David Sylvian's "Blemish" (Samadhisound, 2003/2022)

David Sylvian’s 2003 (and now reissued on vinyl) album Blemish sounds like work from the deep rural country of the non-existence of civilization or shopping center, at the very least. The Shining comes to mind, so it may not even be an actual location but the landscape in one’s solitude mind. The genius of Sylvian is that he knows how to surround himself with talent that is either equal to his or maybe even more experienced. He has a voice that is very much the DNA of David Sylvian in that it conveys no one except him. Every album he has released, either solo or with his old band Japan, is a unique approach to a song. Although there are traces of either old soul records or the presence of Scott Walker, Sylvian makes all music his own, even when he collaborates with other artists.

Blemish is unusual because it is mostly all Sylvian, who played everything but also produced and engineered the album. One can imagine the album being recorded or made at the Overlook Hotel in a snowstorm, but it’s a work of great economy and precision. And it is also a record that I don’t want to share a listening experience with; in a way, it reminds me of the great filmmaker Peter Kubelka’s Invisible Cinema movie theater, initially located in Anthology Film Archives in New York City, where viewers are separated from the rest of the audience in their cubicle or blocked off seats, but with a clear view of the movie screen. Blemish is made for a solo aural experience to feel the intensity of loneliness. Like the later Scott Walker albums, at first, it sounds pretty alienating, but the truth is Scott and David are very generous in presenting their art in such a fashion.

The sound is stark and minimal, but there are layers of sound, mainly from a treated electric guitar with pedals (I imagine), and then floating straightforwardly is Sylvian’s croon. A delicate and soft voice but with harsh lyrics here and there. He’s a masterful vocal stylist, and the listener receives strong imagery and, of course, an emotion that is difficult to define but easy to feel.

Sylvian does three songs with the great guitarist Derek Bailey, who also co-composed those songs recorded at a distant location. Improvised but fits in perfectly like a puzzle piece. Sylvian has recorded more enjoyable albums, but Blemish is his masterpiece. It’s beautiful without the sweetness, but you can taste the iciness of its core, which is very much like the album cover. The graphics on the package is an excellent visual representation of the music inside.

Late Night Shopping by David Sylvian from Blemish