Steve Jansen

Big Wheels in Shanty Town

‘an epic track’

‘Virgin were ecstatic when they heard the news from an equally ecstatic Richard Chadwick,’ said Mick Karn of the decision for himself and ex-Japan band-mates Sylvian, Jansen & Barbieri to come back together, ‘and within days came up with an amount for recording that made us ecstatic. None of us had ever seen such a large sum for recording before. And what’s more, once lawyers had prepared the contracts and suggested we have accountants carry out an audit on Virgin, they hastily sent us a substantial cheque each for Japan videos…

‘The four of us set forth on a driving holiday through Italy for a week in June 1989, to research some of the available residential studios we’d been considering. The budget would go a long way if we were careful, and the trip enabled us to spend time together bonding, and for me to show off my Italian as band translator. We decided on a studio Steve and Rich had already used, Condulmer, near Venice, and planned to be there for a month in November after starting the project in the south of France in Miraval for five weeks at the beginning of September.’

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.

Still Life in Mobile Homes

‘the importance of individual personality’

The opening track to Side 2 of Japan’s iconic final studio album, Tin Drum, sequenced between the China-influenced ‘Canton’ and ‘Visions of China’, stands alone in the construction of its rhythm track, pointing forward to new ways of working for the band’s drummer, Steve Jansen. ‘Still Life in Mobile Homes’, Steve said, was ‘the only drum track recorded piecemeal on that album.’ (2015)

World Citizen – The Only Daughter (remixed by Ryoji Ikeda)

elaborating upon the emotional heart of the work

Early in January this year I made my way along The Strand in central London to 180 Studios, very much within my old stomping ground as a mid-80s student. Entering the basement down the black-walled staircase, I was led to a darkened space where bean bags were laid out on the ground in a circle, each visitor invited to recline and turn their attention to the ceiling above, which was in fact taken up by a huge LED screen.

Nostalgia

painting an audio picture

When the sessions for Brilliant Trees reconvened in London, following the initial gathering at Hansa Tonstudio in Berlin, the location was JAM studios situated in Tollington Park, North London. Joining co-producer Steve Nye for this stint was engineer Peter Williams. ‘JAM was owned by two brothers, the Nordmarks, Swedes, and their sister Lena ran the whole place. It was the old Decca 4 studio and became JAM. We used that a lot because it was a reasonable price, the quality of the equipment was good, and so we did a number of things there,’ Peter told me. ‘JAM, from memory, was a Harrison desk, Studer 24 track and Studer ½” 30 inch per second mastering, and a pair of big Urei speakers, 513s or whatever they are called, a bunch of amps etc.’

As mentioned in this recent article, David Sylvian was instrumental in the publication of Harold Budd’s first book of poetry – Colorful Fortune.

A small number of copies are available direct from Keith Lowe (bass player on Nine Horses and on stage with David Sylvian, who published the book), priced at US$35 plus shipping. There are also a handful of copies signed by Harold, priced at US$125 plus shipping. Each book comes with a small promotional card. Contact moonlinermusic@mac.com for more information.

Further information sometimes comes to light after an article is published. The following pieces have recently been updated with new material:

June 2026
The Ink in the Well – added additional quotes from Danny Thompson and Peter Williams.
Nostalgia – added quote from Steve Jansen about the demo of the song.
Brilliant Trees – added date of Jon Hassell’s session from his diaries.
Ancient Evening – Incantation – added date of Jon Hassell’s session from his diaries.
Heartbeat (Tainai Kaiki II) – added insight from David Sylvian that Bill Frisell’s solo was from a single take.

The recent reissues of David Sylvian’s early solo albums on coloured vinyl sold out quickly.

All were repressed and re-released on 19 December 2025.

Brilliant Trees – burningshed

Alchemy – official store

Gone to Earth – official store

Secrets of the Beehive – official store

Lucrecia’s album A Danger to Ourselves was released in September 2025. All tracks produced by Lucrecia Dalt & David Sylvian, mixed by David Sylvian.

Sylvian also contributes vocal and feedback guitar to ‘Cosa Rara’ and electric guitar solo for ‘Covenstead Blues’:

Second edition repress of ‘Cosa Rara (feat. David Sylvian)’ with alternative artwork. Note that this vinyl also contains an extended mix of the ‘dopamine dub’ by Matias Aguayo, featuring David Sylvian (i.e. a different version from the first single release):