BRILLIANT TREES

The track listing here refers to an expanded CD release featuring the original Brilliant Trees set (the first 7 tracks) plus part of the Alchemy - an Index of Possibilities mini-album, which initially was a cassette only release falling between Brilliant Trees and Sylvian's second solo album Gone to Earth. Brilliant Trees is a stunning debut. Moving emphatically away from the often brittle synth and fretless bass trademarks of Japan, Sylvian embraces a much more organic feel, acoustic and spanish guitars, upright bass, flugelhorn and trumpet etc. The stand-out tracks are Ink In the Well with its upright bass groove and flugelhorn solo, and weathered wall, which encapsulates a signature Sylvian sound of looping almost arabic drums, which form the framework for an atmospheric almost trancelike workout. Excellent.