X-Nico

2 unusual facts about David Sylvian


Forbidden Colors

The title of the novel was used by David Sylvian and Ryuichi Sakamoto as the name of their theme song for the film soundtrack of Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence, a film set in a Japanese POW camp in Java which includes exploration of homoerotic themes.

Franz Wright

In 2013 Wright recorded 15 prose poems from Kindertotenwald for inclusion in a series of improvisational concerts performed in European venues, arranged by David Sylvian.


Approaching Silence

Approaching Silence is a compilation album of ambient music by David Sylvian (along with Frank Perry and Robert Fripp) collecting the tracks from the 1991 limited release Ember Glance: The Permanence of Memory installation soundtrack CD as well as the soundtrack cassette from the installation "Redemption" (with Robert Fripp), staged in August 1994 at the P3 Gallery in Tokyo.

Damage: Live

Damage is a live recording of a 1993 tour by David Sylvian and Robert Fripp.

Nina Kinert

In October 2007, she was featured on the Steve Jansen album Slope, singing on "Playground Martyrs (Reprise)" (another version of that song on the album featured Jansens' brother David Sylvian).

Rain Tree Crow

It was the first time all four members of the band, David Sylvian, Steve Jansen, Mick Karn and Richard Barbieri, collaborated on a project since the compilation of the 1983 live album Oil on Canvas.

The Inner Mounting Flame

The track "You Know, You Know" was sampled in Massive Attack's "One Love", Mos Def's "Kalifornia", Black Sheep's single "Similak Child", David Sylvian's "I Surrender", Cecil Otter's "Rebel Yellow" and Blahzay Blahzay's "Intro" from Blah Blah Blah album.

The Mekano Set

The group cite an eclectic list of influences including Curve, Talk Talk, Kate Bush, Hawkwind, The Chameleons, David Sylvian, Leftfield, Massive Attack, Joy Division, Public Image Limited, The Sisters of Mercy, The Clash, Depeche Mode, New Order, Gilles Peterson's Worldwide radio show,Twin Peaks, Whitley Strieber and Situationism.


see also

Bamboo Houses

A remix of "Bamboo Houses" was included on David Sylvian's career retrospective Everything and Nothing in 2000.