vistablogger
banner
sylvianvista.com
vistablogger
@sylvianvista.com
The official account of Vista - a blog inspired by the music of David Sylvian and his collaborators

https://sylvianvista.com/
FROM THE ARCHIVE: Propaganda's 'A Secret Wish' is celebrating 40 years, so reposting this article about David Sylvian's fleeting involvement with the album: his synth & guitar lines for 'p:Machinery', and a reportedly gorgeous mix of 'Duel'.
Read here: sylvianvista.com/2022/07/22/p...
November 22, 2025 at 10:18 AM
Saw Joan as Police Woman perform last night at a packed EartH in Dalston as part of the London Jazz Festival. The highlight for me was the title track of Joan’s latest album, ‘Lemons, Limes and Orchids’.
November 16, 2025 at 11:54 AM
REMINDER: the latest article features Lucrecia Dalt's A Danger to Ourselves. David Sylvian is her partner and his 'contribution became fundamental', she says, as inspiration, 'creative mixer', vocalist on the opener and lead guitarist on the final track.
sylvianvista.com/2025/11/01/a...
November 9, 2025 at 11:36 AM
REMINDER: The latest article explores 'Cosa Rara' by Lucrecia Dalt which features David Sylvian, who also co-produced and mixed the song. Recorded at the home they share in New Mexico, the lyric references road trips, Twin Peaks, and car crashes...
sylvianvista.com/2025/10/10/c...
#davidsylvian
October 18, 2025 at 8:49 AM
REMINDER: The latest article features 'Alphabet Angel' from David Sylvian's album Dead Bees on a Cake. A gem with vocals by Sylvian and 'pseudo rhodes' played by Ryuichi Sakamoto. The sweet melody is offset by 'discolouration' in the mix.
Read here: sylvianvista.com/2025/09/19/a...
#davidsylvian
September 27, 2025 at 8:49 AM
REMINDER: The latest article features 'Blackwater' by Rain Tree Crow, the first we heard of the project by the ex-members of Japan. An atmospheric song with intricate brushed drumming from Steve Jansen & unique atmospheres from Richard Barbieri.
Read here: sylvianvista.com/2025/08/29/b...
September 6, 2025 at 8:17 AM
REMINDER: The latest article features David Sylvian's Steel Cathedrals which he called the 'first step in a new approach for me', opening up the music for guest musicians to respond. The approach was rewarded with beautiful work from Sakamoto, Fripp et al.
sylvianvista.com/2025/08/01/s...
August 9, 2025 at 8:08 AM
REMINDER: The latest article features the new album by Melaine Dalibert & David Sylvian, Vermilion Hours, with exclusive input from Melaine who gives insight into the work and its context - particularly 'Music for the Break of Day'.
Read here: sylvianvista.com/2025/07/04/m...
July 13, 2025 at 6:04 PM
FROM THE ARCHIVE: David Sylvian's Fire in the Forest tour (2003/4) was performed with Steve Jansen & Masakatsu Takagi. A Sylvian & Takagi collaboration track also resulted: 'Exit/Delete'. Back in 2018, Masakatsu told me how the song came about.
Link: sylvianvista.com/2018/11/30/e...
#davidsylvian
June 29, 2025 at 7:34 PM
REMINDER: The latest article features 'Bamboo Houses' from the double A side single by David Sylvian & Ryuichi Sakamoto released in 1982. Sylvian remixed the track, adding a new vocal, for his Everything & Nothing compilation in 2000.
Read here: sylvianvista.com/2025/06/13/b...
June 21, 2025 at 8:07 AM
FROM THE ARCHIVE: 'Visions of China' - tracing the roots of the fascination with China that underpins Japan's classic album, Tin Drum, and its sleeve imagery. Influences adopted into unique and technically ingenious pop music.
Read here: sylvianvista.com/2022/12/02/v...
#japantheband
June 7, 2025 at 7:24 AM
REMINDER: The latest article features 'The Last Days of December', the second original piece from the collaboration of David Sylvian & @daifujikura.bsky.social. All the indications are that the lyrics concern the poet Sylvia Plath.
Read here: sylvianvista.com/2025/05/23/t...
#davidsylvian
May 31, 2025 at 8:34 AM
FROM THE ARCHIVE: Next month, the new instrumental album by Melaine Dalibert & David Sylvian, Vermilion Hours, will be released. Here's an article from 2021 about their previous work together - including an exclusive interview with Melaine.
Link: sylvianvista.com/2021/09/03/y...
#davidsylvian
May 16, 2025 at 6:46 PM
REMINDER: The latest article features David Sylvian's 'Do You Know Me Now?'. Sylvian's affinity for the track was such that he named his retrospective boxset after it, and recorded a video for the song a decade after it was first released.
Read here: sylvianvista.com/2025/05/02/d...
#davidsylvian
May 11, 2025 at 7:22 AM
REMINDER: The latest article features Steve Jansen's Slope, in particular the song 'Cancelled Pieces' with vocals from Anja Garbarek & 'great sounding guitar work' from David Sylvian. Also touching on Nina Kinert's lovely reprise of 'Playground Martyrs'.
Read here: sylvianvista.com/2025/04/11/c...
April 19, 2025 at 8:26 AM
FROM THE ARCHIVE: 'Let the Happiness In' from David Sylvian's Secrets of the Beehive is a true gem with its unusual brass orchestration and to-and-fro between vocal and Mark Isham's muted trumpet.
Read an article with exclusive input from Mark Isham here: sylvianvista.com/2019/02/01/l...
April 5, 2025 at 8:04 AM
REMINDER: The latest article is about 'Life Without Buildings'. Japan were a remarkable band, each self-taught member developing a unique musical voice. Their alchemy is showcased on this track, recorded in the run up to the Tin Drum album.
Read here: sylvianvista.com/2025/03/21/l...
#japantheband
March 29, 2025 at 10:17 AM
FROM THE ARCHIVE: In 2021 I was privileged to interview Elizabeth Oehlkers Wright about her late husband, poet Franz Wright, & his work with David Sylvian for The Kilowatt Hour & 'there's a light that enters houses with no other house in sight'. Read here: sylvianvista.com/2021/04/09/s...
March 14, 2025 at 5:56 PM
REMINDER: The latest article features the Sylvian/Sakamoto song 'World Citizen (I Won't Be Disappointed)' - a pop-oriented track featuring Ryuichi's YMO bandmates. Its message of global community is still so very important...
Read here: sylvianvista.com/2025/02/28/w...
#davidsylvian #ryuichsakamoto
March 8, 2025 at 10:09 AM
REMINDER: The latest article looks back to David Sylvian's 1986 album Gone to Earth and the contribution of Bill Nelson, who shared various interests with Sylvian at the time. 'Answered Prayers' has a wonderful acoustic solo by Nelson.
Read here: sylvianvista.com/2025/02/07/a...
#davidsylvian
February 15, 2025 at 9:26 AM
REMINDER: The latest article explores David Sylvian's 'Late Night Shopping' and the various remixes giving different perspectives on the original. 'In America shopping is a constant, almost automatic activity, you do it even if you don’t need anything.'
Read here: sylvianvista.com/2025/01/17/l...
January 24, 2025 at 8:07 PM
REMINDER: The latest article features 'Silver Moon', the ballad that ends the vocal disc of Gone to Earth. I spoke to Jennifer Maidman who played bass on the song, and Nick Brandt who directed the promo video in the Lake District.
Read here: sylvianvista.com/2024/12/26/s...
#davidsylvian
January 4, 2025 at 11:08 AM
REMINDER: The latest article features David Sylvian's reading of poetry by Nils Christian Moe-Repstad for 'I Swallowed Earth for This' from Uncommon Deities. Nils was a remarkable poet with a passion for the combination of poetry and music.
Read here: sylvianvista.com/2024/12/06/i...
#davidsylvian
December 15, 2024 at 1:07 PM
FROM THE ARCHIVE: 'A Fire in the Forest' is a stunning track, the perfect combination of David Sylvian's voice & Christian Fennesz's incredible electronics. Including some insights from Christian exclusive to this article.
Read here: sylvianvista.com/2021/09/24/a...
#davidsylvian #fennesz
November 29, 2024 at 6:28 PM
REMINDER: The latest article features David Sylvian's most recently recorded sung performance, 2022's 'Grains (sweet paulownia wood)'. Taking a Sakamoto/Alva Noto track, Sylvian overlaid vocal melody & words of tribute for Ryuichi's 70th birthday.
Read here: sylvianvista.com/2024/11/15/g...
November 24, 2024 at 4:14 PM