David Sylvian

Acting

David Sylvian

Born 1958-02-23 · Beckenham, Kent, England, UK

David Sylvian, born David Alan Batt, is an English singer-songwriter, musician and film director who came to prominence in the late 1970s as the lead vocalist and main songwriter in the group Japan. On his solo records of the '80s, Sylvian's explorations in music took him from the pop-funk, stylish jazz and windswept exotica of 1984's Brilliant Trees; the ambient landscapes and epic ballads of 1985's Gone to Earth; and the romantic orchestrations of 1987's Secrets of the Beehive.

Acting credits

Ryuichi Sakamoto: async at the Park Avenue Armory poster
7.2

A live performance film capturing an intimate concert by composer, pianist and music producer Ryuichi Sakamoto in New York City. The performance marked the first public unveiling of Sakamoto’s new opus, async, hailed as one of the best albums of 2017 by Rolling Stone and Pitchfork.

Ryuichi Sakamoto: async at the Park Avenue Armory

2018

async - first light poster
6.0

A collaboration between Apichatpong and Japanese composer Ryuichi Sakamoto from his album “async”. The people falling asleep in this film are all his friends, he sent cameras to friends and asked them to shoot. Apichatpong often carries Digital Harinezumi camera with him, and completing a lot of works with this camera. This work was first exhibited at the WATARI Museum of Contemporary Art in Tokyo (Japan, 2017).

async - first light

2017

Japan: Oil On Canvas poster
NR

Successful British band Japan filmed live in concert at the Hammersmith Odeon, London on 16th November 1982.

Japan: Oil On Canvas

1982

The Work of Director Anton Corbijn poster
7.8

Legendary photographer and director Anton Corbijn is responsible for many of the most indelible and important images of the past two and a half decades. His recently released book U2 & I is a photographic retrospective of his 25 year collaboration with U2. Later this year, Anton will direct his first feature film, Control, based on the life of the late Joy Division lead singer Ian Curtis.

The Work of Director Anton Corbijn

2005

Japan - The Very Best Of poster
NR

Japan's 2006 DVD release, which includes seven promo videos as well as the Oil on Canvas concert recorded in 1982.

Japan - The Very Best Of

2006

A Gentle Glow poster
8.0

The camera floats quietly to capture the beauty that emerges from the mundane. Accompanied by Ryuichi Sakamoto's composition, Arseny Tarkovsky's poem celebrates life.

A Gentle Glow

2017

Brilliant Trees Sessions poster
NR

A video documenting the making of David Sylvian's 1984 Lp "Brilliant Trees" within Berlin. Unknown to the world until David's surprise releasing of it on VIMEO July 15, 2021.

Brilliant Trees Sessions

2021

No artwork available
NR

A short film by David Sylvian and Ingrid Chavez about their lives before recording Dead Bees on a Cake, posted by Ingrid. It was originally supposed to be on an EPK of Dead Bees on a Cake, yet it wasn't put out as such

Time Spent

1997

David Sylvian and Robert Fripp: Live in Japan poster
NR

The duo caught on film during their Road To Graceland '93 tour.

David Sylvian and Robert Fripp: Live in Japan

1995

No artwork available
NR

Original music by David Sylvian. Performed by Ryuichi Sakamoto, Steve Jansen, Masami Tsuchiya.

Preparations For A Journey

1984

No artwork available
NR

20 minute music documentary shot in two days of November 1984 in, and around the outskirts of, Tokyo, Japan. A large part of the music was completed during that same month and recorded over a period of three days.

Steel Cathedrals

1985

Sleeping Dragon poster
NR

The death in May 2023 of George Hodson, artist, writer and long-term HIV/AIDS survivor, leaves a legacy of inspiration, unique visual art and unforgettable writing, drawn from direct experience. Surviving HIV/AIDS for some 45 years, cancer, loss, stigma, alienating family bigotry and racism, for some of the Queer Elder generation like George, triple combination therapy threw a lifeline that also became a lifetime of onward challenge.

Sleeping Dragon

2024

No artwork available
6.5

Steve Jansen's live performance in Tokyo Feb 29th 2008 - filmed in high definition.

Steve Jansen - The Occurrence of Slope

2008

Behind the camera