Here’s an extract from the new David Sylvian biography – “On the Periphery”:

ORPHEUS — SHIFTING BETWEEN DARKNESS AND SHADOWY LIGHT. Many of David Sylvian’s solo works in the 1980s dropped names, and showed his association with various philosophers, writers, film makers, in fact an eclectic array of radical free thinkers.

On Secrets of the Beehive, Greek mythology was introduced into the mix. The song Orpheus showed Sylvian’s audience just how far he had refined his song writing style. Beautifully arranged and performed, it saw Sylvian at the top of his game.

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There is a new David Sylvian biography out called “On the Periphery”, and it’s available now.

At last, the definitive biography of David Sylvian is available. This book — which has taken 3 years to complete — tracks the period of Sylvian’s solo career from 1982 to 2013.

As well as being one of popular music’s most innovative and influential composers, Sylvian is an enigmatic and complex man, and the musical, personal, and spiritual journey he has undertaken over the last three decades is profoundly fascinating.

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The enigmatic David Sylvian announces a one-off record release “limited 10” vinyl + flac + 320kbps mp3 instant download”.

A one-time pressing of a limited edition 10” vinyl release from David Sylvian and the samadhisound label.

Earlier this year, David was invited to participate in an installation by the visual artist Phil Collins, entitled “My heart’s in my hand, and my hand is pierced, and my hand’s in the bag, and the bag is shut, and my heart is caught” (after Genet).

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David Sylvian has a new band, and announces Italian tour.

The Kilowatt Hour, a new collaborative trio featuring Stephan Mathieu, David Sylvian and Christian Fennesz, has just announced a set of live dates in Europe this fall. The instrumental trio will develop material this summer to debut at the Punkt Festival in Kristiansand, Norway on September 7, followed by a series of dates in Italy.

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Remarkably, it’s three decades since David Sylvian released his first solo single, the twin pack ‘Bamboo Houses’ / ‘Bamboo Music’, a collaboration with Yellow Magic Orchestra’s Ryuichi Sakamoto. The former frontman for Japan – the band he formed with his brother Steve Jansen alongside the late Mick Karn, Richard Barbieri and Rob Dean in 1974 – has since released eight official solo albums, as well as a number of collaborative records with the likes of Robert Fripp, Holger Czukay and Burnt Friedman, and is currently lining up his next three releases (of which more next week). In advance of an in-depth interview with the cultivated and creatively restless owner of one of music’s most romantic baritones, he guides us through ten of his back catalogue’s finest moments…

via The Quietus | Features | Strange World Of… | David Sylvian’s Guide To The Work Of David Sylvian.