In the last two years when we have been in this cultural, financial, and personal sandstorm, it’s no wonder music has been even more of a solace to so many. Mark Hollis’ voice is like some kind of gateway to emotional release. When you watch and listen to great musicians who resonate with you, they teach you and show you a different way of doing something. They show you a place you hadn’t seen before and it’s most likely they probably had the same doubts and fears as you in the process. The beauty of music is that these moments exist everywhere. There’s so much to take in and I think each band or songwriter comes to you when the time is right, which isn’t necessarily when they were in their most recognized era. But I do think that Talk Talk are a band who grow with reverence each year and with every play, and with that, Mark Hollis’ voice becomes more imbedded in the wild open field that is music. Yet over the years, Hollis, working in intense and rewarding collaboration with Friese-Greene, confounded his critics – as well as EMI, with whom he was often mired in bitter legal disputes – by going entirely his own way. He had intellectual and artistic courage, and made music without compromise. “All that matters are my records,” he said in 1991. “I can’t live up to them, I can’t be as succinct and clear as they are.” Talk Talk were on The Tube , it was a special night , something very different was happening , I knew this band were in a league of their own . What led Hollis to reject fame in favour of music so esoteric and fastidious? And is Creation Records founder Alan McGee’s claim that Hollis’ is a “story of one man against the system in a bid to maintain creative control” accurate, or is his actually a tale of artistic indulgence, summarised in unusually candid fashion by former manager Keith Aspden’s remark in 2011 that “Mark had his cake and ate it all himself”? It’s unlikely we’ll ever know. Like Ditcham says: “Unanswered mysteries always have legs!”

I sometimes feel, that where real-life relationships, people, discord, disappointment, and heartbreak has overwhelmed me, music has filled that space. It becomes an arm around your shoulder, a home inside you, a love, a language, a flame, and I light a candle to Mark today and say God bless and thank you for your honesty and passion. Thank you, for the incredible body of work, your music is a thing of beauty, and has made difficult moments feel far less jagged. You will always be an inspiration to me. You are loved by so very many. I wish I had met Mark as he gave me a real understanding of what real music is. His words have given me faith in dark times, he was taken far too soon ,I just hope he knew how much his words notes etc have left such an imprint on so many of us. Between 1998’s solo album and his death in 2019, Talk Talk singer Mark Hollis retreated into a reclusive, enigmatic silence. Aided by a new book and a documentary, we explore the story behind the sunglasses… Baines, Josh (2 February 2018). "How to Disappear Completely: When Musicians Retire For Good". Vice . Retrieved 27 September 2019. As for that pivotal third album, Hollis declared it only came about because he had a bigger budget. Previously, he claimed, electronic instruments were employed purely because he couldn’t afford real musicians, but with It’s My Life producer Tim Friese-Greene established as his co-writer and Brenner gone, he now adopted a defiantly organic sound, populated by contributions from the renowned likes of Traffic’s Steve Winwood, The Pretenders’ Robbie McIntosh and Pentangle’s Danny Thompson.Talking to Wardle, it’s clear that resolving the contradictions of Hollis’ life was quite a task. “Don’t get me started,” he laughs, before summing them up succinctly. “Hollis was an acetic, loner genius who loved pubs, swearing, fast cars and golf. The number of times I had to think of synonyms for ‘dichotomy’!”

The band began at first as part of the popular synth-pop movement of the 80s but garnered more art-house influences as they experimented and improvised with a range of diverse styles and instrumentation. After the band disbanded in 1991, Hollis released a well received, self-titled solo album in 1998 before retiring from the music industry. Speaking about his decision not to tour and to maintain a private lifestyle at the time, Hollis said: “I choose for my family. Maybe others are capable of doing it, but I can’t go on tour and be a good dad at the same time.” Mark Hollis: The sound of silence". www.newstatesman.com. 26 February 2019 . Retrieved 27 September 2019.Savage, Mark (26 February 2019). "Talk Talk star Mark Hollis dies at 64". BBC News . Retrieved 26 February 2019. In 1982, when his synth-pop band Talk Talk were making a mark on the charts with the singles Talk Talk and Today, Mark Hollis said: “I want to write stuff that you’ll still be able to listen to in 10 years’ time.” Nearly 40 years later, Hollis, who has died aged 64, has left a musical legacy that seems set to last indefinitely.