Tag: Shinya Fujiwara

Avalon Sutra – Perhaps

‘from the resonant heart of a soulful man’

As David Sylvian’s In Praise of Shamans tour reached the West Coast in April 1988, he was interviewed for a piece in the Los Angeles Times. It was put to him that the ‘New Age tag has cropped up frequently’ in connection with his music. ‘It’s a very easy category to throw me into,’ Sylvian observed. ‘The music generally isn’t aggressive and therefore they define it as easy-listening, and they think I could belong to that category. And also some of the philosophies of life that I speak about they think may bear some resemblance to New Age.

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Blackwater

‘the possibility of new life’

The story of the ‘reformation’ of Japan (or to be accurate, of the four members who created the band’s final studio album, Tin Drum) was something that I followed in real time through the pages of the fanzine Bamboo. The first hint of such momentous news was contained in the Summer 1989 edition and almost comically understated, undoubtedly because the situation developed whilst the print publication was being finalised.

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Blemish (remixed by Akira Rabelais) – End Times

Connecting to something ineffable

On the homepage of David Sylvian’s new label there was a link to the imprint’s ‘Mission Statement’. ‘Samadhisound came into being as one possible blueprint for the future, intuition taking precedence over business sense and game plan,’ wrote Sylvian. ‘I don’t make long term plans as I surrender that part of my life to guru. But if I allow myself to dream I dream of a label that gives freedom to artists and musicians, creating a “safe house” for the nurturing of ideas. It will be home to much of my work and the work of my brother Steve Jansen. We will also sit at the helm as producers to a small group of artists who we hope will find a home at samadhisound. We’ll encourage projects that break new ground, and support those that bring a unique slant to an existing field of enquiry. Aesthetically that field is wide open as is the nature and diversity of the projects.’

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