NEWS UPDATE: 16TH NOVEMBER 2022

Thanks to Richard, Madeline, Dario, Michael, Mike, Rory, Rupert, Rooth, Martina, and EnoWeb's own newsbot Tom Boon in no particular order for these news items.

FOREVERANDEVERNOMORE is continuing to emphasise the first two thirds of its title, with an extended flurry of activity to support its release including an unusual number of interviews. A new video has just been released for the track "Garden of Stars", created by Brian and Nick Robertson. The latter explained: "The Garden of Stars video imagines the creation of stars as occurring in a garden where exotic new crossbreeds of flowers are created, and populate the heavens. Each one a unique variation on a universal blueprint." Brian described the song's viewpoint as: "Imagine a being huge enough to have our Universe as a plaything, and to watch in fascination as that Universe is born, flourishes and finally snuffs itself out... or alternately divides into a million parallel selves."

GUEST SPEAKING

Brian gave his talk at The Barbican, spoke at the 2022 Ashden Awards, and has a whole 20 minutes to present the 2022 Grantham Institute Annual Lecture on 23rd November. There's also a transcription of his chat at this year's Greenbelt Festival.

MORE STUFF

 

NEWS UPDATE: 16TH OCTOBER 2022

Thanks to Dario, Rory, Michael, Breck, Mark, Kevin, Gary, Samantha, and EnoWeb's own newsbot Tom Boon in no particular order for these news items.

FOREVERANDEVERNOMORE is now available. The formats include CD, vinyl, streaming (in Dolby Atmos for some services), and a limited edition Bluray with Dolby Atmos. The Japanese edition includes a bonus instrumental track called "Breaking Down". Some independent record shops in the UK were offering postcards of variants of the album art with purchases.

Iggy Pop's BBC 6 Music show will feature an interview with Brian on Sunday 23rd October, streamable worldwide.

APPEARANCES

On 17th September Brian spoke at the Fixing The Future festival in Barcelona. By 25th September he was back in Woodbridge, Suffolk, giving a short introduction before a concert by Tom Rogerson at the Woodbridge Ambient Music Festival. He was on a podcast last year as well, which was jolly modern of him.

NEWSBITS

 

NEWS UPDATE: 8TH SEPTEMBER 2022

Thanks to Dario, Rory, Alex, John, Martina, Richard, Ali, and EnoWeb's own newsbot Tom Boon in no particular order for these news items.

In the run-up to the launch of FOREVERANDEVERNOMORE on 14th October, a video for "We Let It In" has been released. The video was created by London-based multi-disciplinary artist Orfeo Tagiuri and Brian, with handwriting provided by Eno's granddaughter Anya; Executive Producer was Jack Brown. Writing and performance credits are shared between Brian and his daughter Darla. Brian commented:

“My voice has changed: it's lowered, it's become a different personality I can sing from. I don't want to sing like a teenager; it can be melancholic, a bit regretful. As for writing songs again? It's more landscapes, but this time with humans in them. I like creating worlds – that's what I do as an artist – creating sonic worlds. Now after quite a long absence of humans in those worlds, I have tried putting one in and seeing how they feel in the world I've made.”

SPACE MAN

Brian will be giving a talk on Sunday 23rd October at the Barbican in London, called Space Music: a talk on sound issues. It will cover his approach to 3-dimensional sound, the environment, and where we are in the world just now.Tickets go on sale for general release on 9th September, although many seats may already have been snaffled by pre-purchasers of the album who were given first dibs. According to the website the talk starts at 19:30, while the tickets reckon the time is 20:00.

There will also be an audio installation called Andevernomore: 1st Garden – an immersive sound experience centred around a full Dolby Atmos presentation of the new album set in the Barbican’s unique Conservatory, which was previously the location for Eno's Rainforest installation in the last century.

WORDS AND PICTURES, SOME MOVING

 

NEWS UPDATE: 28TH JULY 2022

Thanks to Dario, Rory, Martina, Richard, and EnoWeb's own newsbot Tom Boon in no particular order for these news items.

Forever and ever no moreOn 14th October the long drought will break, as Brian Eno will release a new solo album, FOREVERANDEVERNOMORE. There are 10 tracks, mainly songs, and it will be available on vinyl, CD and digital formats including Dolby Atmos.

Tracklist:
Who Gives a Thought
We Let It In 
Icarus or Blériot
Garden of Stars
Inclusion 
There Were Bells
Sherry
I’m Hardly Me
These Small Noises
Making Gardens Out of Silence

"There Were Bells" is whatever they call a single these days and can be heard here (just the music), and here as a video of a live performance at the Eno brothers' concert in Athens last year, where in 45°C-degree heat with ash from nearby wildfires drifting down, Brian commented, "I thought, here we are at the birthplace of Western civilisation, probably witnessing the end of it.” The current climate emergency is a theme explored throughout the album, as Eno elaborated:

“Like everybody else – except, apparently, most of the governments of the world – I’ve been thinking about our narrowing, precarious future, and this music grew out of those thoughts. Perhaps it’s more accurate to say I’ve been feeling about it…and the music grew out of the feelings. Those of us who share those feelings are aware that the world is changing at a super-rapid rate, and that large parts of it are disappearing forever…hence the album title.

“These aren’t propaganda songs to tell you what to believe and how to act. Instead they’re my own exploration of my own feelings. The hope is that they will invite you, the listener, to share those experiences and explorations. 

“It took me a long time to embrace the idea that we artists are actually feelings-merchants. Feelings are subjective. Science avoids them because they’re hard to quantify and compare. But ‘feelings’ are the beginnings of thoughts, and the long term attendants of them too. Feelings are the whole body reacting, often before the conscious brain has got into gear, and often with a wide lens that encompasses more than the brain is consciously aware of. 

“Art is where we start to become acquainted with those feelings, where we notice them and learn from them – learn what we like and don’t like – and from there they start to turn into actionable thoughts. Children learn through play; adults play through Art. Art gives you the space to ‘have’ feelings, but it comes with an off-switch: you can shut the book or leave the gallery. Art is a safe place to experience feelings – joyous ones and difficult ones.  Sometimes those feelings are about things we long for, sometimes they’re about things we might want to avoid.

“I’m more and more convinced that our only hope of saving our planet is if we begin to have different feelings about it: perhaps if we became re-enchanted by the amazing improbability of life; perhaps if we suffered regret and even shame at what we’ve already lost; perhaps if we felt exhilarated by the challenges we face and what might yet become possible. Briefly, we need to fall in love again, but this time with Nature, with Civilisation and with our hopes for the future.”

Produced by Brian Eno. Post-producer – Leo Abrahams. All voices and instruments by Brian Eno except:
Leo Abrahams – guitar on "Who Gives a Thought", "Icarus or Blériot", "Garden of Stars", "There Were Bells", "Sherry" and "These Small Voices"
Darla Eno – additional voice on "We Let It In" and "I’m Hardly Me"
Cecily Eno – additional voice on "Garden of Stars"
Roger Eno – accordion on "Garden of Stars" and "There Were Bells"
Peter Chilvers – keyboards on "Garden of Stars"
Marina Moore – Violin and Viola on "Inclusion"
Clodagh Simonds – additional voice on "These Small Noises"
Jon Hopkins – keyboard on "These Small Noises"
Kyoko Inatome – voice on "Making Gardens Out of Silence"
Album Artwork by Nick Robertson

"Garden Of Stars" and "There Were Bells" were originally performed by Brian, Roger and Cecily Eno with Leo Abrahams and Peter Chilvers at their performance as part of the Epidaurus Festival in the Odeon of Herodes Atticus at the Acropolis, Athens on 4th August 2021. 

"Making Gardens Out of Silence" was originally included in a sound installation which is Brian Eno’s contribution to the London Serpentine’s long-term, interdisciplinary programme addressing the ongoing climate emergency, Back To Earth. The version on the album is an edit for space reasons, with the full version on CD (and presumably digital).

There are some vinyl variants for collectors: black, clear (with alternative artwork), both black and clear LPs for people who can't make up their minds, and with/without a print.

Bonus points trivia: "These Small Noises" was played by Karl Hyde on BBC Radio in 2005, making this probably the longest amount of time for an Eno track between airplay premiere and track release. Not that anybody apart from EnoWeb was keeping notes.

ENO ON SHOW

As mentioned in the previous news item, Brian has a sound installation at the Serpentine North Gallery, London, Making gardens out of silence in the uncanny valley, as part of Back to Earth. In Dublin, Ireland, Face to Face is also running on screens in Wilton Park

AUDIOVISUALS

Last year, Fred Again.. played a few of the tracks he and Brian had been collaborating on, for a Rinse FM show. And there are some videos from Ambient Kyoto.

 

NEWS UPDATE: 3rd JUNE 2022

Thanks to Dario, Rory, Gabriella, Diane, and EnoWeb's own newsbot Tom Boon in no particular order for these news items.

https://podcast.rasset.ie/podcasts/audio/2022/0609/20220609_rteradio1-arenaclipsrte-filmreview_c22108366_22108369_232_/20220609_rteradio1-arenaclipsrte-filmreview_c22108366_22108369_232_.mp3

Ambient Kyoto is now open in Kyoto, Japan. The artworks include the new Face to Face along with 77 Million Paintings, The Ship, and Light Boxes. According to a Googlenglish rendition of the website text, "Face to Face starts with a small group of photographs of the faces of 21 real people in one still image. Using special software, the image slowly changes pixel by pixel from one real face to another. This creates a long chain of 'new humans' between the real faces of each and every one, such as those who didn't actually exist, intermediate humans, and more than 36,000 new faces, 30 per second." No exhibition is complete without a giftshop, and visitors will be able to pick up a catalogue with new essay by Brian, plus installation-themed T-shirts, tote bags, and sweets. The official Eno Facebook page also states, "The archive of unreleased songs released on Sonos Radio HD, The Lighthouse will also be released for the first time in Japan." Not sure if that's all 300+ of them: five CDs are also being re-released in Japan, each with an extra bonus track drawn from The Lighthouse's catalogue. Seems this may be referring to the broadcast of The Lighthouse in the venue and in Daikanyama Tsutaya Books.

BRIAN ENO X TRENTINO

The Museo Castello del Buonconsiglio in Trentino, Italy, will host two Eno installations from 19th August 2022. Brian Eno x Trentino consists of a new site-specific Audio Installation for Buonconsiglio (19th August to 6th November), and 77 Million Paintings for Beseno (Friday and Saturday nights, 19th August to 10th September) where light paintings will be projected onto the East Walls of Castel Beseno.

GREEN STUFF

Brian has continued to talk about EarthPercent.

VIDEO

Brian continued his quest to divide all international events into Complicated and Not Complicated categories in a wide-ranging chat with Frank Barat, explaining that Israel-Palestine is simple. For those keeping a tally, thus far it's only Ukraine that's complicated. There's a lot else in their discussion: Eno once again says he has music to release but doesn't know what form that will be in (the same "form" of words he used with UNCUT – not sure what that might mean). He also speaks highly of Fred again.. which is one sentiment we can all agree on. Elsewhere, Brian talks to James Bridle and James Alexander about their new books... somebody has chucked some new batteries in The University of Ambience's remote control... and there's a new interview with Daniel Lanois.

OTHER STUFF

J. Peter Schwalm's new album with Stephan Thelen Transneptunian Planets is now out, and Brian will be doing a remix. Eivind Aarset, Tim Harries and Manuel Pasquinelli also feature on the album. We found an old list of some of Brian's favourite radio stations on the Radio Garden app. A couple of old interviews with Fred again.. mention Brian.

 

NEWS UPDATE: JANUARY–MAY 2022

Thanks to Dario, Rory, Alex, Michael, David, Peter, Samantha, Richard, Rupert, and EnoWeb's own newsbot Tom Boon in no particular order for these news items.

To mark this year's Earth Day, Brian and friends released a selection of new/previously unreleased tracks; revenues for these will go to EarthPercent. For some reason they decided to restrict sales (and hence donations) to just a couple of weeks, which means you probably only have until 5th May to buy any tracks you want. Those with Brian's involvement are listed below.

AMBIENT KYOTO

A light and sound installation will take place in Kyoto, Japan, from 3rd June to 21st August. The venue (according to Google translation) is Kyoto Central Credit Bank Former Welfare Center, 113 Karasumaru Nishiiri, Nakai-cho, Shimogyo-ku, Kyoto. Or according to Facebook's translation, "Kyoto Chuo-Chuo Trust vault, the old-fashioned health center" and "Kyoto Chuo Station Credit vault. Old Life Center." Opening hours: 11:00–21:00. Works at Ambient Kyoto will include 77 Million Paintings and The Ship, and there will be an Eno Shop page on the website.

Tying in with the installation is A Beginner's Guide to Brian Eno, a new Japanese book published by ele-king on 25th May which provides an overview of Eno's musical career and a detailed discography.

WHAT'S UP, DOC?

Documentarian Gary Hustwit is currently working on a new film about Brian. The pair previously collaborated on Hustwit's film RAMS, for which Eno was an interviewee and soundtrack composer, and there really couldn't be a better filmmaker for the project. Instead of a linear narrative, the film will present information generatively (as if EnoWeb has a clue what it is typing about here). He tells Variety: "I think of 'Eno' as an art film about creativity, with the output of Brian’s 50-year career as its raw material." Bit of a spoiler with the reference to the film title there, though EnoWeb suspects it'll actually be called ENO in upper case like Alfi Sinniger's film. It certainly sounds like a deep dive into Eno's archive, as Hustwit's site says his team have "digitized and restored approximately 400 hours of material spanning 50 years: interviews, seminal early video art projects, lectures, performances, behind-the-scenes documentation of recording sessions, and more." The film is due for release in multiple formats in 2023.

CURRENT AFFAIRS

In an article that was rapidly overtaken by events, President of the Stop The War Coalition Brian Eno explained that peaceful Russia never did nuffink and everything was the fault of beastly Westerners and their talking-up of conflict to create favourable market conditions for weapons sales. After President of the Start The War Coalition Vladimir Putin did what it said on his tin medals, Brian signed an "Artists against War in Ukraine" letter condemning the invasion. He also teamed up with his "Let's Talk It Over" group for an exclusive broadcast from the saddles of their high horses atop their Ivory Tower, where they agreed that it was surprising there was such a high level of support for Ukraine; furthermore, they agreed that it was all much more complicated than people realised. The panel agreed it could be solved by Joe Biden having a meeting with Vladimir Putin, and their agreeable meeting was adjourned. 

Quotes from the past show how Eno's thinking has evolved.

"The discussion about Bosnia is so muddled by the failure to distinguish between moral and legal arguments. What the Serbs are doing is illegal, and recognized as such in international law. THAT IS ALL WE NEED TO KNOW. We don't have to go into great arguments about whether they should be allowed to continue because they have historical grievances ... Our first priority should be to enforce law, to respect the consensus that we have subscribed to." — Brian Eno, 1995, in A Year with Swollen Appendices

"At that time I still swallowed the line, oh Bosnia's so complicated, it's been going on for 1,200 years." — Brian Eno, 1996, referring to 1993, in The Independent

"My feeling about Brexit was not anger at anybody else, it was anger at myself for not realising what was going on. I thought that all those Ukip people and those National Fronty people were in a little bubble. Then I thought: ‘Fuck, it was us, we were in the bubble, we didn’t notice it.’ There was a revolution brewing and we didn’t spot it because we didn’t make it. We expected we were going to be the revolution." — Brian Eno, 2017, in The Guardian

OH BROTHER 

Roger Eno has just released a new album, The Turning Year, on Deutsche Grammophon.

OTHER THINGS THAT CAUGHT ENOWEB'S EYE

In a short article about the Earth Day music, Brian tells UNCUT "he has been working on some of [Peter] Gabriel's new material, as well as finishing a 'whole batch' of his own music. 'I've got so much ready to come out now, I'm just not quite sure what form to release it. You know, whether to release a track a day for seven years or something!'"

 Brian has spoken at a number of events (e.g. Green Events & Innovations Conference and the International Music Summit), but not everything makes it to YouTube.

Summer may see some digital art by Brian on Dublin's Living Canvas.

Artists who have discussed working with Brian in the past: Jah Wobble, Laraaji, Dido, David Byrne (1988); and recently: Sissi Rada talking about this track, Fred again..

 

Other news sources

 

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