Available as of today, a limited edition poster of the iconic image of David Sylvian, taken by Yuka Fujii on Mont Blanc in 1984, as featured on the cover of the recently released 'a victim of stars' compilation. this is the first occasion on which samadhisound have produced a poster of any kind and, in this instance, with the cooperation of the somewhat reticent photographer whose permission for use of her work in this capacity is rarely granted.

Measuring 24" x 36", and printed on 216 gsm quality paper, the poster, designed by Chris Bigg and strictly limited to just 500 units, will be packaged in a sturdy triangular poster tube for immediate dispatch.

This item is priced at $30.00 (plus postage and packing). Please click here to be taken to the shop.

for more information: www.the-impossible-project

Buy CD: Amazon | HMV | Play

Disc One
Ghosts (Remix)
Bamboo Houses
Bamboo Music
Forbidden Colours
Red Guitar
The Ink In The Well
Pulling Punches
Taking The Veil
Silver Moon
Let The Happiness In
Orpheus
Waterfront
Pop Song
Blackwater
Every Colour You Are
Heartbeat (Tainai Kaiki II)

Disc Two
Jean The Birdman
Alphabet Angel
I Surrender
Darkest Dreaming
A Fire In The Forest
The Only Daughter
Late Night Shopping
Wonderful World
The Banality Of Evil
Darkest Birds
Snow White in Appalachia
Small Metal Gods
I Should Not Dare
Manafon
Where's Your Gravity?

I've been talking over re-scheduling dates for my tour with those involved in the production. There was an opportunity to put some dates in place in October of this year but without the majority of the musicians involved in the original tour. On top of this, I felt concerned that my health might still be in some doubt at that point in time and therefore worried about a second cancellation, something that, we can all agree, might test the patience of everyone involved. I tend to think that, until that time arises, your money should be sitting in your bank accounts not someplace else. Consequently, I feel more comfortable cancelling plans for touring in the short term until I know I have the good health necessary to undertake another tour as is my intention. My sincerest apologies if you feel I'm letting you down and my even greater gratitude for your ongoing support.

Just as a brief news update: The independent publication of 'Amplified Gesture' is gearing up for release this Spring. The new edition includes an additional chapter by Phil Hopkins, an introduction by yours truly, and numerous outtakes from interviews with the artists featured in the film. The truly wonderful work of Katharina Grosse provides the art for the cover and Chris has done his usual beautiful job with packaging and design. We're also in the process of putting together a release by Jan Bang and Erik Honoré based on my stint at the Punkt festival of last year. The work is built around my readings of poems, especially commissioned for the Uncommon Deities installation, by the celebrated Norwegian poets Paal-Helge Haugen and Nils Christian Moe-Repstad, along with samples taken from the numerous performances that littered that wonderful three day event. It also features contributions from two of my most favoured musicians; Arve Henriksen and Sidsel Endresen. Jan and Erik have produced a piece of real beauty. I couldn't ask for better collaborators. Entitled 'Uncommon Deities', this project will be released in limited editions. More on this as the pieces fall into place.

In the meantime I wish you love, peace, and revolution.

d
x

My sincere apologies (and gratitude) to all who purchased tickets for the shows.

It appears there were more of you out there than I'd anticipated. I'm undergoing tests and treatment and hope, all being well, to be able to announce a rescheduling of the tour within the coming months. If there's an upside to this situation it's that, with even more time to prepare, the tour will be all the stronger for it.

I do hope to see you out there ASAP. Until then .. love and gratitude

david

David has sustained a lower back injury that is causing him significant pain and affecting his mobility to such a degree that, at this time, he will be unable to perform.

We are hoping that with medical care his condition will improve siginificantly, and that we'll be able to reschedule the tour at a later date. We're doing all that we can to bring this unanticipated setback to a positive conclusion.

David will be writing a personal note that we will post online shortly.

In the meantime, should any of you wish to return your tickets for a refund, please contact the venues / agencies from whom you purchased your tickets. They're currently being made aware of the situation.

For more information about the Festival you can visit here

The festival website is here

This will be on the 19th March 2012, in a brand new venue in Frankfurt called The Gibson.

Tickets can be bought from the link below and are on sale now.

Buy tickets here

Died In The Wool Review

Why did you agree to appear at the PUNKT-Festivalen?

Jan and Erik have been gracious enough to invite my participation in Punkt on an almost annual basis but this was the first year when the possibility of contributing to the festival in some fashion seemed a reality plus, I like what Jan and Erik have been doing with over the years and wanted to lend some support with my efforts. 

What expectations do you have to your stay?

I don't come with expectations, it's not knowing exactly what to expect that's exciting to me. 

What do you know about the Norwegian music scene?

I appear to have a connection with an aspect of it in the form of some of my collaborative partners, a tenuous but respectful exchange with Rune Kristofferson, backed by a general knowledge of the key players past and present. 

What is your experience of Jan Bang and Erik Honore as working partners?

Generous, gracious, sensitive, and fully engaged. They seem to have an understanding of my aesthetic, and I something of theirs. 

In what direction do your interests as a musician lie at the moment?

I seem to be open to a variety of possibilities at this moment in time. In the short term I anticipate a return to slightly more formal structures than in the recent past but I intend to pursue multiple directions simultaneously. 

How did you manage to get Derek Bailey on board the Blemish project?

It wasn't that difficult. I spoke to him for about 15 mins on the phone after which he was onboard. I told him I wanted to be challenged as a vocalist and he said 'that I can do for you'. 

How did you come up with the idea of singing along to Bailey´s improvisational music? I know you did something similar with Keith Tippett in the 90s.

It was a matter of timing, maturity and the right material. When I first heard Derek back in the 80's I thought 'I'd love to work with this guy' but it wasn't until I was contemplating Blemish that this notion became for me a reality. During this gestation period for Blemish, Derek's was the only music I could listen to and so there formed a bond in my mind between his work and the project I was about to embark on. After working on Blemish for a couple of weeks I was certain Derek had to be a part of it hence the call. 

How did Derek Bailey rate the finished product. He wasn´t in the habit of playing with vocalists.

I can't say with any certainty. What someone may tell you in person may not be the most frank opinion although, Derek had no difficulty with being blunt. He told me some months later, at tea at his home in London, that he thought the pieces worked. He felt his role was accompanist to my lead (whether this was a good or a bad thing or just an observation I can't say). It would've been interesting to work with Derek again in a different context but, alas, that wasn't to be. 

Why did you choose to remix such a perfect album as Blemish?

Because the pieces lent themselves to reinterpretation. I also used the remixes as a mean of testing the water for potential future collaborators. 

In which musical tradition would you say you are working in 2011?

I follow the arc of my life without regard for tradition. That isn't to say I have a disregard for it, on the contrary, I have great respect for the traditions of others, but I've never personally felt rooted in any particular tradition or genre. One might view things differently from a more objective perspective. I don't adhere to any philosophy other than my own. I think of myself as following my instincts on the periphery, on the boundaries between, this and that tradition all the while carrying the weight of my own baggage. I'm a recording artist, a pop musician, with only a few fixed points of reference. My approach has nothing in common with a form of dilettantism. I'm rooted firmly within and what I try to manufacture through the work is a kind of poetry of the self, its inner workings, weaknesses, self-betrayals, epiphanies and disillusionment. I study the work and its context of those musicians I'm fortunate enough to collaborate with so as to get to the heart of the matter as rapidly as possible. They're hand picked due to some specific attributes they possess which helps shorten the process of unearthing the desired material/direction, of finding common ground. 

At the end of the day, when the work is complete, I couldn't tell you if those with which I worked liked, respected, or otherwise, the material I produced but frankly, that's not the point. I'm attempting to create a work that speaks for itself and that will eventually, hopefully, find its audience.

What artistic qualities permeate your career?

I'm an intuitive individual. I intuit something about the direction and the nature of the work I should be pursuing and adhere to that sense of 'rightness'. It's a little like taking a country walk and finding yourself slightly ill at ease at a fork in the road, which direction to take? The instinctual is something I have more faith in than anything of a cerebral nature. I get myself into a lot of hot water as a result. I'm stubborn, idealistic, uncompromising. There's an underlying aesthetic at work that's been my guiding principle for many a decade but it evolves, matures, it becomes more refined as time goes by.  

An artist, of course, should change, should evolve. It's unreasonable of us to ask otherwise. 

What qualities must be present to make you satisfied with your music?

It must mirror back to me the impetus, the preverbal cluster of qualities that brought it into being in the first place. It must embody that. That being the case it can stand on it's own feet, find its way in the world. 

What do you in order to rejuvenate and keep you music alive? Miles Davis played with an ever-changing roster of musicians whom he found interesting. Jan Garbarek says that the essential things in his music were already in place from the beginning.

I allow myself to fall silent, forgetting what came before. I'm the eternal amateur, I have no idea how to make anything until I start over. 

What has establishing Samadhisound meant to you?

It's given me a personal sense of liberty and community although that community is spread around the globe. 

Can we dream of you singing live on stage with musicians like Keith Rowe and Polwechsel?

It would be nice to think so. Everyone's aware of how difficult it is to make touring work these days. I've been struggling with the practicalities of how to perform my recent work live given the ever narrowing parameters of what's possible in that context. There's also the matter of the nature of the material itself. What was born of improvisation has evolved into composition. One can only walk so far back in the opposite direction before reaching a point where deconstruction undoes the stitching that held the elements together. 

Has singing with these musicians given you a new form of expressive freedom?

Certainly, as a writer, yes. 

What importance does the visual aspect of your work have?

It comes as something of a relief to move from a project where the focus belongs entirely to the world of sound to that of sight. I don't necessarily feel the different areas of my work feed off of one another but they allow me to shift focus and emphasis in manner I find beneficial. I remember reading something by Nietzsche when I was young that was a critique of specialists. That one man becomes nothing but a enormous ear, another, a nose etc. That one sense is doted on at the expense of others. These activities relieve me of that monogamous or monocultural relationship to sound. It broadens my sensory experience of the world. 

As far as I´ve understood, you lived alone in the woods of New England after 2005. You have expressed that you found it difficult to get used to play in the front of audiences again. What is the situation like today?

It's very much the same as it was. I've grown accustomed to my isolation. It gets increasingly difficult to contemplate breaking with it. 

Was your sojourn in the woods of New England in any way inspired by Herman Melville, Henry David Thoreau and Emily Dickinson?

In many ways I sought out a contemplative life, something in the way of a spiritual aspirant, though it'd be equally true to say that this was simply where I found myself after taking numerous forks in the road in the journey of my life. However, there's always been something of the renunciate in me that yearned for retreat. I imagine it found me long before I knew I was ready, was foisted upon me and, as a result, I walked a long, inarticulate path wearing a partial blindfold that hindered progress but which I've since removed. Now that inarticulacy is giving way to something other, a fluency perhaps, and the difficulties of a solitary life, such as they are, are greatly diminished. 

How does age relate to what you are doing at the moment? (I am older than you!)

Age has as much to do with the nature of the work as anything else. How could it not? Whether in acceptance or denial every aspect of our lives influences the decisions we make. See also the mention of the word 'maturity' in an earlier response. I don't equate maturity with respectability, the genteel, the tasteful. I tend to equate it with knowing what the crux of the matter is and having the wherewithal to make a beeline for it. This might give the work a harder surface appearance, an abrasiveness perhaps, accompanied by an economy of means and, if we're fortunate, a greater eloquence, but I'm convinced that ultimately the rewards are greater for this 'caution to the wind' approach. With age there should come a sort of recklessness, don't you think? A certain immunity to the fear of failure because you know who you are and what you're attempting to unearth in the writing. You become less and less an independent part of the process, you're immersed in it. You're down in the engine room trying to get the vessel to unmoor itself and move out into deeper waters. It's about setting something down, getting it right. Doesn't have to be overly serious, it depends entirely where your focus lies. There's a responsibility to try, to make an attempt, to aim high... if not, then fail, fail better, or fall into a welcoming silence. 

Is there anything else you would like to say, that have not been touched upon by the above questions?

No... thanks for the interest. 

Is It hard to avoid public life as an artist?

Well, on the one hand it’s impossible to avoid to some extent because it’s important to let the world know that the work exists so a certain amount of exposure seems inevitable. On the other, with so much emphasis increasingly placed on electronic media and communications, it’s possible to remain somewhat concealed whilst taking care of the business of publicity and promotion. This is an evolution that greatly suits many an artist, myself included.

You seems to live a quiet life?

I do. After I moved to the US we found ourselves, as an expanding family, increasingly moving away from the center of things. We started out in cities and, as we travelled around the country, moving from middle America to the West Coast and finally to the East, we found ourselves more and more isolated. It’s something we acclimatised to incrementally. Initially we were never that far from a major city that we couldn’t fulfill our cultural needs but as time’s gone on those needs have diminished and greater isolation ensued. The internet became a means of staying in touch with the world around us. I think this notion of one’s culture being what one finds on one’s doorstep no longer holds sway. We’re now, in large part, global citizens and continue to absorb aspects of culture and news from around the world. Much of the work I do is with individuals from all over. We speak via electronic media and exchange files in much the same way when working together. This flexibility, this immediacy and availability in our interactions is something that will only increase with time and the development of more capable technologies.

Are you a person that attends football matches?

I’m afraid I’ve no interest in sport although, having said that, my daughter took up basketball last season and I was throughly gripped watching her games. A good friend took me to some Dodgers games in LA. I don’t think there’s any danger of an abiding interest on my part but I found the experience fascinating and pleasurable.

A lot of people find your music very dark, I on the other hand find the music simply beautiful, are you a melancholy as a person?

I’ve never really warmed to the term melancholy. Some might apply it to me I suppose but maybe they’d be surprised by how easily I laugh? How much of my interaction with my children is based on a shared sense of humour etc. I’m not subject to violent mood swings although they’re not unfamiliar to me, but there are certainly lighter sides to my personality that balance the darker which I’m more likely to keep to myself.

My impression is that you like to spend time alone with yourself, thinking and try to get to learn more about yourself, am I totally wrong?

I do spend a lot of time alone. Most of the time this is a welcome isolation, sometimes the isolation can become overly intense and lead to loneliness. Much is dependent upon a healthy body and state of mind. I do enjoy the company of loved ones but I have a limited capacity where the company of others is concerned. They say there are two kinds of people, ones that fuel their internal batteries by being in the company of others and a second group who fuel those batteries by being alone. I belong to the latter camp. On a busy schdule, as little as 15mins alone can recharge me for the remainder of the day ahead.

What makes you laugh?

I guess I would say the British sense of self-deprecating humour. Quick-wittedness. Word play. Good company. Time spent in the company of my daughters.

What would you say inspires you? Japan had hit singles, do you miss the chart success?

Are there such things as charts any longer? I’m afraid I don’t keep abreast. Do I miss chart success? Not in the least. Inspiration comes from many sources, mainly from the experience of one’s own life, one’s own psychological and emotional life, plus the writings and recordings of a small number of artists perhaps. But what makes a work authentic is its emotional and philosophical truth so whatever one feeds on, in the cultrual sense, must be fully digested to the point where one isn’t able to recognise the influence in one’s own work, that it becomes part of one’s own vocabulary.

When you compose are you avoiding some music that comes to you, say If there was a huge hit in your mind, would you release the song or do you erase the inspiration for it?

That’s not the way it works. I have aims and goals when writing and I move towards them. The chances that I’ll be knocked sideways by an idea for what might be a hit single is somewhat slim but it depends on the context of the project, who I’m working with. In general I tend to think hit singles, if there are still such things, and chart success, is for a younger generation. It is their playground.

What fascinates you about improv music?

I’ve been listening to improvised music for many decades. In those early years it was the pleasure of absorbing myself in the work of others completely divorced from my own in most respects, attempting to comprehend it. As time went on I became increasingly curious whether it was possible for me to (convincingly) dip my toe in that particular musical stream. It took me some time, a couple of decades perhaps, to work out how that might be possible. What drew me to it were the freedoms it potentially offered me as a composer.

What significance does the word Manafon have?

I came across the word in relation to the life and work of R. S. Thomas. It was the location of his first parish (a small village in Wales) and the place where he wrote his first three volumes of poetry. Over time the word became for me a metaphor for the poetic imagination, the creative mind or wellspring, hence the cover art of the cd ‘Manafon’ which depicts an implausible idyll if you will. A place where the intuitive mind taps into the stream of the unconscious. 

When do you compose, in the morning or at night?

Afternoon through to night.

You have worked with Stina Nordenstam, do you keep in touch with her?

Not often enough. She’s an enormously talented and remarkable individual. I greatly enjoyed working with her.

Any new collaboration with her planned?

Not at this time.

Can you give an example of how eastern culture has affected you as a human being?

I think it affected me in ways that have been so completely absorbed and assimilated that it’s hard for me to comprehend the degree to which I’ve been influenced by my engagement with eastern culture. I might point to the influence of zen buddhism and, to a lesser extent, shintoism and the guiding roles they’ve played in my personal evolution. The beautiful artifice of popular culture and the mutability of persona. The embrace of one’s masculinity and feminity on equal terms, without conflict. Then there are the friendships which grew overtime with Japanese artists, musicians, composers, all of whom hold an important place in my heart. Musicians and collaborators such as Ryuichi Sakamoto, Toru Takemitsu, Otomo Yoshihide, Toshimaru Nakamura and, more recently, Dai Fujikura. Visual artists such as Shinro Ohtake, Shinya Fujiwara and Atsushi Fukui. I found a compatible aesthetic in many aspects of their work, particularly with Ryuichi, which reflected my own. I found a community of contemporaries in Japan which I failed to find in my own homeland.

Would you say that you believe in spirituality and in religion?

There’s a strong anti-religious streak in me probably as a result of living in the US where religion attempts to play its part in the moral lives of its people regardless of faith or personal belief. I’m wary of institutions of all kinds but particularly religious ones. Spirituality need have little to do with organised religion per se. To talk about spirituality is increasingly difficulty because the language, which was always somewhat inadequate, has been hijacked and unfortunate associations abound. We do need new terminology to enable us to discuss this issue more effectively. Spirit is essentially what we are, is as much a part of us as our flesh, blood, etc. only more so. We can tap into it in numerous ways. Some might find it best to work with or through organised religion. Others may find it in/through contact with the natural world and still others through their creative lives which are inextricably linked to matters of spirit. The number of diverse paths available that lead to access to, or the blossoming of, one’s own spirit/spirtuality are countless.

Are you composing some new material at the moment?

I’m working on what might be described as an orchestral version of Manafon.

When will you come to Sweden and play?

I’d first have to decide that touring is an ongoing option for me and I’ve not yet made that call.