EltenTwelve

So welcome to the other half of the piece I was writing from the other day. I had to run too quick to even make up a list of four. I guess its time I wrote the other two?

Japan - another one of my unbeatable favorites. David Sylvian, Rob Dean, Mick Karn, Steve Jansen and Richard Barbieri are some of the best things to happen to the history of music. I can say this because I’ve lived off their music being so much ahead of their time. They were very fond of Asian musics, and have combined –to me– an eclectic mix of avant garde and pop quite successfully. The closest I ever got to them was seeing David Sylvian perform while I was in Hong Kong for a product pitch last October and met Steve Jansen at the after party. I bet it was nothing like seeing Japan together, but nevertheless I felt like a school girl.

I could say the newer songs Sylvian has are more self-indulgent (if I may say so), that it just needs more time for some to absorb. During one interview, Sylvian explains that one of the reasons why they broke up was because of artistic differences. Karn was very much into the spotlight, but David wanted to remain very private about things, and plus the fact that nobody wanted to step up when it came to songwriting. David also fell out of love in terms of public attention (which he never really enjoyed a lot of anyway), that made him decide to take the backseat until he took off and went solo. The other three have since worked together in various combinations as JBK among others. David now continues to peform with Steve Jansen; The Nine Horses. Jansen also has his own set of intelligently crafted music other than the Dolphin Brothers from way back, released under a sibling effort to put up the label Samadhi Sound.

Talk-Talk - It’s such a shame these guys couldn’t stick together. It would be pointless to say that the reason why I put them here is because I’m a fan. I mean, I wouldn’t wish a band to stick together so I could throw stones at them, right. Among all their records, I was the biggest fan of Spirit of Eden. I couldn’t agree more with those who said it was of post-rock roots — it truly sounded like one to me. Mark Hollis’ voice resonated in many ears and minds and their songs were catchy yet respectable and couldn’t have been better.

After all the somewhat unfavorable success of the band through EMI re-releasing and remixing their tracks without permission, the band broke up and left fans rotting. I hate to use the word heartbreak, but indeed it was. The quality of great music and songwriting in one have since, in my opinion, become extinct.

That’s what happens when a group of different minds live up to their individual selves, when goals change, when one lets go or when they collectively decide to close the curtains. Now, all we have are records of what seemed to be the greatest things to ever reach the ears of people. A part of me feels the loss still, but all good things come to an end.