Text taken from the diary:

 

Today's work in London today is a recording session for David Sylvian's new solo album. Eden Studios is conveniently just around the corner from the bijou Chateau de Petite Chevalle.

Today's session: for me, a treat. David & his brother Steve were both waiting when I arrived….

Standard Operating Procedure: I overplay, to give a plenitude of material & phrases for cutting, pasting, re-arranging, sampling, (sometimes) leaving as they are, and a lot for discarding. The piece: a wonderful, classic, gorgeous Sylvian ballad.

Several firsts on this session: PodPro rackmount as the effects unit; no echo or reverb on either effects or monitoring; nearly all my playing with the thumb.

Not a first, but for the first time in over 30 years: soft "modern" chords (that's what they were called when I was learning them in the early 1960s). Giles, Giles & Fripp! called out David.

At a session, there are no laurels & no past achievements to rest upon: however good a recorded solo from history might be, today you deliver or not. And if you don't, your professional future is in doubt. A session is always a challenge, always a pointed stick, particularly when re-visiting a former collaborator of good work.

Now, here at DGM, David Singleton is presently editing a demo of The Vicar's to be submitted to David Sylvian for his consideration.

Text and Picture taken from www.disciplineglobalmobile.com. Check out the diary for two more photographs.