1. Prog Rock, German band<… Read Full Bio ↴Note: There are three artists with this name.
1. Prog Rock, German band
2. 60's female pop singer.
3. Low-Fi Dublin Band
1.
In the spring of 1990, Kay Söhl, the two keyboarders Volker Söhl and Matthias Harder, founded the band TEMPORAL TEMPTATION. By that summer the band had already played its first gig - the first live performance of the core founding members of the band. In a way it was also Sylvan's birth. At this time the band played hard rock music and sang in German. Only a small part of their music was progressive rock.
In Autumn 1990, the band changed its name to CHAMELEON, a symbol of changeability, representing the long instrumental parts in their music. The cover artwork had a likeness to early MARILLION covers and has never been issued. In summer 1991 Marko Heisig joined Chameleon as the lead singer and bassist. Between 1992 and 1994 the band had a gloomy and aggressive tonality to them and in this they were very different from the more rocky sounds of the previous years. In 1992 the first official demo tape of Chameleon was released. With Matthias Koops as lead singer, the second official demo tape was recorded. The title was 'Slaves' and its tracklist was 'Time', 'Slaves', 'Mirror of a Lifetime' and 'Childhood Dreams'. (By the way, 'Slaves' was the old title of a version of today's song 'Deliverance' after which Sylvan's first album was named!).
In winter 1995 one of the band's dreams was fulfilled: Marco Glühmann, an old friend who played many years before with Chameleon, joined the band. Within the same year the third and last official demo tape was recorded. The tracklist was 'Beren and Luthien', 'Golden Cage' and 'Outro'. All of these songs have merged into Sylvan's first studio album in one way or another.
In 1997 the last live concert took place under the name Chameleon. Marko Heisig left the band and the bass was taken over by Patrick Münster. The band changed its name to Sylvan. Their first cd was recorded in 1998 and the second was released in 2000. (Adapted from text on the official history website). The music of the band is progressive rock with some hard rock moments, and some spacey melodic pop-rock elements, probably lingering from earlier in their career. Also there are some Art-prog elements, but really not enough to call this music Art-rock as such. Other apparent influences include psychedelic rock, a little PINK FLOYD in the spacey elements, and surely MARILLION and GENESIS.
2. 60's female pop singer. In 2006 her record "We Don't Belong" first recorded in 1965, was featured on a Rhino Records compilation set "The Hatbox collection" "Girl Groups Lost and Found" which gained two Grammy Award nominations in January 2007. Now a successful photographer living in London. www.sylvanmason.com In 1965 Sylvan became the first and only Stowaway on Radio Caroline's Mi Amigo Pirate Ship. She spent the weekend with Tony Blackburn, Roger Gale and Mike Allen promoting her record "We Don't Belong" which had recently been banned by the BBC; helping the dj's with their quiz shows and making jingles whilst the headlines in newspapers screamed "Beautiful blonde Marooned with 15 men". Unlike the new film "The Boat That Rocked" which is based on Radio Caroline, it was cold, uncomfortable and a bit smelly says Sylvan but the boys were very sweet and well behaved.
3. Irish band Sylvan are a five-piece low-fi Dublin-based group, originally formed in 2000 by band members Colin Russell-Conway (drums), Paul Clynes (vox & lead guitar), and Adam McCormack (vox & guitar). Adam left the group in 2004, to move to Denmark and is now recording & gigging with his new band, Imagine I Had Hands. At this point Kieron (Beardy) joined the band to replace Adam on vox & guitar. And Fergus Russell-Conway was also recruited to join the band on bass & backing vox. The band have released 3 full-length albums to date. Their first album "The Ugly Lemon" was recorded in Chicago with Steve Albini in 2003. They then recorded their second album My Marble Eye themselves in Dublin in January 2005. Sylvan have just released their third album "We Are Lying to you through song" in September 2007, and are currently touring this album in Ireland and Europe. http://www.myspace.com/sylvan1
Answer to Life
Sylvan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When they shout at me – pretend not to hear
And they laugh at me – let they have their say
They're approaching me – and I turn away
At the border of sense – left a wasteland behind
I have built it alone – that's my answer to life
At the limit of strain – found the nature in me
Now my former friend – though you seem confused
Ceased to understand our old speech we used
Once you let me down, should have thought before
Now you fade away – don't exist no more
… this is the answer to life …
The lyrics of Sylvan's song Answer to Life tackle the issue of escapism and finding solace in seclusion. The persona in the song is unwilling to entertain the opinions and judgments of others. They choose to shut their ears and turn away from the negativity of the world. The persona has constructed a mental space that is devoid of social influence, representing the wasteland behind the border of sense. In this space, they have found their answer to life.
The persona contrasts their self-imposed isolation with that of a former friend who has similarly chosen to withdraw from society. The friend, however, does not find comfort in the isolation and is ultimately abandoned by the persona. The lyrics suggest that escapism, while appealing, is not a guaranteed solution to life's problems. The answer to life is different for everyone, and in some cases, it might be found through confronting difficulties rather than avoiding them.
Interesting facts about Sylvan's song Answer to Life:
* Sylvan is a progressive rock band from Germany that was formed in 1998, and Answer to Life is from their 2006 concept album, called Presets.
* The lyrics of Answer to Life were written by Sylvan's singer, Marco Glühmann.
* The song features some of the band's signature elements, such as soaring melodies, intricate instrumentation, and introspective lyrics.
* Answer to Life was well-received by critics and audiences, and it helped establish Sylvan's reputation in the progressive rock scene.
* The song has been performed live numerous times by Sylvan, and it often features extended instrumental sections and improvisations.
* Answer to Life has been covered by other artists, such as the German electro-pop band, Deine Lakaien.
* The music video for Answer to Life features shots of nature, technology, and urban landscapes, and it has a dreamlike quality that fits the song's introspective mood.
* Sylvan often explores complex themes and concepts in their music, such as identity, memory, and social issues.
* The band has released several albums and toured extensively in Europe and North America, earning a devoted following among progressive rock fans.
* Sylvan's music has been compared to other progressive rock acts, such as Pink Floyd, Genesis, and Marillion.
Chords (if known):
Due to the complexity and intricacy of Sylvan's music, the chords for Answer to Life are not readily available. However, musicians who are familiar with progressive rock can try to transcribe the song's chord progressions and riffs by ear or with the help of notation software.
Line by Line Meaning
When they talk to me – I just shut my ears
I ignore the words of those who try to communicate with me.
When they shout at me – pretend not to hear
I remain quiet and avoid responding when someone tries to raise their voice towards me.
And they laugh at me – let they have their say
I allow others to express their amusement or ridicule towards me.
They're approaching me – and I turn away
I distance myself from people who attempt to approach and engage with me.
At the border of sense – left a wasteland behind
I have neglected my intuition and abandoned my principles.
I have built it alone – that's my answer to life
I have created my own world without seeking help from others.
At the limit of strain – found the nature in me
I discovered my true identity when faced with challenging situations.
I have put down my bags and I'll stay endlessly
I have decided to stay in my comfort zone forever.
Now my former friend – though you seem confused
Although you appear perplexed, you used to be my close friend.
Ceased to understand our old speech we used
We no longer communicate in a way that we used to understand each other.
Once you let me down, should have thought before
You should have considered my feelings before betraying my trust.
Now you fade away – don't exist no more
You have disappeared from my life and no longer exist in my world.
... this is the answer to life ...
This is how I choose to live my life, without the need for external validation or companionship.
Contributed by Jack F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.