Post by IhateMana on Oct 21, 2019 23:17:42 GMT
David Alan Batt (23 February 1958)
Member Of: Japan (1974 - 1982), Rain Tree Crow (1989 - 1991), Nine Horses (2005 - Present)
Vocal Range: C2 - C5
{Summary}David Sylvian is probably equally as well known and respected for both his role as frontman for short-lived 80s art-rock group Japan as well as for his marvelous solo career. Sylvian's music explores lush, world influenced art-rock, and texture focused atonal experiments. Though he essentially faded away into a cult hero, he is widely respected in underground circles and has worked with big names such as Robert Fripp, Holger Czukay and Ryuichi Sakamoto. Sylvian also had something of an influence aesthetically in (funnily enough) Japan, through the 80s and 90s.
Initially with Japan, Sylvian attempted to match the singing style of his new-wave contemporaries, but soon discovered his upper register lacked the power and reach for this and grew into the style he's most recognised for. Sylvian's lower register is magnificently comfortable and weighty, instantly recognisable for his unique timbre. Though not possessing much of an upper register really at all, really only ever going over middle C in backing harmonies in his solo career, he has a knack for still managing to build climactic vocal sections even in the 3rd octave.
Initially with Japan, Sylvian attempted to match the singing style of his new-wave contemporaries, but soon discovered his upper register lacked the power and reach for this and grew into the style he's most recognised for. Sylvian's lower register is magnificently comfortable and weighty, instantly recognisable for his unique timbre. Though not possessing much of an upper register really at all, really only ever going over middle C in backing harmonies in his solo career, he has a knack for still managing to build climactic vocal sections even in the 3rd octave.
Significant High Notes
C5 ("Obscure Alternatives")
B4 ("Performance")
B♭4 ("Obscure Alternatives")
G4 ("Automatic Gun", "Television")
F♯4 ("Adolescent Sex", "Cantonese Boy", "European Son", "Love Is Infectious")
F4 ("Deviation", "Don't Rain On My Parade", "European Son", "Fall In Love With Me", "Life In Tokyo", "Obscure Alternatives", "Talking Drum", "Television", "Transmission", "Wish You Were Black")
E4 ("Adolescent Sex", "The Art Of Parties", "Automatic Gun", "Communist China", "Ghosts", "Halloween", "The Ink In The Well", "Life Without Buildings", "Love Is Infectious", "Lovers On Main Street", "Quiet Life", "Sons Of Pioneers", "Suburban Berlin")
E♭4 ("Blackwater", "Darkest Birds", "European Son", "Fall In Love With Me", "I Second That Emotion", "In Vogue", "Life In Tokyo", "My New Career", "Pocketful Of Change", "...Rhodesia", "Sometimes I Feel So Low", "Suburban Love", "Wanderlust", "Wish You Were Black")
D4 ("Ain't That Peculiar", "Alien", "The Art Of Parties", "Blackcrow Hits Shoe Shine City", "Blemish", "Communist China", "Darkest Birds", "Deviation", "Don't Rain On My Parade", "Emily Dickinson", "Gentlemen Take Polaroids", "Life In Tokyo", "Lovers On Main Street", "Nightporter", "Obscure Alternatives", "Performance", "Pop Song", "Quiet Life", "The Rabbit Skinner", "...Rhodesia", "River Man", "Snow White In Appalachia", "Still Life In Mobile Homes", "Suburban Love", "Swing", "The Unconventional", "Talking Drum", "Visions Of China")
C♯4 ("125 Spheres", "All Tomorrow's Parties", "Bamboo Houses", "Blackwater", "Buoy", "Cantonese Boy", "The Day The Earth Stole Heaven", "Five Lines", "Forbidden Colours", "Gentlemen Take Polaroids", "Ghosts", "The Good Son", "In Vogue", "Laughter And Forgetting", "Manafon", "Maria", "Methods Of Dance", "My New Career", "Pocketful Of Change", "Pulling Punches", "Red Guitar", "River Man", "Some Kind Of Fool", "Some Small Hope", "Wave", "World Citizen -I Won't Be Disappointed-")
C4 ("Ain't That Peculiar", "Before The Bullfight", "Blinding Light Of Heaven", "The Boy With The Gun", "Brightness Falls", "Buoy", "The First Day", "Forbidden Colours", "The Golden Way", "Gone To Earth", "The Heart Knows Better", "I Second That Emotion", "The Ink In The Well", "Krishna Blue", "Midnight Sun", "Nostalgia", "The Other Side Of Life", "Quiet Life", "Red Guitar", "...Rhodesia", "Ride", "Shadowland", "Silver Moon", "Sleepwalkers", "Sometimes I Feel So Low", "Sons Of Pioneers", "Suburban Berlin", "Taking Islands In Africa", "Television", "Thalheim", "Weathered Wall", "When Poets Dreamed Of Angels", "Where's Your Gravity?")
B3 ("All Tomorrow's Parties", "Before The Bullfight", "Blackcrow Hits Shoe Shine City", "Blackwater", "Blemish", "The Boy With The Gun", "Brilliant Trees", "Café Europa", "Come Morning", "Cover Me With Flowers", "Darkest Birds", "Every Colour You Are", "A Fire In The Forest", "God's Monkey", "How Little We Need To Be Happy", "The Ink In The Well", "Jean The Birdman", "Laughter And Forgetting", "Les Fleurs Du Mal", "Let The Happiness In", "Linoleum", "Manafon", "Money For All", "Mother And Child", "Playground Martyrs", "Pollen Path", "Pop Song", "Promise (The Cult Of Eurydice)", "Pulling Punches", "The Rabbit Skinner", "Ride", "Small Metal Gods", "Some Kind Of Fool", "Sugarfuel", "Taking The Veil", "Thalheim", "Visions Of China", "Wanderlust", "Waterfront", "Wave", "World Citizen -I Won't Be Disappointed-")
Significant Low Notes
A2 ("Alien", "Alphabet Angel", "Backwaters", "Ballad Of A Deadman", "Before The Bullfight", "Blemish", "Boat's For Burning", "Brilliant Trees", "Come Morning", "Darkest Dreaming", "Despair", "Deviation", "Do You Know Me Now?", "Dobro #1", "Emily Dickinson", "Every Colour You Are", "For The Love Of Life", "Gentlemen Take Polaroids", "The Good Son", "The Heart Knows Better", "Honor Wishes", "In Vogue", "Krishna Blue", "Life Without Buildings", "Linoleum", "Nostalgia", "Nightporter", "Orpheus", "The Other Side Of Life", "Performance", "Pocketful Of Change", "Pollen Path", "Quiet Life", "Rain Tree Crow", "Random Acts Of Senseless Violence", "The Scent Of Magnolia", "She Is Not", "Small Metal Gods", "Swing", "Taking The Veil", "Thalheim", "Ti Ho Aspettato (I Have Waited For You)", "Transit", "Weathered Wall", "The World Is Everything", "A Victim Of Stars")
G♯2 ("Aparna And Nimisha (Dobro #5)", "Bamboo Houses", "The Banality Of Evil", "Brilliant Trees", "Café Europa", "Cantonese Boy", "Cover Me With Flowers", "Darkest Birds", "Do You Know Me Now?", "Forbidden Colours", "Ghosts", "Gone To Earth", "The Good Son", "Heartbeat (Tainai Kaiki II) - Returning To The Womb", "How Little We Need To Be Happy", "Late Night Shopping", "Laughter And Forgetting", "Manafon", "Methods Of Dance", "Pocketful Of Change", "Pulling Punches", "Ride", "River Man", "Serotonin", "Silver Moon", "Some Small Hope", "Visions Of China", "Wave")
G2 ("20th Century Dreaming (A Shaman's Song)", "Ain't That Peculiar", "The Art Of Parties", "Ballad Of A Deadman", "Before The Bullfight", "Blinding Light Of Heaven", "The Boy With The Gun", "Buoy", "Cries And Whispers", "For The Love Of Life", "The Greatest Living Englishman", "The Golden Way", "The Heart Knows Better", "A History Of Holes", "Jean The Birdman", "The Librarian", "Orpheus", "Playground Martyrs", "The Scent Of Magnolia", "Shadowland", "The Shining Of Things", "Snow Borne Sorrow", "Snow White In Appalachia", "Sometimes I Feel So Low", "Taking The Veil", "To The Reason", "When Poets Dreamed Of Angels", "Wonderful World")
F♯2 ("Albuquerque (Dobro #6)", "Alien", "Atom And Cell", "Blackwater", "Brilliant Trees", "Cover Me With Flowers", "The Devil's Own", "For The Love Of Life", "Gentlemen Take Polaroids", "Goodnight", "Let The Happiness In", "Mother And Child", "My New Career", "The Only Daughter", "Promise (The Cult Of Eurydice)", "Pulling Punches", "Random Acts Of Senseless Violence", "Small Metal Gods", "Still Life In Mobile Homes", "Swing", "Transit", "Wanderlust")
F2 ("Backwaters", "Emily Dickinson", "Forbidden Colours", "Ghosts", "The Greatest Living Englishman", "Nostalgia", "Thalheim")
E2 ("Atom And Cell", "Automatic Gun", "The Boy With The Gun", "The Devil's Own", "Darkest Dreaming", "Every Colour You Are", "Firepower", "Gentlemen Take Polaroids", "Gone To Earth", "Goodnight", "The Ink In The Well", "Money For All", "The Only Daughter", "Orpheus", "Pop Song", "Promise (The Cult Of Eurydice)", "Quiet Life", "Ride", "September", "Small Metal Gods", "Some Kind Of Fool", "Sons Of Pioneers", "To The Reason", "Weathered Wall", "When Poets Dreamed Of Angels")
E♭2 ("The Banality Of Evil", "Brightness Falls", "God Man", "I Second That Emotion", "The Librarian", "Ride", "The Shining Of Things", "Wave")
D2 ("Cries And Whispers", "Darshan (The Road To Graceland)", "A Fire In The Forest", "The Golden Way", "Jean The Birdman", "Krishna Blue", "Linoleum", "Promise (The Cult Of Eurydice)", "Wanderlust")
C2 ("Snow White In Appalachia", "Wish You Were Black")
..................................................................................................
Blue indicates falsetto
Italics indicates non-melodic notes
Underlines indicates notes in backing vocals or otherwise obscured
Boldface indicates notes that are particularly notable examples of this singer's capabilities
{Questionable Notes}
Sustained passage in "Fall In Love With Me" alternating between C4 and B♭3 sustained for 15 seconds
G2 ("Red Guitar" [1], "Suburban Love" possibly another band member)
F♯2 ("In Vogue" brief, non-focal, possibly incidental slide)
E2 ("For The Love Of Life" [1], "Pollen Path" [1])
E♭2 ("Café Europa" [1], "Ghosts" [1], "Let The Happiness In" [1])
D2 ("The Boy With The Gun", "Dobro #1" [1], "The Heart Knows Better", "Small Metal Gods" [1], "Swing" [1], "Taking Islands In Africa" [1], "Taking The Veil" [1], "Thalheim" [1])
C♯2 ("Café Europa" [1], "Manafon" [1], "River Man" [1], "Some Kind Of Fool" [1])
C2 ("Heartbeat" [1], "Midnight Sun" [1], "Playground Martyrs" [1], "Rain Tree Crow" [1])
B1 ("Maria" [1])
[1] indicates big phat thiccboi anacrusis (in a way that it isn't an emphasised part of the melody, usually connected to the "real" first note of the melody as a sort of grace note, but sometimes simply one off in a way that would indicate it's not a focal part of the melody
Sustained passage in "Fall In Love With Me" alternating between C4 and B♭3 sustained for 15 seconds
G2 ("Red Guitar" [1], "Suburban Love" possibly another band member)
F♯2 ("In Vogue" brief, non-focal, possibly incidental slide)
E2 ("For The Love Of Life" [1], "Pollen Path" [1])
E♭2 ("Café Europa" [1], "Ghosts" [1], "Let The Happiness In" [1])
D2 ("The Boy With The Gun", "Dobro #1" [1], "The Heart Knows Better", "Small Metal Gods" [1], "Swing" [1], "Taking Islands In Africa" [1], "Taking The Veil" [1], "Thalheim" [1])
C♯2 ("Café Europa" [1], "Manafon" [1], "River Man" [1], "Some Kind Of Fool" [1])
C2 ("Heartbeat" [1], "Midnight Sun" [1], "Playground Martyrs" [1], "Rain Tree Crow" [1])
B1 ("Maria" [1])
[1] indicates big phat thiccboi anacrusis (in a way that it isn't an emphasised part of the melody, usually connected to the "real" first note of the melody as a sort of grace note, but sometimes simply one off in a way that would indicate it's not a focal part of the melody
{Discography}
Japan
1978 - Adolescent Sex (C2 - B4)
1978 - Obscure Alternatives (E2 - C5)
1979 - Quiet Life (E2 - E4)
1980 - Gentlemen Take Polaroids (E2 - E♭4)
1981 - Tin Drum (E2 - F♯4)
Rain Tree Crow
1991 - Rain Tree Crow (D2 - E♭4)
Solo Career & Collaborations
1984 - Brilliant Trees (E2 - E4)
1985 - Alchemy: An Index of Possibilities (N/A)
1986 - Gone To Earth (E♭2 - D4)
1987 - Secrets Of The Beehive (E2 - C♯4)
1988 - Plight & Premonition - with Holger Czukay (N/A)
1989 - Flux & Mutability - with Holger Czukay (N/A)
1993 - The First Day - with Robert Fripp (D2 - C4)
1999 - Dead Bees On A Cake (D2 - E♭4)
1999 - Approaching Silence (N/A)
2000 - Everything & Nothing (D2 - D4) (Compilation album)
2002 - Camphor (C3 - G♯4) (mostly instrumental, compilation)
2003 - Blemish (D2 - D4)
2007 - When Loud Weather Buffeted Naoshima (N/A)
2009 - Manafon (C2 - D4)
2010 - Sleepwalkers (F♯2 - C♯4)
2014 - There's A Light That Enters Houses With No Other House In Sight (N/A)
2017 - There Is No Love - with Rhodri Davis & Mark Wastell
Nine Horses
2005 - Snow Borne Sorrow (E♭2 - E♭4)
2007 - Money For All
Uncommon Deities
2012 - Uncommon Deities (N/A)
Japan
1978 - Adolescent Sex (C2 - B4)
1978 - Obscure Alternatives (E2 - C5)
1979 - Quiet Life (E2 - E4)
1980 - Gentlemen Take Polaroids (E2 - E♭4)
1981 - Tin Drum (E2 - F♯4)
Rain Tree Crow
1991 - Rain Tree Crow (D2 - E♭4)
Solo Career & Collaborations
1984 - Brilliant Trees (E2 - E4)
1985 - Alchemy: An Index of Possibilities (N/A)
1986 - Gone To Earth (E♭2 - D4)
1987 - Secrets Of The Beehive (E2 - C♯4)
1988 - Plight & Premonition - with Holger Czukay (N/A)
1989 - Flux & Mutability - with Holger Czukay (N/A)
1993 - The First Day - with Robert Fripp (D2 - C4)
1999 - Dead Bees On A Cake (D2 - E♭4)
1999 - Approaching Silence (N/A)
2000 - Everything & Nothing (D2 - D4) (Compilation album)
2002 - Camphor (C3 - G♯4) (mostly instrumental, compilation)
2003 - Blemish (D2 - D4)
2007 - When Loud Weather Buffeted Naoshima (N/A)
2009 - Manafon (C2 - D4)
2010 - Sleepwalkers (F♯2 - C♯4)
2014 - There's A Light That Enters Houses With No Other House In Sight (N/A)
2017 - There Is No Love - with Rhodri Davis & Mark Wastell
Nine Horses
2005 - Snow Borne Sorrow (E♭2 - E♭4)
2007 - Money For All
Uncommon Deities
2012 - Uncommon Deities (N/A)
{Bolds}
A2 ("For the Love of Life", "Honor Wishes")
G2 ("The Scent of Magnolia")
E2 ("The Only Daughter", "Promise (The Cult of Eurydice)")
A2 ("For the Love of Life", "Honor Wishes")
G2 ("The Scent of Magnolia")
E2 ("The Only Daughter", "Promise (The Cult of Eurydice)")
