David Sylvian When Poets Dreamed of Angels DVD (“Fire in the Forest” Tour LIVE at Showa Joshi Hitomi Kinen Kōdō Women’s University in The Hitomi Memorial Hall in Tokyo Japan April 24, 2004

Description

David Sylvian When Poets Dreamed of Angels DVD (“Fire in the Forest” Tour / NHK Broadcast Recording)

LIVE at Showa Joshi Hitomi Kinen Kōdō Women’s University at The Hitomi Memorial Hall in Tokyo Japan April 24, 2004.

First-ever DVD & Blu-ray simultaneous release sourced from original NHK High Definition master

Back Ground: This long-circulating and highly sought-after live recording of **David Sylvian’s Fire in the Forest tour (2004) is presented here for the first time in a properly mastered DVD and Blu-ray edition, sourced directly from the original NHK High Vision high-definition broadcast master recorded in Tokyo. Long regarded by collectors as one of the most elusive Sylvian live documents of the 2000s, this release finally brings together the definitive presentation of a performance that has circulated for years only through fragmented and semi-official DVD editions.

The material originates from a professionally filmed NHK television production recorded on April 24, 2004 at the Showa Joshi Hitomi Kinen Kōdō (Hitomi Memorial Hall), Tokyo, Japan during Sylvian’s “Fire in the Forest” Tour. The performance was broadcast in Japan in two distinct transmissions: first on 30 July 2004 (NHK High Vision HD broadcast, 11:45pm–1:15am JST) and later repeated on 15 August 2004 (NHK BS2 standard broadcast). Subtle editorial differences between these broadcasts contributed to the existence of multiple unofficial edits and circulating DVD versions over the years. Two principal collector editions of this material have circulated privately since the mid-to-late 2000s:

Description: Musically, the performance captures Sylvian in a pivotal creative phase defined by the “Blemish” (2003) era and his increasing focus on improvisation, reduction, and sonic space. The staging is deliberately minimal, emphasising atmosphere and emotional restraint over traditional concert dynamics. The set unfolds as a continuous, introspective progression rather than a conventional rock performance, with material drawn from “Blemish” and related works performed in extended, evolving arrangements with a small ensemble of collaborators.

Track listing

1. Blemish
2. The Good Son
3. The Only Daughter
4. The Heart Knows Better
5. She Is Not
6. Late Night Shopping
7. A Fire in the Forest
8. When Poets Dreamed of Angels
9. Cries and Whispers
10. Blue Skinned Gods
11. Praise
12. Maria
13. Wasn’t I Joe?
14. World Citizen
15. Jean the Birdman

Band:

David Sylvian: lead vocals, acoustic guitar, Keyboards, electronics
Steve Jansen: drums, electronic percussion, Backing vocals
Keith Lowe: bass guitar, double bass
Christian Fennesz: guitar, laptop electronics, sound processing (select performances)
Stuart Bruce: live sound mixing and audio processing

Total Running Time: 1 Hour 26 Minutes

Collectibility: Beyond its musical significance, this release has long held a unique status within fan and collector communities due to its lack of an official commercial David Sylvian live DVD release from this era, making the NHK broadcast material the only widely circulated high-quality visual document of this period. Discussions among collectors consistently highlight its importance as both an archival artifact and a transitional document capturing Sylvian’s shift from structured songwriting into fully immersive, improvisational performance language.

Adding to its collector appeal, the DVD presentation also incorporates selected visual imagery sourced from David Sylvian’s official gallery archives, carefully integrated into the release design to complement the minimalist aesthetic of the performance.

A definitive archival release

This DVD and Blu-ray edition represents the first properly mastered release drawn directly from the original NHK High Vision broadcast source, restoring the performance in the highest available fidelity and preserving its full cinematic broadcast presentation (1080/60p with LPCM Audio 48kHz/16bit 1.5 Mbps). For the first time, “When Poets Dreamed of Angels” is available as a coherent, high-definition archival document rather than fragmented or unofficial transfers.

For collectors of David Sylvian’s work, this release stands as a defining record of his early-2000s artistic direction—bridging the “Blemish” era’s emotional fragmentation with a fully realised live improvisational approach—and remains one of the most significant and historically important live recordings of his solo career.

Another unique offering from the staff at MVR