Darren Sylvester

In the decade leading up to his 2009 debut album, Australian singer/songwriter Darren Sylvester established himself as a highly respected visual artist in his home country and beyond. Based in Melbourne, he is particularly respected in the fields of photography, video, and sculpture and continues to intertwine these mediums with his burgeoning music career. Some of his early video pieces involved him performing as David Bowie and Kate Bush and he even went on to build a full-scale replica of the Carpenters' Los Angeles backyard garden for an installment. When he finally committed to his own musical debut, Sylvester applied the same meticulous work ethic as in his visual work by writing, recording, and playing every note on his self-titled 2009 debut. As indicated by the pop leanings of his artwork, his witty and melodic songs drew heavily on influences like T. Rex and Roxy Music. While continuing to work in various visual mediums, Sylvester slowly recorded his follow-up record, Off by Heart, which was released in 2013. More adroitly stylized than his debut, the record is deeply rooted in the slick, dreamy production styles of the mid-'80s, calling to mind the pop dramatics of Bryan Ferry and New Order. Chasing his own one-man vision, Sylvester again produced and played every instrument on the album, with the addition of occasional female backing vocals.