February 1992 brought two important changes in the artist's life. The first one was related to its private side (Sylvian moved to Minneapolis with his just-married wife, Ingrid Chavez) whereas the second change concerned the renewal of co-operation with Robert Fripp. In 1991 Fripp approached Sylvian to offer him a position of lead singer in the band King Crimson. As much as intriguing the prospect was, David declined. Instead, he suggested a studio project. However, with Fripp insisting on some kind of live collaboration, it was eventually decided that studio sessions would be treated as an opportunity to come up with new material that could be consequently presented to the live audience. The sessions proved to be much fruitful and both parties so content with the results that not only did the live shows ensue but also a studio album. The outcome of the collaboration is, by Sylvian's standards, atypically aggressive and probably much closer to Robert Fripp's heart. Even though a couple of ballads were written, David wanted to focus on a sound much rougher than everything he created to that date. "The First Day" saw the light of day in July 1993 bringing harshness, energy and intensity in an unprecedented volume. The record could be well represented by "Firepower" - a track of Fripp's merciless, fiery guitar playing, Sylvian's menacing, distorted voice and a depiction of painful struggle to overcome the pressures of modern life and discover values that would rekindle its joys. "20th Century Dreaming" or "Brightness Falls" are quite similar in nature, but still, among heavy riffs there was a place saved for much accessible piece. "Jean The Birdman" is a melodic, up-tempo piece which gained some popularity, and being accompanied by a short video, promoted the album really well. The record is finished off with Robert's beautiful soundscape, blissfully carrying the listener into dimensions devoid of any sonic anxiety... Ps. Apart from "Jean The Birdman", the two singles promoting "The First Day" included otherwise unreleased tracks such as "Tallow Moon", "Dark Water" (being Fripp's soundscapes performance), light and charming "Earthbound (Starblind)" and similarly mellow "Endgame". [  back to the top