David Sylvian

David Sylvian (born David Alan Batt; 23 February 1958) is an English musician who came to prominence in the late 1970s as frontman and principal songwriter of the band Japan. During his time with Japan, Sylvian was known for his baritone voice, idiosyncratic approach to songwriting, and his distinctive androgynous appearance. The band's androgynous look and increasingly electronic sound made them an important influence on the UK's early-1980s new wave scene. Following Japan's break-up, Sylvian embarked on a solo career with his debut album Brilliant Trees (1984). His solo work has been described by AllMusic as "far-ranging and esoteric", and has included collaborations with artists such as Ryuichi Sakamoto, Robert Fripp, Holger Czukay, Jon Hassell, Bill Nelson and Fennesz. While Sylvian's recordings of the 1980s and 1990s were a mixture of art rock, pop, jazz fusion, and avant-garde experimentalism mixed with ambient, his more recent compositions have drawn increasingly on musical minimalism and free improvisation.