David Sylvian Virtuetv.com 2000 interview part 1 

Man, I've been searching RU-vid for Sylvian's interviews and watching every single one of them that's available for the last couple of days, and its interesting to see the shift in the comment section here compared to the previous, earlier interviews. From "the most beautiful man and the most sublime original artist" to "ew I can't believe this ugly uggo once used to be Japan's pretty-faced frontman! such a self absorbed twerp with his head far up his arse!" I think I can now understand why David values his originality and artistic freedom above anything else. For someone who is aggressively critical of himself, he couldn't give two fucks of what others have to say about his work. And good for him. I prefer an artist like this than someone who is out there to people please and suck up to record labels and management.

Thank you so much for posting these interviews

Just at the end, I found it really moving to hear what he hopes people gain from his music. We all must have heard so many musicians talk about music - but Sylvian's description seems the truest, the most profound of them.

Yes, this new fangled world wide web thing will never take off.......

Very thoughtful, intelligent and Bowie -esk interview. Most interesting.

His speaking voice has changed so much he sounds like Peter Sellers in this interview. Love all his early stuff but struggle with later stuff.

RIP Robert Sandall.

i wait every day for new work as we neeed it

Love him.

He is incredibly Zen!

I saw this live, back in the day.

He is such a beautiful person and will always be!

Not completely sure why people dislike DS for walking away with the writing credits and hence royalties, when he wrote 90% of Japan's music! "Ooo! Why don't we try it this way?" - does not necessarily mean you are entitled to a writing credit and ultimately the cash!! As I understand it, Mick Karn didn't follow through with the enormous talent he clearly had! Potential ain't worth anything, unfortunately, as we all have it, but few of us pursue it and some are fortunate enough to be successful.... whatever that means!!

man people were not lying when they said his accent changed, i haven't heard him speak all that much, but its a huge change o_O

I took a lot away from this interview. One slightly trivial thing being how strange it is that David is starting to look, maybe even sound a bit like Bill Nelson in this video. It could be just me of course..

also, these comments are overly mean. you've never met the man, dont act like you know him

Quiet life ❤, what an album 👌

Oil On Canvas...EPIC .

@23sugarcane yeah he was a great journalist. (hence the mercury music prize) david sylvian frustrates me tho. i wish he wasnt so aloof and cold. the music he made with japan shouldnt be so dismissed by him. it was fantastic. i understand artists dont want to look back, but it really was the greatest era of his career for me. (and his first three solo albums)

That's a grizzled old Gnome?? I see a need for reality check here . HE LOOKS BLOODY GOOD FOR A 42 YEAR OLD MAN!!. Which is what he was here.

I love all things todo with him from mid 90s and backward. Like a lot, and very very special. But it wasn't till youtube came around that I very much found he is sort of "up his own ass". Sometimes maybe better to not hear interviews with certain folks.

I guess he was having problems with his marriage at the time. I have heard the interview in 1987 posted by magus1805 and have some clues about the split with Mick Karn. Their music is great even they split.

Now that's an impossibility.

brilliant trees is my swan song for cremation

Steve Jansen, Richard Barbieri and Mick Karn worked together a lot, so I guess we know who the real problem is.

David Sylvian more Bowie than Bowie

He was very camp in the seventies. I wonder if was teased

Fuck me im falling asleep here!

I have such difficulty relating this guy to the David Sylvian from Japan who was so beautiful...is it really the same guy?

japan would probably not have survived today. they would have been dropped after the 2nd album and never had the chance to progress.

for me its trees

David really takes himself quite seriously

@lunaboomboom Ants in pants. ;D

Why DS always wearing sunglasses on TV program ?

I am struck by the parallels between David Sylvian and that other, less musical, more political David - Miliband. Like Miliband, Sylvian had a similarly good looking brother, with whom he had a rivalry. Like Miliband, Sylvian broke away from the organisation he was associated with, in his case not the Labour party, but the "New Wave", or "New Romantic" band, Japan, possibly hoping that greater things were ahead of him. Both Davids disappeared into relative obscurity, Sylvian writing albums such as "Brilliant Trees" and "Voice of the Beehive", (or something like that. I can't be bothered to look it up), Miliband becoming CEO of the International Rescue Committee. I mean, do you know anyone that they have actually ever rescued? Looking back at the body of work they have done over the last 20 years, can either David feel it justifies those 20 years? However, hard those Davids look, it seems unlikely that those 40 years can possibly look justified. Both of them lurk in the dark. Angry, bitter Davids, fondling their ear lobes. To be honest, there isn't much more similarity that I can see. Steve Jansen didn't take over Japan like his brother, Ed did the Labour party. And the Labour party didn't change it's name to "Rain Tree Crow". It might be time to consider bold moves if you want to win a general election though. I suppose Steve did hang out more with the other members, which Ed also did, so maybe it is similar. However, the main thing is that I think David Sylvian looks a bit like David Miliband. There is also quite a striking parallel with Bros, having watched that documentary they did. I never had a brother. It seems intense

david.i like you...but please stop lying

I’m not digging his hair .

@ariesscorpiorising troll

This is probably because Sylvian was the only one who walked away from Japan with any money... I've never warmed to Sylvian and reading Karn's book confirmed all my thoughts about him. Now I simply detest the guy.

I was only drawn here cos'I heard on the radio how weird he was in another interview. I don't think he's weird at all. Shit singer thou.

All stuff before tin drum brilliant then went fuckin arty

Hard to believe this grizzled old gnome was once the ubercool singer of Japan. Ah well, what can ya do?? ;)

He's so pretentious and artificial.