Ex-Japan members: David Sylvian or Mick Karn (Mick Karn RIP)

Many fretless players have tried, but none have come close. Karn is to bass what John Bonham is to drums - just a singular talent that can't be replicated.

I adore Mick Karn and it's ironic how his birthday is on the very month and day my dad died (Dad died on Karn's 45th birthday), and how both succumbed to cancer. As for the thread title's query: I belong to the Team Mick Karn FB group and his death hit me like a fleet of freight trucks, but I refuse to choose between him and David Sylvian. I love both of them about equally, as I do any of the former members of Japan.

I adored Blemish, after listening to it some two or three times. I think David Sylvian could release an album of him reading the phone book and I'd love it. Mmm, warm, sensuous, fluidy liquidy voice.
OTOH -- how can you diss the Karnster? Mick Karn is one of the greatest bassists EVAH. His fretless bass work was the icing on the delicious Japan sonic cake and I feel that it is the only truly unique bass sound out there.

So HOW CAN YOU CHOOSE BETWEEN DAVID SYLVIAN AND MICK KARN?!?! Better to try to choose your favorite bite of a saucy, cheesy, ooey, gooey, spicy, yummy piece of pizza. And having Japan back for a proper reunion (including Rob Dean and not under a different moniker) would be like having a whole delicious Chicago-style deep dish pizza, i.e. HEAVEN TIMES A BILLION.

― Many Coloured Halo (Dee the Lurker), Wednesday, October 13, 2004 10:59 PM (fourteen years ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

LMAO, I said the exact same thing ^^ fourteen years ago! Except in a much more enthusiastic manner, as per my online personality at the time. Anyway, I had no idea that was Derek Bailey on Blemish! I'd always assumed that was Burnt Friedman or some other frequent DS collaborator. Oh wow, so I HAVE listened to something before by that guy, AND I loved it! I'm glad Julio DeSouza isn't around here anymore because that might terrify him.

I love both of them about equally, as I do any of the former members of Japan.

I'd say that Rob Dean was the most under-appreciated member of Japan. I don't know how much of that has to do with him leaving/being let go for Tin Drum (he wasn't invited back for the Rain Tree Crow project), but the guy contributed to every other Japan album and also (it's seldom pointed out) played on Gary Numan's Dance as well as Karn. I know the band are on record as saying that they had begun to feel that they didn't require his playing circa Gentlemen Take Polaroids, but if you watch the OGWT performance of 'Swing', he's contributing some neat playing that blends into the mix rather well.

Rob Dean is definitely the most accessible former member of Japan; I've seen him involved in the FB fan community and he's friends with at least one fellow member of Team Mick Karn, my friend Angie. He seems to be living a happy, satisfying life in Costa Rica these days, but I still wish he'd been involved with the Rain Tree Crow project. And I have definitely seen that performance of "Swing" and agree with you wholeheartedly about Dean's guitar playing in that.

Costa Rica, eh!? What a poor, tortured soul! :D

Is there anyone going who sounds even remotely like Mick?

*checking to see if Percy Jones is still alive*

Percy Jones was an influence on Karn's playing, true, but even Jones himself admits that Karn took those influences and created something of his own from it.

Q: I want to go in another direction, and bring up a few other names. When I think of somebody that might sound sort of similar to you, I think of Mick Karn. Do you know Mick?

Percy Jones: Yeah, I met him in Japan some years ago. He and Richard Barbieri were in Japan (the band) together. Yeah, I can hear some similarities. He even came out and said I was an influence on him, which was very flattering. But what he's done is taken something and turned it into a whole thing of his own. He's distinctive. I mean everybody takes something, influences from other people. I was influenced by Mingus and took things from him. You use other people for inspiration, and they're usually a bit older than you. You tend to go through that in your younger years. You take in all this stuff, and turn it into something that is more "you", and I think that's what he's done. I like a lot of his work, what I've heard.

There was a Japan record called "Tin Drum", which was pretty much pop music, but it was good work; different. I thought the rhythm section stuff was interesting, and Richard Barbieri's sonic approach was interesting. Very advanced at the time, which was 20 years ago. I also heard a track from one of Mick Karn's solo records, just in passing, somebody played it for me. I can't remember exactly what it was, but I liked it. I think it might've been from "Dali's Car".

Not much discussion on ILM of Richard Barbieri's solo work. I'm listening to "Things Buried" for the first time and quite like it, a bit of a merger of Rain Tree Crow instrumentals but a bit more prog at times.

I heard a track from his latest, "Under A Spell" which I'll listen to next as I heard a track on local college radio and it was great.

i like jansen / barbieri worlds in a small room a lot ... it was recorded in tokyo in the mid-80s and has that youtubecore / algo-ambient vibe that is currently popular

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9dIbYcXXpnw

not familiar w/ barbieri's solo work but i enjoyed this recent vid where he demonstrates some tin drum style synth timbres on a nord lead

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uO91uLBsx5w

Pretty sure Things Buried used to be on Spotify – there are a couple of tracks from it on the Introduction release from a few years ago. I have one of his records kicking around on my iTunes but I haven’t spent too much time with it.

Barbieri is an incredible texturalist – his work in Japan, obv., but also RTC and the duos with Jansen are excellent. He has this way with evolving pads and melodic lines I find super listenable and pretty unique. You can see why folks like Porcupine Tree have come to him over the years.

As a composer I’m less sold as the solo stuff proper I’ve heard often feels a bit like slightly noodly trip hoppy prog. I will give it another shot tho.

Worlds in a Small Room manages to be intimate, unobtrusive and melodic all at the same time, the palette of sounds they use are very warm.

Agree -- that's a good'n.

(which I note that missingNO had mentioned earlier)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ds8sVhxdvfA

Not a Rick Roll

Rick should be glad that Mick didn't do his crabwalk move and steal the show.

Speaking of Rick, check his first choice here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eS2sGGE_pDU