Forbidden colors...
- Nostra Dam
- 6 hours ago
- 5 min read
David Sylvian, whose real name is David Batt, is an English singer-songwriter best known as the iconic lead singer of the band Japan.
Formed in 1974, the band released no fewer than five acclaimed albums between 1978 and 1981.
His solo career began in 1982 with the release of his first Single, "Bamboo Houses," with Ryuichi Sakamoto. This Single brought him immediate and significant success.
But it was their subsequent collaboration that truly set the world ablaze in 1983 with the sublime "Forbidden Colors," a flagship track in his discography, which was featured on the soundtrack of the film 'Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence'.
His debut album, "Brilliant Trees," was released a year later in 1984 and perfectly confirmed the prevailing trend : the artist was indeed one of the hottest new talents of the moment. The album's biggest hit was the track "Red Guitar."
Two years later, in 1986, came the album "Gone to Earth," less successful than its predecessor but still a decent success, thanks in particular to the track "Taking the Veil."
The following year, in 1987, "Secrets of the Beehive" was released, an album that saw the artist's success wane somewhat. It barely managed to stay afloat thanks to the Single "Let the Happiness In."
It would be 12 years before the release of his new album, "Dead Bees on a Cake," twelve long years during which the artist sank into a deep depression. This depression literally prevented him from working alone and forced him to resort to numerous collaborative projects to maintain some semblance of a presence.
This new album allowed the artist to get back in the game, at least partially, thanks in particular to the Single "I Surrender."
Other albums and Singles followed, but none could match the level of success achieved by their predecessors during the 80s. The artist also took the opportunity to participate in numerous collaborative projects, with varying degrees of success.
To discover or rediscover...
Discography (among others ...) :
80s Decade :
Bamboo houses 1982
Good night (Akiko Yano) 1982
Forbidden colors 1983
Red guitar 1984
The ink in the well 1984
Pulling punches 1984
Words with the shaman Part 2 (Incantation) 1985
Preparations for a journey 1985
Taking the veil 1986
Silver moon 1986
Before the bullfight 1986
Some small hope (Virginia Astley) 1986
Buoy 1987
When love walks in 1987
Let the happiness in 1987
The boy with the gun 1987
Orpheus 1988
Plight & Premonition 1988
Flux & Mutability 1989
Pop song 1989
90s Decade :
The beekeeper’s apprentice 1991
Blackwater 1991
Heartbeat 1992
Cloud #9 1992
To a reason (Hector Zazou) 1992
A victim of stars (Hector Zazou) 1992
Jean the Birdman 1993
Darshan (The road to Graceland) 1993
Every colour you are 1994
Wave 1994
Come morning (Nicola Alesini/Pier Luigi Andreoni) 1995
The golden way (Nicola Alesini/Pier Luigi Andreoni) 1995
Maya (Nicola Alesini/Pier Luigi Andreoni) 1995
Ti ho aspettato (I have waited for you) (André Chimenti) 1996
How safe is deep ? (Russell Mills) 1996
I surrender 1999
Darkest dreaming 1999
Café Europa 1999
Room of the sixteen shimmers 1999
2000s Decade :
Ride 2000
Zero landmine (N.M.L.) 2001
Sugarfuel (Readymade FC) 2001
Linoleum (Tweaker) 2001
The healing place 2002
Answered prayers 2002
Blemish 2003
The heart knows better 2003
World citizen (I won’t be disappointed) 2004
Transit (Fennesz) 2004
Pure genius (Tweaker) 2004
Exit (Takagi Masakatsu) 2004
For the love of life 2004
Messenger (Blonde Redhead) 2004
A fire in the forest (Readymade FC) 2005
Matière pensante (Hector Zazou) 2005
Wonderful World (Nine Horses) 2005
Darkest brids (Nine Horses) 2005
A history of holes (Nine Horses) 2005
The librarian (Burnt Friedman & Jaki Liebezeit) 2006
Angels (Punkt) 2006
When loud weather buffeted Noashima 2007
Playground martyrs (Steve Jansen) 2007
Ballad of a deadman (Steve Jansen) 2007
Money for all (Nine Horses) 2007
Get the hell out (Nine Horses) 2007
Honor wishes (Joan As Police Woman) 2008
No question (Joan As Police Woman) 2008
Before and afterlife (Arve Henriksen) 2008
Thermal (Arve Henriksen) 2008
Jacqueline 2009
Small metal gods 2009
Manafon 2009
2010s Decade :
Nothing is happening everywhere (LAND) 2012
Saffron laudanum 2012
Trauma ward 2012
Do you know me now ? 2013
Where’s your gravity ? 2013
Modern interior 2015
Life, life 2017
2020s Decade :
Grains 2022
Aventure Japan :
Tracks :
1982...the huge Japan adventure is over, now comes the time for a solo career. It remains to be seen whether the singer will manage to achieve the same success alone as he did with others...
1982...a year clearly marked by diverse and varied collaborations with artists from the Land of the Rising Sun...
1983...and it's THIS new collaboration with Ryuichi Sakamoto on the soundtrack for the film 'Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence' that will change everything ! A new collaboration, and what a collaboration it is ! The two artists will deliver here quite simply one of the most beautiful scores of the late 20th century, no less. A MAS-TER-PIE-CE !
1984...it was impossible for this title to compete with its predecessor, as the bar had been set so high. It would therefore have to be content with the few crumbs left by the latter...
1984...the same goes for this one and especially for all those that followed. Let's not kid ourselves, the artist will never manage to repeat the incredible feat achieved with 'Forbidden Colors'...
1984... which doesn't mean that what he continues to produce will lack interest, far from it. And he'll produce plenty more titles, believe me...
1985... he would produce many songs with vocals, but he would also delve into pure instrumental music. Here's a concrete example...
1985...purely instrumental music that will not remain his most acclaimed musical production, but it at least has the merit of existing...
1986...a return to the forefront of the music scene thanks to this new song, this time with vocals. Even though the Singles achieved limited success, the albums they came from were guaranteed worldwide hits...
1986...a global success which clearly demonstrates that the artist has succeeded in his gamble to go it alone. The opposite would have been truly astonishing...
1986... a track that wasn't officially released as a Single, but it would have been a shame to overlook it. Here it is, brought back into the spotlight as it deserves...
1986...he would multiply his diverse and varied collaborations during this decade of the 80s and this time we find him alongside Virginia Astley...
1987...then alongside his old Japan bandmate Mick Karn. Two partners who clashed during the band's final years but who managed to reconcile afterward...
Wiki :
Official Website :
Greatest Hits :
Discography :
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