David Sylvian
Sleepwalkers

LA RECENSIONE

The icy and haughty Sylvian, increasingly entrenched in his tower of presumption and ever more stingy with concessions to his die-hard fans, releases a sort of collection that spans around a decade of collaborations with friends and colleagues: "Sleepwalkers", he titles it. The sleepwalkers. That is, those who, suspended between wakefulness and sleep, roam catatonic in the shadowy zone where—Sylvian seems to say—visions unknown to non-sleepwalkers lurk.

On the cover, a feminine creature with primeval features, masked in black, with teenage braids and nipples exposed, watches us inscrutably.

Sensual and dreamy as usual, the ex-Japan selectively chooses about fifteen otherwise untraceable tracks; or rather traceable through a work of collector's philology that only a few would have had time to undertake. All in all, a varied mosaic that somewhat summarizes the sensations and atmospheres that have permeated the artist's life, giving a good sense of the people he surrounded himself with and trusted.

From the collaboration with Sakamoto (his old cinematic tormentor) he highlights "World Citizen - I Won't Be Disappointed", published on an EP in 2003 in Japan and then the following year by Samadhisound.

And then... "Pure Genius", written with Chris Vrenna (former member of Nine Inch Nails), a piece with dark implications; "Sugarfuel", written with Jean-Philippe Verdin, aka Readymade FC. And again... "The World Is Everything", from the book-CD of the same name; "Exir/Delete" inspired and constructed through the sounds of Tagaci Masakatsu; "Trauma" which was a leftover from "Blemish".

In short, a gem for the exegetes who continue to bow to the elusive profile of the blonde musician, an extra for everyone else who, if yesterday certainly appreciated works like "Secret of the Beehive", today are not willing to spend money on a cult object.

The patina of snobbery that Sylvian sprinkles on his records remains visible, with the unapproachable premise that what he does is not for everyone and he prides himself on it. It's a detached modus that has partly determined his success, partly his misfortune. In fact, his figure has remained on the sidelines of the scene more out of arrogance than the real weight of content. Great voice, for heaven's sake. But I continue to believe he is an overrated character.