Television or his solo projects I had no idea.
I've been a huge fan since 1984 but if you read him when he was on Twitter, you got the sense he's not the easiest guy in the world.
He actually blocked me on Twitter, and I didn't even do anything lol. Someone asked him where he got his new last name "Sylvian" (his real last name is Batt). I replied that Sylvian and his brother Steve Jansen were both fans of the New York Dolls, and took their names from Sylvain Sylvain and David Johansen. That's also why they looked like the New York Dolls on the 1st two albums. And his brother Steve Jansen has confirmed this is where the names came from and that he loved the New York Dolls in the 70s. Anyway, within about ten seconds of me posting where the influence of the name came from, Sylvian blocked me! Lol. Great guy that Dave!
Jansen confirms his name, but tellingly not Sylvian, although it’s pretty unlikely that it wasn’t the case sleepyard Feb 20 response
Yeah I guess he got mad because I answered the guy's question. Sylvian had tweeted something in reply to his original question, then deleted it(I didn't see his tweet before he deleted it), then he tweeted a picture of a box of biscuits, with "Stale Biscuits" written on the box, as a response, so I guess he thought it was an uninteresting question.
I detect an enormous amount of self-hate, self-denial, and the like. I wouldn’t like to live in his head. Of course he’s retired - he’s blocked inside out of his wits. It’s a major pity such a sensitive human as it’s witnessed in his music should end up like this. Or be caught up in mid-whatever-that-is (if we’re being hopeful). Excuse the armchair psychologising.
That's not true. His brother has stated they got it from the NY Dolls. Why do you think the names Sylvian/Sylvain and Jansen/Johansen are so similar? And why did they look like the NY Dolls on the first two Japan albums? It's all just coincidence?
As someone posted above, from Steve Jansen's Sleepyard site: alecway asked: Were the names Sylvian and Jansen really based on the names Sylvain and Johansen from The New York Dolls? Jansen: Mine was because I was listening to NYD intensely for a very brief period of time (76 or 77 can’t remember) and it just so happened to coincide with the decision we’d made not be known as the Batt brothers in the band. So Steve isn't speaking for his brother, but it is highly doubtful that only Steve's name was influenced by the NY Dolls. I'm sure they cooked it up together. Otherwise it would be one of the biggest coincidences ever that the names Sylvain and Sylvian happen to be so similar.
I don't think he's gotten over his marriage breaking up yet. A few weeks ago he posted a photo of Ingrid and his kids on Instagram with the caption "One family." I thought he was a smart guy, but anyone who thought marriage to a flighty member of Prince's entourage would work out well can't be very bright. Of course I'm sure him being an uncompromising control-freak had something to do with the marriage ending, but as you say he's probably living in a state of self-denial.
Some of the comments above don't really fit the 'appreciation' element of the thread title. David Sylvian – ERR – signed and numbered edition of 500 David Sylvian - ERR - signed and numbered edition of 500 - GROENLAND RECORDS
Yesterday he wrote a massive tirade against Richard Branson on Twitter. I suppose he hates Virgin but I wonder if he realises that they gave him carte blanche to release totally non-commercial material for 20 years. Good luck finding a label that gives that type of freedom today.
