enoweb

news

: updated 23rd november 02008 :

Brian's Resurgence essay on the joys of a capella singing has been recorded for NPR's This I Believe feature (broadcast 23rd November), complete with brief examples of him singing. (Thanks to John Diliberto & Reilly Morse).

Giannis Miliaresis e-mails: One Eno documentary about Brian Eno with Japanese subtitles by
Jerome Lefdup.

While we're linking to possibly unsanctioned Eno video, here's some of the Paladino-Eno installation.

Coldplay offers an ActiveX widget to promote its Prospect's March EP released on 25th November. In a similar fashion to EnoWeb's own Ask Eno feature, you can click the graphic and you may hear some Eno/Dravs-produced audio. It took rather a long time for EnoWeb to get to hear anything.

The National has an interview with Brian on recent and future activities.
Robjn writes: I thought you might be interested by my dissertation based mostly on Brian Eno's works.
Phil Manzanera has a new album out, Firebird V11, and 2009 should see the re-release of 801 Live and other albums from his back catalogue.

Our previous update was on 2nd November when we wrote:

Brian is due to be one of the panellists on Question Time on BBC1, Thursday 6th November at 22:35 GMT. Afterwards the programme will be available for viewing on the BBC's site for a week for UK residents. (Thanks to Richard Mills).

Rory Walsh writes: I ventured up to the big smoke to visit the Manifesto Marathon and having sat freezing in Frank Gehry Smoking Shelter for 5 hours I eagerly awaited sitting at the feet of the master. Eno was scheduled to appear at 6:40 but as the time approached and then passed it was announced that owing to an "emergency" he would not be appearing. Hans Ulrich Obrist read extracts from his manifesto for "The Thank You Party". One idea was Tax Payers being allowed to decide where their money goes and that progressively, in blocks of say 2%, it would come under their control up to say 30% of what they pay.

Francesco Lo Forte e-mails: Twenty Systems, the new album by Benge aka Ben Edwards, is described by Brian Eno as "A brilliant contribution to the archaeology of electronic music".

Marc Greuther says: Here's an interview with Tim Booth from James with a couple of mentions of Eno.

The Tech had a feature on Brian in 1990. EnoWeb brings you all the latest news as it happens!

Just a reminder that there's an artwork by Brian at the Dulwich Gallery exhibition What Are You Like?

Our previous update was on 14th October when we wrote:

EnoWeb's lobbying to get the short film ENO released --
please click here to give your opinion if you haven't already done so.

Brian will be participating in the Serpentine Gallery's Manifesto Marathon on Sunday 19th October.

The introduction to the Eno & Byrne interviews in the November issue of The Word mentions that Brian has been working on the soundtrack for The Lovely Bones, as wondered about by an EnoWeb visitor in April.

Leo Abrahams writes about working on a soundtrack with Brian. Dunno if it's the same one though.

331/3's blog has posted a draft of the introduction to Geeta Dyal's forthcoming Another Green World book. (Thanks to Bernd Kretschmar & Richard Joly).

Thomas Dolby briefly mentions Brian in his blog. The charity was a beneficiary of the auctions for Eno-signed Nokia 8800 Sirocco phones last year, continuity fans.

Brian is a patron of Client Earth.

Our previous update was on 9th October when we wrote:

It's always phones with that Brian Eno, isn't it? In 2006 he did the ringtones for the Nokia 8800 Sirocco Edition, and now his generative project with Peter Chilvers mentioned in our 18th August update has been released. Called Bloom, it runs on Apple iPhones and iPod Touches. (Thanks to Robert Dansby, Radiocitizen and Francesco Lo Forte).

Dido's album release date has been delayed to 17th November (18th in USA), but the good news is that you can hear the Dido-Eno track "Grafton Street" now on Dido's site player. On the topic of release dates involving contributions from Brian, Richard Mills says that the Grace Jones album Hurricane is due out 3rd November.

See Brian & David Bowie interviewed for the "Little Pieces From Big Stars" exhibition in aid of War Child in 1994.

Goatied Guy e-mails: There's one of the rare Peter Norton Fourth Edition Oblique Strategies sets on eBay.

Our previous update was on 6th October when we wrote:

Following recent discussion of the ENO film, EnoWeb has been in touch with its director, Alfi Sinniger, who would certainly consider a DVD release if there is enough interest.

So EnoWeb's question to you is: would you buy a DVD of a 24-minute film from 1973 that takes a unique look at Brian Eno right at the start of his solo career, including some of the recording sessions for Here Come The Warm Jets with Phil Manzanera, Chris Spedding and others, Eno at home and the Portsmouth Sinfonia? What better way to celebrate 35 years of Here Come The Warm Jets and 60 years of Eno?

Please click the button below that you agree with and it will fire up an e-mail to EnoWeb. Then click send. Clicking "Yes" wouldn't commit you to anything; it's just a way for EnoWeb to gauge how much enthusiasm there might be for this project. But if you're not 100% sure then please choose "Possibly". And if you hate the idea, click "No" as that's still useful feedback. E-mail addresses will be used for the sole purpose of letting the Yes & Possibly people know any updates there might be on the project, and then deleted.

Yes Possibly No

Coldplay's site has a track listing for the band's EP Prospekt's March, which is apparently due out in November and features more songs from the Eno/Dravs produced Vida la Vida sessions which have only just been completed. As it has a version of "Lost!" with Jay-Z on it, maybe this is the record previously reported as the "Lost!" EP? [Update: no, that's a separate EP with 4 versions of the song]. Vida La Vida was declared Best Album of 2008 in the Q Awards on 6th October, and the band Best Act In The World Today.

Radiocitizen writes: Apparently Jason Donovan has a new album out on 10th November, and the iTunes version will include a track called "Nobody But Me" co-written with Brian Eno.

Roger Eno has mentioned Brian in a couple of recent news items.

The Los Angeles Times has an interview with David Byrne about Everything That Happens.

Alan Knight e-mails: There is an interview with Brian & David Byrne in the new edition of Word magazine (subscribers' copies delivered early Oct, in the shops second week of Oct). In addition David Byrne is playing some dates in the UK billed as 'songs of David Byrne and Brian Eno', tickets are in the eye watering bracket of 36 to 45 pound range, all seated by the looks of it.

Brian's equation for Hans Ulrich Obrist's book Formulas For Now can be found on The Independent's web-site. It's the one that appeared at last year's Serpentine Gallery Experiment Marathon.

Our previous update was on 2nd October when we wrote:

Michael Flaherty e-mails: Robert Fripp discusses Eno in a recent diary entry.

The Jazzlander has a round-up of the 2008 Punkt Festival.

The BBC4 Roxy Music Story documentary included some brief early footage of Brian.

Eno 1973

Eno 1973 again

There was also a short sequence from the day in 2005 when Roxy Music got back in the studio. Who'd've thought that would be caught on camera?

Roxy 2005

Brian recalled: "It was only one afternoon, I think. It was so peculiar, because it was atomically identical to thirty-five years ago. It was as if not an atom had been moved -- in any direction. Everybody seemed to have exactly the same roles in the dynamic of the whole situation; the chemistry was precisely the same. It was funny actually."

Brian, present day

Dave Knight writes:

I was Googling around trying to find some reference to this film [ENO], and about the only mention I found was on EnoWeb - I think there's some date confusion, British Film Institute's website database lists it as 'ENO (1973)'.

I have seen it a couple of times - back in about 1975(-ish) - they used to show it on a regular basis at The Essential Cinema, just off Wardour Street in London's Soho, along with a revolving programme of films such as Easy Rider, Woodstock, Monterey Pop and films by Herzog and Fassbinder etc.

It's a complete gem of a film - I remember the Paw Paw footage - the film is centred around the recording of Warm Jets. There's also a section where we see Eno coming out of a music shop clutching a Play Clarinet In A Day book, and heading straight over to a Portsmouth Sinfonia session! The footage of him with his Revox's in his home studio which was recently used in the BBC4 Roxy Music Story also comes from this film.

Lobby for a DVD release now! I wonder why it's disappeared without trace?

Publicity is gearing up for the release of Dido's new album Safe Trip Home in November. There is a 3-part studio film on Dido's web-site; right at the end of Part 1 and at the start of Part 2 you can hear some of "Grafton Street", which Brian co-wrote.

The release of Daniel Lanois' signed Acadie Goldtop Edition has been slightly delayed because "Daniel had to go to New York to finish the mix of U2's new album". Pah! What sort of excuse is that???

Postbag time.

Jane Evans writes: about enoweb - and contacting brian eno (how to): your website contains some useful information but it is replete with slanderous trash. he's a person, brian eno - he was born in 1946. think about it.
Mustard responds: As a fierce wild tortoise, I have given this a great deal of thought, and I concur that it might be considered slanderous (or more accurately, libellous) trash to suggest that Brian is two years older than he actually is. He was born in 1948. I'm beginning to think that sending an e-mail in all lower case is the Internet equivalent of writing letters in green ink.

Tyler writes: Sax life can be improved by giving her more ecstasy.
Mustard responds: EnoWeb always recommends Andy Mackay for an unparalleled sax life.

Natalya C. writes: I’m someone else!
Mustard responds: How can you tell?
Natalya: Aloha, my gentleman!
Mustard: Ah, if I'm not mistaken that is a traditional Russian greeting!
Natalya: What can I tell about myself?
Mustard: Not a great deal if you think you're someone else.
Natalya: I don't like winter and cold.
Mustard: Try hibernation. I can wholeheartedly recommend it.
Natalya: I hate loneliness which is associated with cold winter into my mind. I have not yet met a person who will have place into his heart for me.
Mustard: Do you always talk in crossword clues? "Place into his heart for me" is obviously an anagram for "I am a coherent shoplifter".
Natalya: People say that I am beautiful and clever, why I can't find my soul mate?
Mustard: Because you are someone else, their description does not apply to you -- and nor does the soul mate. Simple.
Natalya: I don't like parties where are a lot of people,
Mustard: No, the parties where nobody turns up are the best.
Natalya: I don't like discos.
Mustard: But Discos is one of the loveliest Greek Islands! I frequently dream of retiring there.
Natalya: I like quite rest, for example, theatre, cinema, coziness of sweet home where I feel in protection.
Mustard: That last bit sounds a little like prison.
Natalya: I feel that you are calm and kind-hearted and you want to create family too. Am I not mistaken?
Mustard: That's not fair. How can one reply to "am I not mistaken"? "No, you are not mistaken" and "Yes, you are not mistaken" both mean "you are correct". I am calm, true, but I leave it to others to decide if I'm kind-hearted or not. As for family, it's pretty much a case of laying eggs and legging it, hoping they stay safe until they hatch, with my progeny's gender being determined by incubation temperature. But all that was a long time ago and in another country, before I was kidnapped in the early 1970s and brought here: cut off from my homeland, remote from my kinsmen.
Natalya: I want to create my native home, to take care of someone who will love me.
Mustard: I must caution you that the keeping of Natives is nowadays frowned upon as excessively Colonial. It's political correctness gone mad!
Natalya: I want to hear from somebody "my Darling wife, my Beloved Woman" and to feel the happiest in the world.
Mustard: I'm sure I heard Tom trying that as a chat-up line once... Didn't go well...
Natalya: If you have some place for me in your heart, write me please and you will see that in my heart you will take all free space.
Mustard: Great! Parking round here is a nightmare.

Our previous update was on 29th September when we wrote:

John Walliser writes: Very quietly, dgmlive.com has added the remasters of No Pussyfooting and Evening Star to its online shop. EnoWeb adds: No Pussyfooting got subjected to a variety of unorthodox playing methods on its first release, whether it was John Peel accidentally broadcasting the tapes backwards or eager Frippnenophiles playing it at 16rpm. You couldn't do that with a compact disc. Or rather, now you can, as the album includes reversed versions of "The Heavenly Music Corporation" and "Swastika Girls"plus a half-speed "The Heavenly Music Corporation". No extras on Evening Star though.

Coldplay will be releasing a four-track, digital-only Lost! EP on November 10th. Probably some Eno on that somewhere.

Danel Lanois' Goldtop re-release of Acadie is now available for pre-order.

Francesco Lo Forte e-mails: Phil Manzanera mentions Brian Eno on the new Roxy Music album...

Bernd Kretzschmar says: I found this article about the production of the SPORE music.

Ady from Keyboard Choir writes about playing at Brian's 60th Birthday party.

Goran Vejvoda e-mails: Quick news of Brian's contribution to the new book by Serpentine Gallery - Hans Ulrich Obrist - (co-director of exhibitions and programmes and director of international projects) due to be published in November 2008 by Thames & Hudson.

Exclaim reckons that Brian didn't go to the Arctic after all. He's not good with tropical climates, y'know.

Richard Mills writes: Roger Eno is playing a rare public performance on grand piano and accordion at Norwich Arts Centre on November 13, as part of the Aurora 2008 Festival. Tickets a snip at just £10 (£8 concessions).

Pitchfork has an interview with David Byrne about ETHWHT.

John Carr has sent this playlist for Late Junction's 60th birthday celebration of Brian's music.

Another Green World, Another Green World (2:05)
Strange Overtones, Everything That Happens Will Happen Today with David Byrne(4:35) [strangely mistitled Strange Attractor by presenter Robert Sandall]
An Ending (Ascent), Apollo (4:34)
This, Another Day on Earth (3:31)
Transmitter and Trumpet, Spinner with Jah Wobble(9:01)
2/2, Music for Airports (9:59)
The Secret Life of Arabia, Heroes by David Bowie(4:06)
The Great Learning – Paragraph 7, Scratch Orchestra (20:39)
The Jezebel Spirit, My Life in the Bush of Ghosts with David Byrne (4:54)
Their Memories, The Pearl with Harold Budd (2:40)
Timean Sparkles, Equatorial Stars with Robert Fripp (3:21)
The Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy, by the Portsmouth Sinfonia (2:46)
1st-14th January 07003, hard bells, Hillis algorithm, Bell Studies for the Clock of The Long Now (5:35)
Grandfather’s House, Wrong Way Up with John Cale (3:32)
Son of Gothic Chord, Machine Music with Christopher Hobbs and John White (10:53)
1/1, Music for Airports, by Bang On A Can All Stars Orchestra (11:53)

A cover of Heroes will appear on a new album supporting War Child. (Thanks to Richard Joly)

Our previous update was on 14th September when we wrote:

Rory Walsh e-mails: Today I visited the Dulwich Gallery to see the exhibition "What are you Like?" as advertised on Enoweb. On display are pieces by Eno and Russell Mills amongst others. In Eno’s artwork he pays homage to his heroes, notes his obsessions and remembers his friend Peter Schmidt. There is a small picture on the House of Illustration site and it is available as a postcard and a limited edition giclée print.

Marc Greuther writes: There is an article called "National Insecurity" in the September/ October print issue of California (the University of California, Berkeley’s alumni magazine). Anyway, the article is about Laurie Anderson and her Homeland show (it’s going to be performed in Berkeley in late October): towards the end she mentions Mr.Eno.

Brian is one of the interviewees on a new BBC4 documentary,The Roxy Music Story, on Friday 19th September at 21:00-21:55 BST.

The 2005 BBC Arena documentary on Francis Bacon, for which Brian wrote original music, has just been released on DVD. The Bacon Estate's site has some short video clips.

Philip Glass briefly discusses his approach to his Low Symphony.

Rolling Stone takes a look at Spore's music.

What has the mailperson dragged in?

A Casino Spammer writes: ONE HAS TO TAKE RISKS SOMETIME IN HIS LIFE!
Mustard The Tortoise responds: How true. However this is not that time: the word "risk" implies that there is at least a possibility of a positive outcome, which, let's face it, you are not offering me.
Casino Spammer: THERE ARE DRAWINGS ALL AROUND, WE OFFER WINNINGS
Mustard: Where are you conducting your business, in an art gallery or something?

beth writes: i believe that your "ratings" are complete shit (using shit for lack of a better word). i think it should be removed from the page and allow eno "newbies" to evaluate for themselves. your opinions should be kept to yourself, as mine would have been had i not stumbled upon yours. thank you and have a nice day.
Mustard The Tortoise replies: We own this little town of EnoWeb, lady, and we don't take kindly to visitors appointin' themself sheriff. The last two who tried that found themselves stuffed into whiskey barrels on a one-way railroad journey down to Foolsgold Canyon. Think for a moment. Might phrases on the discography page like "The EnoWeb Politburo", "highly subjective grading system" and "the most rabid completists" indicate that EnoWeb does not take ratings (or its own Eno-fandom) entirely seriously, and hopes that visitors will have a similarly questioning attitude about what they read here? I think the answer is self-evident. As for your choice of verbiage, was it not Geoffrey Chaucer who said "For if a preest be foul, on whom we truste, No wonder is a lewed man to ruste; And shame it is, if a prest take keep, A shiten shepherde and a clene sheep"? GC, as I knew him, was a great enthusiast when it came to modern technology and I remember him showing me one of the techie gifts he had just bought from Ye Innovationnes Cattaloggue back in 1393 -- a quill pen with a built-in Shift Key (Create Illuminated Manuscripts In Half The Time!!!). There is much to be learnt from old GC.

Our previous update was on 9th September when we wrote:

Brian is one of the contributors to a new exhibition called What Are You Like? Self Revealing Artworks by Forty People in the Public Eye at the Dulwich Picture Gallery in London from 9th September 2008 to 18th January 2009. "The idea for this exhibition, curated by the House of Illustration, is taken from a Victorian game of describing yourself with images of your favourite things; like a cryptic visual essay, a self-portrait ... Contributors have been asked to illustrate eight favourite things from a list of twelve – their favourite animal, book, clothes, comfort, food, pastime, place, possession, music, shoes, weather and their pet aversion ... The artists' names will not appear on the artwork to allow the visitors the fun of trying to guess their identity..."

Daniel Lanois will be re-releasing Acadie in a souped-up turbo-charged Gold Top edition on 30th September, including 'a rendition of "Still Water" recorded at Brian Eno's house'.

Hector Zazou has died.

Our previous update was on 7th September when we wrote:

Tor Midtbo writes: Here's a picture I took during the seminar at Punkt 08 festival in Kristiansand Norway on 5th September, where Eno and Jon Hassell talked about their books that might appear as Surrender and The North and South of You. Eno's 77 Million Paintings are also on exhibit at the festival. There is an Aftenposten article about Eno and the festival.

EnoWeb asked if Tor had any other information about the talk and the response was:

Well, I think he - and Hassell - wants people to start using their hips rather than their heads... He mentioned western religion and how it does not like us to trust our senses and enjoy sex. I did not find much truly original thinking in this, but they had great fun on stage. Two elderly gentlemen talking about sex, including the joys of masturbating. Eno drew a nude girl for us :-) Well, it was not all about sex - nothing about music, really. And Brian does not like the way the UK art scene is at the moment - where the artist needs to have a big text/lecture to go with the art.

Talking pictures, we keep forgetting to post this Heroes-era photo from Mike Nagy.

Executive producer of the shortly-to-be-released game Spore, Lucy Bradshaw, talks a little about Brian's contribution to the music.

P.N. Ance e-mails: Robert Sandall will be marking Brian's 60th birthday on the BBC Radio 3 programme Late Junction, 11th September 2008 at 23:15 BST, "with music from four decades of his career". EnoWeb thunders: Hopefully that'll be music from the next four decades of his career -- let's face it, Brian's oeuvre hasn't amounted to much so far. ;-)

Nothing to do with Brian, but if you like live sound sculpture then you might like to give Bill Fontana's London-based Speeds of Time a go, especially on the hour or quarters.

Our previous update was on 4th September when we wrote:

Paul Strickland e-mails: Holger Czukay mentions a project involving Ursa Major and Brian.

Production news. Further results of the Coldplay sessions with Brian could be released on an EP in late December, and U2's next album has been shunted into 2009 because they can't stop the music -- nobody can't stop the music (or so it would appear).

Grab another Great Gaiman Giveaway!!! as Neil himself might well put it. The book of Neverwhere, the BBC television series for which Brian wrote the music, is yours to read online or download free although it will self-destruct after 30 days. You may need to install Adobe Digital Editions as well. Worth it for stuff like: "There are little pockets of old time in London, where things and places stay the same, like bubbles in amber," she explained. "There’s a lot of time in London, and it has to go somewhere—it doesn’t all get used up at once."

Punkt - Live Remixes Vol.1, which includes two live remixes by Jon Hassell and friends, is now available. Cover artwork by Russell Mills.

Stephen Miller writes: There is some Eno-ness in the latest issue (No. 295) of The Wire: Print Run reviews On Some Faraway Beach, and in Epiphanies LAFMS founder Tom Recchion enthuses about the Obscure label.

Our previous update was on 28th August when we wrote:

Further to Tore Pettersen's July e-mail, Dominic Norman-Taylor says: Brian's talk at the Punkt Festival, Kristiansand, Norway on 5th September will be with his old friend and collaborator Jon Hassell. It's called Brian Eno and Jon Hassell: A Conversational Remix. He will also be showing 77 Million Paintings for Punkt at Sørlandets Kunstmuseum from 6th-20th September. In addition Jon will be performing Near Far – Bells in Kristiansand, an installation on 4th-6th September, and with his Maarifa Street band on 6th September. J. Peter Schwalm is also on the bill. p.s. Lumen London now has a website.

Renzo Pietrolungo writes: Dido's new album Safe Trip Home will be released on 3rd November. It includes the track "Grafton Street", co-written with Brian.

Richard Joly says: Here's a BOZAR review with a nice big BE artwork photo. And an old news story with details of a DVD that would be neat collectible for Bowie/Eno completist crazies.

John Diliberto echoes: Former Eno accomplice Michael Brook has a great new CD with Armenian duduk master Djivan Gasparyan. It's called Penumbra. It's out as a download now, with a physical release slated for 23rd September.

David Byrne has a page to save us searching for Everything That Happens press coverage.

Our previous update was on 21st August when we wrote:

Kiran Sande, Deputy Editor, FACT Magazine writes: FYI, there's a new essay by Mark Prendergast about Eno (including an interview with the man himself) on our site.

Brian is one of several Advisers to a new Carillon project. (Thanks to Radiocitizen).

Richard Mills e-mails: Finished only this week, a new unreleased track by Roger Eno, "Western Waltz", is available for your delectation, delight and free download.

J. Peter Schwalm has been busy at work on his web-site. Along with news of his latest projects there are music samples aplenty including some of his work for Fear X and a few things with Brian.

Postbag time. We got a message in Spanish this week, and when we ran it through Google Translate, it turned out to be a very accurate description of EnoWeb:

"Thank you for your web casts so well because it seems that a manual illustrated how is a web page with crumb, science and also looting"

What else? Oh, another Nigerian Spammer.

Attorney.Allen Smith (Esq) writes: Notification of Bequest
Mustard The Tortoise responds: Looks as if this could be my lucky day!
AAS: On behalf of the Trustees and Executor of the Estate of late Luciano Pavarotti,I hereby attempt to reach you again .
Mustard: Again? First I've heard of it. But fancy my dear friend Luciano thinking of little old me, a total stranger!
AAS: I wish to notify you that Late Luciano Pavoratti made you a beneficiary to His will.
Mustard: Pavoratti? Wasn't he a character in The Wind in the Willows? Or are you just not quite sure of his name? And when we speak of "His will" with that capitalisation, we are generally referring to God's will. Richard Dawkins does it all the time, I've seen him.
AAS: He left the sum of Thirty one Million five Hundred Thousand Dollars.($31,500,000.00 )to you in The codici land last testament to his will.
Mustard: That's not very much money. I was expecting a bit more to be honest. I agree, though, that the codici have a tendency to land last.
AAS: This may sound strange and Unbelievable to you,
Mustard: Yes it does.
AAS: but it is real and true.
Mustard: No it isn't.
AAS: Luciano Pavarotti was known for his humanitarian work. He was the founder and the host of the 'Pavarotti & Friends' annual charity concerts and related activities in Modena , Italy .
 Mustard: I suppose the one thing this has going for it is that it's the first bit of Spam with a tenuous link to Eno...
AAS: There he sang with international stars of all styles to raise funds for several worthy UN causes and charity homes. Late Luciano Pavarotti until his death was a very dedicated Christian who loved to give out.
Mustard: I find that last statement in rather poor taste.
AAS: His great philanthropy earned him numerous awards during his life time, late Luciano Pavarotti died at the Age of 71 years.
Mustard: Presumably they didn't call him Late Luciano while he was still alive?
AAS: According to him this money is to support your activities and to help the poor and the Needy.
Mustard: Did he just tell you that? I've got to be honest: as my activities generally involve eating dandelions, basking and complaining about the weather, they may not require as much support as $31,500,000.
AAS: I will like to read more about him on this website (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0667556/bio)
Mustard: Go on then.
AAS: Please you should fill the information below for more clarities and identification of your Information’s we have here so that will direct you on how to contact the paying bank for the release of your (money) fund.
Yours in Service, Attorney.Allen Smith (Esq)
Mustard: Service, the new name for Stupidity.

Our previous update was on 18th August when we wrote:

Everything That Happens Will Happen Today has now been released. You can listen to a stream online using this freely-shared widget, and buy the album at its dedicated site.

It is available in three versions:

The web-site of musician Peter Chilvers (credited with "digital archaeology" on the new album, possibly implying that he got lumped with the task of going through Brian's ancient Macs to dig up old songs) mentions working with Brian on a generative music project.

Richard Mills e-mails: Does anyone know about the track "Brian Eno" on the album Beyonce Knowles by Mark Macharyas? Unlike some of the other tracks (Laurie Anderson, Marc Bolan or Shakira), the tribute to Prof Sweet Dome is at least sympatico to the subject's music...

Our previous update was on 17th August when we wrote:

More coverage of Everything That Happens Will Happen Today. (Thanks to Michael Poché, Onur Azeri, Richard Mills and David Whittaker)

Stephen Miller points out that DGMlive.com has a poster from a Fripp & Eno concert.

Our previous update was on 12th August when we wrote:

Long Now News. Brian sends a postcard, and there's more from the Mechanicrawl on BoingBoing TV.

Our previous update was on 11th August when we wrote:

Luke Turner e-mails: I hope this email finds you well. We at new UK music site The Quietus put up our review of Everything That Happens Will Happen Today on Friday, and thought you good people at EnoWeb might be interested to read it/link to the piece. Do have a peruse. We also have this feature on the record and will be putting up a feature on My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts later this week.

Stewart BrandStewart Brand has put his fascinating 6-part BBC series How Buildings Learn on Google Video. The programmes feature music by Brian, most of which was released on The Drop and Curiosities volume 2, but there may be the odd piece you haven't heard before (try the start of the third programme, "Built For Change").

Eno biographer David Sheppard is involved in a musical project of his own.

Our previous update was on 8th August when we wrote:

The BBC World Service programme The Beat broadcast an extended version of Mark Coles' interview with Brian on 7th August, with extra words and additional song extracts. In ecological spirit, Mark also wrote up some of his interview for The Times -- making it three reports for the price of one.

John J. Walliser writes: DGMlive reports that the remastered (No Pussyfooting) and Evening Star will be released on 29th September, with extras for (No Pussyfooting).

Noel Lawrence e-mails: I just produced a DVD for a film that might be of interest to your Eno website and readership. It's a documentary on a John Cale album that Brian Eno produced called Words For The Dying. The DVD will be released by Provocateur Pictures on 26th September and includes a bonus interview with Director Rob Nilsson, a foreword by j. poet and a featurette on Direct Action Cinema.

A revealing cinema verité portrait of the former Velvet Underground musician, John Cale, in creative collaboration with Brian Eno. Director Nilsson follows them to Moscow, London and Wales for the recording of a new album, “Words for the Dying”, built around four Dylan Thomas poems.

This is not your typical "making of" documentary. Once in Moscow, Nilsson discovered that Eno wanted no part of the filming. The film becomes a clash of wills as Nilsson tries to cajole Eno back into the project. It is a subtle internecine battle, the camera crew tiptoeing through a minefield of bursting egos.

The web-site of Alex Haas has some information about Sanctum, a 2004 video artwork Alex created which had original music by Brian Eno (Thanks to MG Nagy).

The Vancouver Courier has a long review of Daniel Lanois' Here Is What Is.

Our previous update was on 4th August when we wrote:

Brian was interviewed by Mark Coles for Radio 4's Today programme (appropriate, eh?) about Everything That Happens Will Happen Today on 4th August; the feature included some extracts from the songs. (Thanks to Rory Walsh). You can now download the single "Strange Overtones" free from the Everything That Happens site, and read the Press Release over at Enoshop.

Richard Joly writes: There is a report on the Long Now Foundation Mechanicrawl event on BoingBoing TV.

He adds: Interesting blog post from composer and former Village Voice critic Kyle Gann.

Eno re-issue re-sequencers and former All Saints Records stablemates Marconi Union have a new album out, A Lost Connection. It's being released digitally exclusively on their web-site as owing to "unforeseen complications ... MU finding themselves without a label, and increasingly disenchanted with the music business decided to take matters into their own hands". They offer a free download every month too.

Our previous update was on 29th July when we wrote:

More coverage of Everything That Happens Will Happen Today. (Thanks to Bob Pearce, and Mark Williamson on Nerve Net).

Our previous update was on 28th July when we wrote:

Werner writes: The new Eno & Byrne album will be called Everything That Happens Will Happen Today and released in August. There is a tie-in web-site which currently has a welcome video from David Byrne and the chance to sign up from more information and a free song on 4th August.

Brian's appearance in the Peter Gabriel Xplora1 Multimedia CD-ROM has appeared on YouTube. It's a fantastic insight into the kind of production advice he's probably giving U2 every day -- and they're paying top dollar, don't forget. He seems very calm about it, if a little indecisive.

Our previous update was on 24th July when we wrote:

In this update: None of yer actual Eno news, just associated artist stories and more prolonged correspondence.

Nenad Georgievski e-mails: There is a review of Daniel Lanois' Here Is What Is at All About Jazz.

The Echoes Blog has an archived interview with Simon Jeffes. (Thanks to John Diliberto).

Richard Mills writes:

Excitedly reading your latest news round-up, I ventured to Gt Titchfield Street (no 83) yesterday to attend the Mummery + Schnelle gallery with greater haste than I thought possible.

The gallery has just a couple of rooms and the front room has one large painting ("Oil Droplet") by Peter Schmidt. Very simple but extremely effective (less is more?). In the back room, there is a companion piece "for Esmee".

Best for me was the showcase of late-60s programmes for mixed media events by Peter Schmidt and his collaborators. One was an evening of celebration of "bodily fluids and functions" in which mucus, pus, blood, sperm, etc are used visually and in sound. Thankfully, only the programme for this event is on show.

But to my mind, the greatest prize in the exhibition (which explores the connections between sound and visual material) must be the six short pieces of stereo audio by Peter Schmidt from 1969 (OK - one from 1978). They may now sound like humdrum feedback noises and tape loops but at the time they were being recorded (and these appear/claim to be among the very earliest of British audio experimental tapes in existence), they were genuinely ground-breaking. They seem quite self-conscious in places, but the naivete and assurance are quite a breath-taking combination.

Also on show are a set of 10 "scores" by John Cage and a colour piece which provides instructions to musicians by Karl-Heinz Stockhausen. The whole exhibition is small but perfectly-formed. The rooms are not exactly welcoming or comfortable, but the curator who is on hand (and was happy to stay open later than the 6pm closing time) is extremely friendly.

Wonder if Peter ever had any idea that these tapes (that were allegedly found in a bag in Norfolk) would re-surface in the 21st Century and be a point of interest, if only for the next few weeks, to a London audience?

Richard also e-mails:

A quite excellent handling of that particular enquiry. However, I might just posit the theory that, while Brian claims he does not know the exact value of his associational projects, methinks he might just have enough nous to know that the new Coldplay or U2 album might profit him more greatly than working with/on say, Get Cape Wear Cape Fly or indeed a solo album? But who cares? I vote in favour of BE being as aristocratic and hyocritical (sic) as he wishes...

Ah, but Richard, don't you think Brian might have taken pity on Coldplay and offered them discounted "Mates' Rates"?

Daniel Patrick Quinn requested a right of reply. We said no. Oh all right, we said yes. Here he is again. Mouse scrolling finger at the ready?

Dear Tom

Thank you for your reply.

The point you raise suggesting that Eno only ever finds out the wage he is being paid after he has completed a particular project is, without question, only applicable when he can reasonably assume that it isn't less than a small fortune. It is obviously not the case that he'll reach the end of any project to be told his salary 'meets national minimum wage' or that he ought to be glad of the experience for his cv. I agree that people should be paid for their work but I also feel that Eno does his best to remain in a position where he is above criticism and can do as he pleases regardless of the cultural consequences. Many, many people will consider his contemporary credibility to be in need of debate after the Coldplay project. I genuinely cannot believe that there could be an artistic motivation behind the Coldplay work. If it is indeed the case then it is saddening that he is unable to discriminate between worthy projects and vacant corporate nonsense like this.

On the ever-tricky subject of class, you ask whether 'people care about that sort of thing?' I think those in the upper half of social privilege don't (because they don't need to) but those in the lower half probably do see a problem with the fact that they are exempt from the most influential and affluent social circles due to their location or upbringing and in spite of their comparable abilities with those few who are lucky enough to be born into the 'establishment families'. Given Eno's "I'm not interested in hearing the music by people who enjoy my work" brick wall attitude and the wider current music industry climate, the likelihood of any normal (yet extraordinarily talented) person being in a position to be considered to work with Eno, or any of the very few other people with the rare combination of intellect and influence, must be minuscule.

That is why I describe the Coldplay project as 'disgusting' – because it's a wholly self-serving insular project managed and executed by people who have a seeming disregard for, and perhaps ignorance of, their wider cultural backdrop.

Perhaps he just can't be bothered to look where the more vibrant, less bloated, work is currently happening. It must be said that Eno has done more than his fair share of that in the past.

Admittedly, I used the word 'hy(p)ocritical' perhaps unwisely! I think what I was trying to encapsulate in the briefest manner possible is the fact that the vast majority of Eno's principles have, for decades, been to do with innovation, inquisitiveness, progression, excitement, unexpected outcomes etc.... This recent suggestion of his that 'Coldplay are living on the edge' (be it artistically, physically or mentally) is offensive to say the least to ordinary people and, as Andy Gill remarked in the Independent recently, it is blindingly obvious that out of all the projects Eno could choose to get involved with if he so desired, Coldplay would not be high on the list for purely aesthetic considerations!

If I were in Eno's position I would see the huge importance of actively seeking out and aiding, within reason, the innovative music, because that's part of the tradition of craft – like the father to son relationship in industry. By working with acts like Coldplay he is doing the very opposite, and I find it hard to believe he desperately needs the cash. The cultural figures of quality and endurance ought to do their bit to justify their position and help the next generation. Eno is failing, at present, to give much of cultural value back to the system that enabled him to reach his potential and have the often wonderful life that he has led, in order that others may have a similar chance. The next generation are not being allowed a foot on the ladder unless they create bland, turgid, one-size-fits-all 'music' like Coldplay, Snow Patrol, Keane, Travis et al and also happen to be part of an impenetrable social set.

I do have a personal reason for feeling aggrieved, having recorded a great deal of innovative, characterful work, on a budget of zero, for several years now. It has been widely critically-acclaimed, from experimental mags like The Wire to the muppets of Radio One and NME. Despite all my work and all the praise and soundbites I have never once broken even on a project and the door into something approaching a music career has never once been left ajar.

The industry is very different now to when Mr E shot to prominence, but even so there are people out there, Mr E included, who could make an enormous difference for people attempting something culturally comparable. I'm sure he'd be the first to acknowledge that ability and success do not always go hand-in-hand, but Eno is in an incredibly privileged position and can make a difference. The people who most need his help in gaining a foothold in the music world are exactly the same people who would provide him with some of the most original, vibrant, colourful and vital music collaborations of his career. They are not those who you will come across at elite parties in Kensington or at awards ceremonies, and given the present industry climate they will be working on a budget of zero. I care about these people – and I am myself one of them – because at present their voices are largely lost in the seas of permanent MySpace anonymity. At the moment they are writing and recording into the abyss.

Yours sincerely

Daniel Patrick Quinn

EnoWeb has no wish to antagonise you further by responding to every word, but there are a few comments that deserve a response.

Eno's remuneration: his management know how much he will be paid, so there wouldn't be any unpleasant surprises (though it might be amusing to picture his face in the scenarios you mention). We originally raised the point to dispute your suggestion that money must be the sole reason for him choosing to work with Coldplay.

Coldplay, Coldplay, Coldplay: we are puzzled as to why you keep banging on about them. You clearly don't like them, so why are you allowing so much of your mind to be taken up by them? Why do you give them such power over your thoughts?

Brian Eno is not Coldplay's dad. He did not create the band. Yet you appear to want to blame their existing profile and influence on the World Of Pop And Rock on him (you don't indict Markus Dravs, Brian's co-producer, as his co-accused). In his career he has worked with members of Coldplay, what, on just three occasions -- Viva la Vida, one track on X+Y and the Artists Against AIDS What's Goin' On single. They would keep making records whether he was involved or not. At least with Brian involved their songs are shorter, surely that must make you happy? You don't raise objections to his work with Paul Simon, Robert Wyatt, Harold Budd, Michel Faber, Emergency Broadcast Network, Nokia, Michael Stipe (admittedly unreleased), Laurie Anderson, Joseph Arthur, Bryan Ferry, Geoffrey Oryema, Rick Holland, Cluster, Microsoft, Robert Fripp, Russell Mills, the Metropole Orkest, Fovea Hex, Laraaji, B.R.K., Swarowski, BMW, Unkle, Michael Brook and so on. We argue that it is important to see his work for Coldplay in the context of a man who likes working with a wide range of artists and musicians, and has done so throughout the near-forty years of his career. But the way you present it, Brian had an unblemished career until he suddenly became Baron Lord Eno of Enoshire and decided to produce Coldplay in between dinner parties with his trendy London chums.

There is much to be discovered from the wisdom of the tortoises. Watch and learn. Mustard doesn't like blackcurants, so he doesn't eat them. Not only that, he doesn't even think about them.

Quote: You say "This recent suggestion of his that 'Coldplay are living on the edge' (be it artistically, physically or mentally) is offensive to say the least to ordinary people". At EnoWeb we strive to report quotations accurately so as not to mislead our visitors, so for the record what Q reporter Sylvia Patterson quoted Brian saying was: "The only thing I care about in music, now, is life... it's life that lasts. When you sense somebody living at the edge of their possibilities. And that's something I think you get with this band sometimes. I think you get it a lot on this record". So he never said that Coldplay are "living on the edge": he said that he can sense when musicians reach that cusp of their potential where it all comes together -- something you will have experienced yourself as a musician. Rejoice! For you, Brian's statement doesn't have to mean anything, as you don't think Coldplay have any personal possibilities to be at the edge of. That's fine, but other people's opinions (including Brian's) may well differ.

Class: Our point was that we didn't think people were interested in Eno's class, if he has any. Class divisions certainly exist in our great nation.

Mentoring: We don't agree there should be an obligation on Eno to do anything, just because his combination of luck, judgement, being a chancer, ducking and diving, dodging and weaving, bish-bosh-bash, tortoise-style opportunism etc have given him a reasonably comfortable life.

It may be worth considering that he may be involved in activities that deliberately don't get publicity. Yes, we're talking about Black Projects bankrolled by the CIA, in which Brian teams up with Jack Bauer from 24 to take the fight to the terrorists!!!* Or not, actually; it's just that occasional nuggets come to light about him visiting Mostar or South Africa and working with musicians and artists here and there. Rick Holland, the Re-TROS and B.R.K. don't have the Hit Parade status of that band we won't mention, and Brian's involvement with those individuals may have been small, but it diligent research showed that it happened, it simply didn't get widely reported (and there's no reason why it should have been). Just because you don't hear about it, don't assume it doesn't happen. Or do, if you prefer.

*N.B. this is not a request for Eno fanfic.

We think you are overstating Eno's abilities as an opinion-maker. He has championed bands who have gone on to nothing much. Travis didn't find his production techniques were conducive to achieving what they wanted. His political campaigning has not had much impact: Tony Blair still walks the streets and the military presence continues in Iraq; we await his work with The Youth Of Today for the Liberal Democrats with interest. Art-wise, EnoWeb is surprised that no British or American gallery has a permanent installation of his work.

And of course, there's MUDDA. Four years ago Peter Gabriel and Eno announced the formation of the Magnificent Union of Digitally Downloading Artists, which was intended to offer musicians (established and just starting out) a new, democratic and fair route to market. We all looked forward to the development of this exciting platform. But very little happened. The mudda.org web-site doesn't even work these days. Maybe they couldn't raise the finance; maybe there was little support for it within the music industry. If Brian and Peter couldn't make it happen, they may have concluded that they should devote their interests elsewhere where there's more scope for success.

Not interested in fans' music: We believe the vast numbers of demos he received made listening to them an unsurmountable task. How many tapes or CDs could you listen to in a day? Let's say one an hour, or 24 in Jack Bauer parlance, though there are probably more than that arriving each day. No, that won't work, it doesn't give you any time off to eat or sleep. Okay, 12, then, though that will lead to a bit of a backlog building up after a coupla days. Better add 2 hours for making notes, writing them up, and sending them to the musicians. And the same thing tomorrow. And the same thing the day after that. For the rest of your life. What time would that leave you for your day job at the Gallery, for the music you want to make, for the other things you enjoy doing? And how do you choose which CDs you are going to listen to? How can you tell that this one is going to have the one really striking track, rather than that CD over there, or the one at the bottom of the pile in the next room? EnoWeb wouldn't wish that on anybody, even if we do sometimes hear music that we think Brian might enjoy. So we respect this Boundary Condition.

Eno failing to give good culture: As chief apologists for the vile, despotic Eno regime and its baleful influence, we'll have to disagree on this. We like his installations, 77 Million Paintings, lectures and music.

Your situation: In all creative markets over the last few decades, increasing globalisation and takeovers of smaller players has led to real homogenisation, conservatism and aversion to risk everywhere -- in your musical area, fiction, art, film-making. We are sad that merit alone is not enough and that potential sales are the only yardstick used when a company decides to sign an artist. Also sad that you could not break even on a budget of zero (we find negative numbers rather scary). But this is the world you were born into. The number of musicians, artists, writers and film-makers who actually make it to the Big Time -- or are even able to make their living by their creativity -- is minuscule compared with the number who want to. Most people compromise out of necessity, keeping a day job and making music/ writing/ painting etc out of hours. EnoWeb is sadly aware that nobody owes any of us a living. The situation probably always has been this way, and we don't have any realistic answer for how this state of affairs could be improved.

Our previous update was on 22nd July when we wrote:

Seems that Brian is headed off to the watery wastes of the Arctic.

Tore Pettersen says: Brian will be appearing at this year's Punkt Festival in Kristiansand, Norway, showing 77 Million Paintings for Punkt and giving a lecture on 5th September.

Billboard has some information on David Byrne's touring plans (thanks to Jim).

Matt Verba e-mails: Just spotted this over at the Toothpaste for Dinner website.

Michael C. Mendelsohn says: I made a YTMND starring Eno. Thought I'd share. Love the site. Ciao.

Richard Joly writes: Fuzzy photo of BE Brussels installation.

John Emr, Curator of all things Peter Schmidt, e-mails: Two pictures by Peter Schmidt are included in the exhibition "To become like music": late modernist painting, performance and the musical avant-garde, 1945-1965, at the Mummery + Schnelle gallery in London from 15th July to 16th August.

Adam Clayton has made a video of Brian. It's for U2.com paid subscribers only though; Mustard wasn't allowed to subscribe so we have no idea what form this exclusive content might take. (Thanks to Richard Mills).

Richard Mills continues: Roger Eno's notes for his new albums have been posted on his MySpace page -- you'll perhaps note that Flood's modus operandi is remarkably familiar -- along with tracks from Anatomy.

The Secret History of EnoWeb, Part 1. Legions of perusers of David Sheppard's magisterial magnum opus On Some Faraway Beach will have been excited to read:

Destiny of the Dali

So what's the story behind this spooky brief appearance and almost immediate disappearance? Step forward Mustard The Tortoise with his personal recollection of the incident. "I was out searching for dandelions outside a record shop one day when looking through an open window I saw a puzzled-looking shopkeeper seated in his chair, with gaze abstracted, furrowed forehead, unkempt hair, as Graves put it in somewhat different circumstances (a poem, rather than real life). Ting-a-ling went the bell as I entered the shop. 'What's the matter?' I asked the shopkeeper. 'Any idea what this is? It's fair got me jiggered, and no mistake,' he said, bending down and showing me a bootleg CD called Dali's Car. I was shaken to my very core. The Reptilian Plan For World Domination clearly specified that the first commercial CDs were not meant to be released until the early 1980s, so what was this CD doing here in the mid-70s, a time when there were not even any CD players in existence? It was immediately clear to me that Dark Forces were attempting to shatter the Time Continuum and meddle with humankind's very destiny. If I did not act quickly, the world would be submerged in a flow of unplayable Dire Straits Brothers In Arms CDs, reflecting the warmth of the sun's rays and triggering a new Ice Age. Thinking on my clawed feet, I explained to the shop worker that the CD was in fact a novelty coaster and he should probably chuck it away. This he did -- I had saved the day and set the future of the human race back on track once again." (N.B. Future is malleable and in constant flux. Other destinies are available.)

Pick of the Postbag. Daniel Patrick Quinn writes:

Hi Tom
First I'd like to express my admiration and support of your work on the Eno site, and the promotion of his activities. However, I have to ask if you would happily continue supporting BE whatever he did? I know his back catalogue is one of the finest of the 20th century but I feel that many people will consider his work with Coldplay to be quite a disgusting hyocritical aristocratic move and I just wondered if your aim is always to be utterly impartial, or whether you feel that some form of debate about the quality and or reasons behind the sort of activities Mr E is getting involved with (for whatever dubious financial reason) might be rather healthy, instead of blindly supporting whatever he does.

Perhaps it is indeed time for one of those deep "Why Are We Here?" conversations. In its original incarnation EnoWeb was intended to be a hypertext-linked web of information about Brian Eno. Oh, you should have seen the Internet back then! So full of promise! EnoWeb's current form caters to the most pressing interests of its visitors: news and lyrics. As a trade-off for us posting those, most visitors are willing to put up with EnoWeb's occasional forays into quirky humour.

Whether visitors to the site are fans or just have a vague wish to find out more about Brian, they big enough to know their own views and don't need EnoWeb's opinions about Brian Eno. They just want the facts. There are aspects of Brian's career that don't hold a great deal of interest for EnoWeb, but they will interest somebody, so we post them.

Over the years we have encountered some people on the Internet who have a sense of "personal entitlement" or a belief that they should be able to influence the actions of some celebrity or other. While we don't believe Brian is above criticism (no-one is, apart from Mustard The Tortoise), EnoWeb prefers simply to observe, to enjoy the things we like and not fret too much about the things that don't interest us. Have you ever visited one of those sites where people are negative or abusive about something? They are truly dispiriting. We wouldn't want to be like that.

That said, we are a little puzzled by your words: "I feel that many people will consider his work with Coldplay to be quite a disgusting hyocritical aristocratic move". Why would you feel this? Not everybody likes Coldplay, certainly, but clearly Brian Eno does.

Why "disgusting"? It's just a record.

Why "Hy[p]ocritical"? Has he said "I wouldn't work with Coldplay"? If you look at it in the context of his career, why is working with Coldplay any different from working with Travis, U2, J. Peter Schwalm, Jon Hopkins, the Re-TROS, Simian, Suede, Carmel, John Cale, Talking Heads, David Bowie, Leo Abrahams, Derek Jarman, Devo, Jon Hassell, the New Composers, Genesis, James, David Byrne, Belinda Carlisle, Tony Allen, The Grid, Massive Attack, Damien Dempsey, Daniel Lanois, Phil Manzanera, Grace Jones, Herbie Hancock and so on? Surely this comment cannot be driven by some antipathy towards Coldplay and not these other artists -- after all, that would be no basis for a rational argument.

Why "Aristocratic"? Brian came from working-class roots and would probably qualify as upper-middle-class now... do people care about that kind of thing?

"whether you feel that some form of debate about the quality and or reasons behind the sort of activities Mr E is getting involved with"

For debate, EnoWeb always directs vistors to the Nerve Net mailing list where discussions on Brian and his works frequently take place (it goes through phases and is currently a bit quiet). Your reference to "the sort of activities Mr E is getting involved with" sounds rather sinister...

(for whatever dubious financial reason)

Ah, we think we recognise this as the "he must be doing it for the money, there can be no other reason" argument. Here's the thing: Brian does not know what the payment will be for the jobs he takes on. He gets his management to keep that under wraps until the job is completed. That way, he can choose projects on whether he thinks they will interest him, whether he will enjoy them, whether they will stretch him intellectually, whether he can bring something constructive to the table, whether they'll be fun, challenging or whatever criteria pique his interest for five minutes. Fact is, Brian's been a friend of Chris Martin for years. He likes the Coldplay band members. So his decision to work with Coldplay would have been because he wanted to, not because pound signs suddenly appeared in his eyes.

Anyway, for the EnoWeb team, financial reasons are never dubious. We work for a living: there are mortgages to pay and the T-Lady's special Tortoise Seed Mix to buy. There is no shame in fair payment for work performed.

instead of blindly supporting whatever he does.

You may be confusing our attempted impartiality with blind support. We will continue to report on Brian's activities, leaving it to our visitors to make their own judgements -- freely and without bias.

Hope this explains why things are the way they are.

UPDATE: Daniel Patrick Quinn requested a right of reply. See some paragraphs above.

Our previous update was on 1st July when we wrote:

Richard Mills points out that Leo Abrahams has once more updated his WebDiary with information on the progress of the Byrne, Hancock and movie projects he's working on with Brian.

David Honigman e-mails: Brian has an article in the new issue of Resurgence, urging everyone to join an informal singing group. This issue as a whole concentrates on music; guest editor is Annie Lennox.

NME.com reports that Grace Jones' new album (on which Brian performs) is to be called Hurricane and released on 29th October.

Our previous update was on 30th June when we wrote:

Brian Eno (c) Michael ClementBrian has two new installations running at the MADRE in Naples (Museo d'Arte Contemporanea Donna REgina) from 23rd June to 15th September. Reading between the lines, it appears he originally intended to show the Constellations version of 77 Million Paintings plus Lydian Bells, but developed his ideas once he got there. So now he's presenting Surrender Lounge Proposal: 77 Million Paintings in the Museum -- which along with the usual screens includes new light cones and birch trunks -- and another Bells piece that is called either Aurelia or Audelia out in the courtyard. "I found that the music I'd written for Lydian Bells wasn't suitable," he told Corriere del Mezzogiorno's Biagio Coscia. "it was not a very good recording and I made an error of mathematics," he told La Repubblica Napoli; back to CdM, "... So I wrote the music here in Naples with my laptop and it's a lot better." Brian also enthuses about the voices of Maria Nazionale and Vincenzo Pirrotta and talks of using them in one of his current projects.

In clicking Google Translate links for an English version, bear in mind that MADRE translates as Mother. It's not a precise science...

YouTube time.

Our previous update was on 29th June when we wrote:

Artwork by Brian is included in an exhibition at BOZAR in Brussels, Belgium. The exhibition, It's not only rock 'n' roll baby, runs from 20th June to 14th September 2008. (Thanks to Chris Meert and Richard Joly).

David Bowie has written an article to accompany a personal compilation of his music given away with the Mail On Sunday. He waxes lyrical about the Bowie-Eno track "Some Are". (Thanks to Richard Joly).

Roger Eno has a coupla albums coming out in early July.

The Popoli Dalpane Ensemble has released Enologie, a CD of semi-acoustic versions of some of Brian's songs.

John Emr is continuing to add to his site's PeterSchmidty goodness, including the artist's own description of Portrait of Eno with Allusions.

Gearing up for the release of Spore, Electronic Arts is asking a number of celebrities to design their own Spore life-form, and Brian is among their number. EnoWeb is so uninformed that we recognise only a handful of the "75 of the most creative innovators from around the world" they have chosen. You can vote for the creatures you like.

Another review of David Sheppard's biography of Brian...

Our previous update was on 19th June when we wrote:

The Independent has a feature on Grace Jones which briefly mentions Brian's involvement in her forthcoming album, Corporate Cannibal.

Coldplay guitarist Jonny Buckland refers to another of Brian's studio techniques.

Contactmusic has a recent pic of Brian.

Kevin Kelly has dug up the Unthinkable Futures he and Brian concocted back in the day.

Somebody earns their Eno-Spotters Badge.

Our previous update was on 18th June when we wrote:

Microbunny writes:

Just wanted to share that I attended the ROM in Toronto on 15th June specifically to take in this rendition of "Discreet Music", which was held in the large open lobby of the museum. Wonderful stone walls providing fantastic natural reverb to all of the pieces played.

"Discreet Music" was the finale of the concert. Similar instrumentation as mentioned in the NYC performance. 2 Flutes, Soprano Sax, Violin, Grand Piano, Trombone, Electric Guitar, Bowed Double Bass and Vibraphone/Gongs. Performed totally live with each instrument taking "turns" simulating the various short melodic snippets of the piece and then repeating the parts at progressively lower volumes, emulating the tape delay decay characteristics of the original piece. This translated very beautifully to these instruments.

Interesting how your attention would float from one instrument to another as no single instrument was the main focus. A tribute to the performers' treatment of the piece. Also notable was that the soprano sax (not the flutes as you would suspect) most closely resembled the synthesizer sound Eno originally used.

Hopefully an official recording of this will become available shortly. Perhaps someday they can attempt something else from these same tape delay experiments, like Fripp & Eno's "The Heavenly Music Corporation" from No Pussyfooting. However I spoke to Jerry Pergolesi of the group and he mentioned they are currently working on performing the "Three Variations of Pachelbel's Canon" as well (Fullness of Wind, French Catalogues, Brutal Ardour), which should also be interesting to hear with this instrumentation. Catch them if you can... highly recommended!

Electronic Arts & Maxis have released a demo of the Creature Creator component of Spore. Although the main theme going into the game is by Cliff Martinez (of Solaris & Traffic fame), the generative in-game music is largely by Brian and this is the first opportunity to hear it. (Thanks to Bernd Kretzschmar.)

Counterpunch has an article on the recent anti-George-Bush demonstration in London, with quotes from Brian. (Thanks to Jonathan Coffin.)

A coupla worthwhile Eno links on YouTube...

Thomas Dolby recently mentioned Brian and Low in a PopMatters 20 Questions feature.

There's a brief mention of Seb Rochford contributing to the Eno/Hancock project.

Our previous update was on 16th June when we wrote:

Several members of Coldplay were interviewed on XFM on 9th June by presenter John Kennedy. Chris Martin explained: "Most of the time and most of the record is just the sound of the four of us, or five of us actually, with Brian, just standing in a circle playing in our place The Bakery; it's not a very big room." We enjoyed this helpful tip:

Chris Martin: "You don't want to ever bore Brian, because then he gets bored and the whole energy of the project goes terrible."
John Kennedy: "Is there a way that you can tell Brian is getting a bit bored?"
Chris Martin: "If he starts talking about boobs he's probably got other things on his mind ... but if he says oh yes, this is wonderful, carry on, then you've got to milk that for all it's worth.&q