Sylvester changes direction on cinematic, piano driven album

On his new album "Shadows", Sylvester embarks on a journey towards songs bigger in both scope and vision. The piano plays the leading role on almost every track, and for the first time the danish songwriter abandons his native tongue and goes english. The leap is a result of a three year run-up, and takes the listener for an adventurous and curious ride through various musical landscapes.

It´s a highly personal trip to places, impressions and currents that have influenced Sylvester on his 4th solo album. The work is named "Shadows" and hits the streets on march 14th.

And it is indeed a daring tour, because Sylvester pushes his songwriting in unheard directions, as he let´s the piano paint the main strokes in the music, while the lyrics bring the stories to life. One can´t help but notice the enormous change in style compared to the three predecessors, which had a more guitar oriented rock `n roll approach.

- I´ve always wanted to make a record, where I brought it all home on the piano. The piano as a leading instrument is pretty rare these days, and I think I´m getting closer to a signatur. When the songs gradually began to move more and more towards a rhytm `n soul kinda feeling, it felt natural to sing in english. It´s got a lot to do with the fact that the danish language often lacks the flexability and softness that english has. It bends in a whole different way, he explains.

The new signatur gathers a large bouquet of artists that have meant a great deal to Sylvester. Billy Joel, David Bowie, Queen, Blur and The Beatles are somewhat present on the album, but also the great film composers can be heard in the reference frame. Scott Joplins immortal ragtime piece "The Entertainer", featured in "The Sting", was one of the first pieces of music that really blew Sylvester away, and on "Shadows" he can finally pay tribute to the old master. Besides this he has concious or unconciously had the drama from Stanley Kubricks "Barry Lyndon", the coolness from Scorseses movies and composers like Bernard Herrmann, John Barry and Dave Grusin, moving about in the head.

- It´s got cinema written all over it. When I write I very often think in pictures, in music as well as lyrics, says Sylvester.

As a consequense of his love for the silver screen, the album is a burst of narratives about luck charms, the howling twenties, New York, blind poets and roman campaigns. Some of the songs are pure fiction, others are clearly experiences from real life, while others are autobiographical. Especially "Crush on New York" represents the latter, describing Sylvester´s childhood in New York with his family.

So it´s a motley collection of songs the danish songwriter, currently living in Berlin, let´s loose. And that is no coincidence.

- I´ve always made complex albums, grabbing at everything that caught my interest. He follows one rule though. In my oppinion a lot of music today lacks an interesting melody, which I think are very crucial building blocks in good pop music. A well defined style and skillful production can never make up for a weak melody, he says.

Asked about the title of the album, he explains. - It´s simple and it makes sense when you listen to the diversity of the songs. They change in texture and form just like shadows do.

The album is produced by Baldur Kampmann from the Faroe Islands and recorded in Medley Studios, Copenhagen. The band consists of Mikkel Sorensen(gui), Kasper Larsen(bass) and Morten Hellborn(dr.), while former guitarist from celebrated punk band "Sort Sol", Peter Peter is featured on two tracks.