David Sylvian

David Sylvian’s ‘Died in the Wool – Manafon Variations’ is released on vinyl for the first time. Initially released on Sylvian’s samadhisound label in 2011, was previously only available digitally and on CD. ‘Died in the Wool’ features six songs from Sylvian’s 2009 album, ‘Manafon’, which have been reworked by modern classical composer Dai Fujikura. The album reinvents the ‘Manafon’ songs and adds new material, including ‘I Should Not Dare’ and ‘A Certain Slant of Light’, poems by Emily Dickinson set to music by Sylvian and Fennesz, sung by Sylvian, both of which feature Bang & Honoré, plus two new powerful compositions by Sylvian and Fujikura.

The album also features an 18-minute stereo mix of ‘When We Return You Won’t Recognise Us’ from the 2008–09 Biennial of Canaries. Sylvian, along with Fujikura, John Butcher, Arve Henriksen, Günter Müller, Toshimaru Nakamura and Eddie Prevost, created a semi-improvised piece for the commissioned sound installation. The piece, inspired by a genetics research article on the original inhabitants of the islands, was recorded at Air studios London and Sylvian’s own samadhisound studios in NH USA.