enoweb

news

: updated 26th june 02009 :

Just a reminder: Apollo will be perfomed live by Icebreaker and BJ Cole on 20th and 21st July at the Science Museum in London. To book, just phone the Science Museum on 0870 870 4771, select Option 3, and then select Option 0 to speak to a ticket-seller. Phone line operates during the Museum's opening hours (8:30am to 6.00pm BST).

Radiocitizen has a transcript of Brian's remarks at the media conference for the Luminous Festival.

The Festival concluded with three Pure Scenius concerts. EnoWeb reader Michael Honnery kindly sent us this write-up.

The concert was held in the Sydney Opera House. Two grand pianos were back to back across the rear of the stage along with a drum kit and a small tent(!). Eno's desk with Apple laptop, keyboards and an old fashioned overhead projector was front stage left. The front right corner of the stage was furnished as a comfy lounge with couch, arm chairs and lots of mugs, kettles and general tea making paraphernalia. Throughout the night the performers would variously gather there, for example when the Necks were instructed to carry on solo while the others watched and chatted over tea!

Suspended over the stage were three large triangular screens upon which not only the light show was projected but also close ups of the various players at their instruments as well as fragmentary glimpses of Eno's written instructions to them which seemed to be randomly generated throughout the performance and often had an Oblique Strategies quality to them. Indeed in a curious way Eno seemed to be fulfilling the function he performed originally with Roxy Music; he in turn would treat the sounds, play keyboards himself, sing and generate instructions which would create systems which dictated the band's improvisations...

The group walked on to the stage to predictable cheers of delight but Eno particularly seemed benignly bemused and waved the applause away as the musicians took their positions. He seemed to be indicating that they were not going to conform to the usual tired cliched pop concert stereotype. With his bald head, glasses and what looked to be a purple velvet jacket he looked every bit the academic, artist or curator in fact anything but a rock star.

The music began imperceptively with the sound of running water to which delicate jazz percussion, synthesiser washes and piano were added. It ebbed and flowed through ambient to jazz to electronica to almost dance without ever being any one of those yet all of them at the same time.

The music continued uninterrupted for the entire concert with the audience totally hushed until the end when they erupted in a standing ovation which seemed to genuinely move the performers "you will have to go because we have another concert to follow," said Eno before succumbing to the temptation of an encore which was a strange lilting song which featured melancholic imagery of moons and Japan.

There was quite a bit of spoken word from the bald one. Eno was very wry and humorous , referring to his gratitude at the number of bald men in the audience who had come out in support "The Bald and the Beautiful"... there was also a rather melancholic thread to his ruminations with the not unrelated theme of mortality repeating through the evening "When you get to 40 there is only one thing worth writing about: 'How much longer do I have?'"... he also commented on the nature of singing (bemoaning the lack of development in the nature of the human voice in relation to music in general) and art.

Karl Hyde, dressed in stripey T-shirt baggy jeans and runners was the main vocalist and semi-spoke his lyrics in a style similar to the last Underworld album. Again he seemed to improvise from a diary he was carrying and I recognised snatches from previous songs ("used his whiskey flask as a walkie talkie") he seemed to hugely enjoy himself and moved, danced and swayed like he was DJ'ing. Towards the end of the concert he crawled to the back of the stage and retrieved a small tin of paint and brush and slowly spelt out the word "Home" on the tent. Presumably this aspect of performance art was to be a part of the concert but did not seem a hugely significant component.

A highlight was the protracted improvisational piano duet by Jon Hopkins and Chris Abrahams of The Necks which had the quality of the early Obscure Michael Nyman release Decay Music. During this piece Eno moved to the couch with his cup of tea and sat alone seeming blissed out (as were the audience). The band was amazingly coherent varying from this sublime ambient beauty to the ludicrously white noise rock when the band transmogrified into their mythical alterego The Ikebana Social Club ('Ambient heavy metal' read Eno's instruction to the band at one point. Indeed seeing him direct with abstract prompts such as 'play cold warmth' was one of the many joys...)

Returning 40 minutes later for the next concert, the performers were still seated in their lounge area chatting and drinking tea and seemed oblivous to the audience, needing to be prompted by one of the ushers to begin whereupon they opened with a blistering blast of white noise and more of what Eno described as his Ikebana Social Club music (he gave a wry description of an imagined Japanese club scene in the year 2025 from which this was a sample...)

The range and style of the music played, although able to be inferred from a knowledge of the individual musicians' work, was nevertheless surprising in its breadth and style: at once classical, free jazz ,music concrete, electronica and ambient blended into one unique whole like nothing you have heard.

In fact the more I try and describe the less adequate I feel in capturing the feel of the concert. It seemed that it was being filmed and I think would make an amazing DVD.

Luminous links -- we got 'em! Though probably not in any sensible order.

Brian took part in a number of radio and television broadcasts in Australia, some made available as podcasts/downloads.

An Evening With Brian Eno -- surely an event title to strike fear into any right-minded person. And if the title doesn't, then the $75/100 ticket prices might. It takes place at the Carpenter Performing Arts Center, Long Beach, California, USA, on Sunday 20th September 2009 at 19:00. "Join us as Eno shares insight into his music and his art, and what lies ahead for this pioneering innovator", says the Press Release. EnoWeb is puzzled by the phrase "what lies", though: we thought Brian was renowned for his truthfulness. How else could he have become such a "pioneering innovator" -- or innovative pioneer -- or pie-novative in-one-ear? 77 Million Paintings will also be presented from 10th September to 13th December at the University Art Museum, CSULB, in the same locality. (Thanks to Joseph Buck, Jeff Baena, Michael Flaherty and Radiocitizen).

Brian should crop up in a South Bank Show documentary on Coldplay later this year.

Peter Chilvers talks a bit about Bloom.

Adam Brent Houghtaling looks at using Oblique Strategies in the kitchen.

UK newspaper The Mail on Sunday will give away Roxy Music’s Greatest Hits with its 28th June issue.

Kevin Eden has sent us some more information on the re-re-release of 801 Live (due out 13th July):

A deluxe 'collectors edition' of this landmark live album recorded in 1976, it now comes with a bonus disc of rehearsal recordings. The players at rehearsal and at the London QEH gig were Phil Manzanera, Eno, Bill MacCormick, Francis Monkman, Simon Phillips and Lloyd Watson. Housed in a book style format it includes a 52 page booklet with reminiscences from all of the players including Brian Eno & Phil Manzanera.

The original album was hailed at the time due to the recording quality and the performance itself, on this remastered edition the sound is even better.

In 1976, while Roxy Music had temporarily disbanded, 801 (also referred to as THE 801) got together as a temporary project and began rehearsing at Island Studios, Hammersmith, about three weeks before their first gig. The name of the band was taken from the Eno song "The True Wheel", which appears on his 1974 solo album Taking Tiger Mountain (By Strategy). The refrain of the song -- "We are the 801, we are the central shaft" -- reportedly came to him in a dream. The original sextet included Manzanera, Brian Eno, Bill MacCormick, Francis Monkman, Simon Phillips and Lloyd Watson, and after a warm up show in Cromer in Norfolk, that line-up played just two gigs - at the Reading Festival (with John Peel acclaiming them "the musical high point of the weekend") and at London’s Queen Elizabeth Hall. This memorable concert was subsequently released as 801 Live.

The music consisted of more or less mutated selections from albums by Manzanera, Eno, and Quiet Sun, plus a full-scale rearrangement of Lennon & McCartney's "Tomorrow Never Knows" and an off-the-wall excursion into The Kinks' 1964 hit "You Really Got Me".

CD 1 – Lagrima / T.N.K / East Of Asteroid / Rongwrong / Sombre Reptiles / Golden Hours / The Fat Lady Of Limbourg / Baby’s On Fire / Diamond Head / Miss Shapiro / You Really Got Me / Third Uncle.

CD 2 (Recorded at Shepperton Studios during rehearsals Aug 23rd 1976) - Lagrima / T.N.K / East Of Asteroid / Rongwrong / Sombre Reptiles / The Fat Lady Of Limbourg / Baby’s On Fire / Diamond Head / Miss Shapiro / You Really Got Me / Third Uncle / Lagrima (Reprise).

Brian is apparently one of "The 10 Most Creative People in the Music Biz". EnoWeb didn't recognise many of the others and was shocked by the omission of Mitch Benn, Bill Bailey, Gary Le Strange and John Shuttleworth.

Rory Walsh writes: On Maria Wedder's site you can see a brief extract from the film Threshold (Schwelle) with music by Brian and J. Peter Schwalm. Brian also provided music for some of her other works.

For the bored-at-work, here's a brief shot of Brian at Design Indaba 2007.

Elsewhere on Vimeo are these related artists.

Time for a rummage in the EnoWeb postbag.
Irving Beaver writes: Sometimes our watches live longer than their owners.
Mustard The Tortoise responds: Is that meant to be some kind of threat? Or do you include a free curse with each watch, as this month's special offer?
Wheelock G. Coral: Remembrances The best male enlargement supplement on the market you can find. Do you want have substantial evidences? Why not!!!
Mustard: Let me think. Because you're incapable of stringing a simple sentence together?
Wheelock G. Coral: The only clinically proved enlargement supplement which is safe as made of only herbal components. Permanent effect based on unique formula that helps you to be successful in your privet life every single day.
Mustard: Privet, that would be the herbal component, would it?
Mitch Chu:
Mustard: Bless you.
Mitch Chu: Don't blame us for not telling you about this herbal revolution.
Mustard: Alright, I won't.
Elmer Sweeney: Your golden watch will shine like the sun.
Mustard: Forgive me, but that doesn't sound awfully practical. Somebody asks Tom what the time is, he looks at his golden watch, and he's so dazzled by the brightness that he can't see Mickey Mouse, let alone Mickey Mouse's hands. In addition, just think of the risk of sunburn.
Tom's watch: Yeah, get stuffed.
Consuelo Tatum: I want to say something.
Mustard: Do you have to? The sun's going in and I'm getting sleepy.
Consuelo Tatum: You know, I took your Email in the World Dating Agency. and I am very interested to meet you I understand you're looking for the same lady hearts.
Mustard: I think you have mistaken me for a devil-worshipper from a Hammer horror film.
Consuelo Tatum: I do not have children and do not married .. I like foreign languages speak 2 languages English and Russian. and still studying something which ... I would like to get acquainted with you.
Mustard: Let's not try to be too ambitious -- you speak just the one language really, don't you? Garble-ese.
Consuelo Tatum: Write me about yourself I'll also write and send your photo.
Mustard: But I already have a photo of myself.
Cristina Salazar: it was surprising when so much angst welled up inside me valentines day preparations.
Mustard: Ooh, me valentines day preparations!
Jacklyn Gates: Suddenly you feel that your pants have steel inside them.
Mustard: Sounds rather uncomfortable.
Jacklyn Gates: Nobody will ever guess how old you are.
Mustard: Possibly not, but if I saw someone walking bandy-legged because of their steel-lined pants, I'd probably hazard a guess that their age-range was 95-100. Am I right?
Carol Ponce: If your whole life is shit, at least you can have a decent watch on.
Mustard: Yes, acquiring a worthless piece of tat certainly helps you put everything into perspective.

Our previous update was on 31st May when we wrote:

As students of the prophecies of 20th Century Mysticke Brian Eno, we know about the blue August Moon, the cool August Moon, and the empty Moon [that] enamels Monica with spoons and candles. But what of the Moon Landings? As EnoWeb has previously mentioned, the Science Museum in London and Sound and Music are commemorating the Apollo 11 mission with the premiere of a new live arrangement of the 1983 album Apollo. There are performances on 20th and 21st July with tickets priced at £18 per person. To book, phone 0870 870 4771.

The amplified ensemble Icebreaker, with BJ Cole on pedal steel guitar, will be accompanied by original footage of the Moon landings from For All Mankind director Al Reinert projected onto the giant screen of the Science Museum IMAX cinema. The concerts will also feature performances by experimental artists Douglas Benford and Iris Garrelfs of new (non-Eno) material based on recordings from space, which will take place in the Science Museum's Making the Modern World gallery (home to the Apollo 10 Command Module).

In March Wilson Neate interviewed Russell Mills about Brian, and thanks to Wilson's generosity we have the result here on EnoWeb!

The Australian has a report on Brian's Keynote Address for the Luminous Festival.

Ian Hamilton writes: Luminous Festival launch images are available at the Luminous Facebook page. The images are publicly viewable without a Facebook account.

Brian was a signatory to a letter in The Observer on 24th May, urging a vote on the introduction of PR in the UK.

Colorful Fortune, a book of Harold Budd's poems, will be published in June. To celebrate the publication Harold and bassist Keith Lowe will perform live at 8pm on June 11th at the Chapel in the Good Shepherd Center, 4649 Sunnyside Avenue North, Seattle. There will then be a signing at Wessel Lieberman Booksellers, Pioneer Square, Seattle from 5 to 6pm on June 12th.

John Emr writes: I've added almost 100 new images to PeterSchmidtWeb, taking the number of Peter's works in our catalogue to over 200 now -- dating back as far as 1950 -- whereas we started out with 5 or 6...

Our previous update was on 26th May when we wrote:

Eno in SydneyPlenty of information about Brian's activities at the Luminous Festival in Sydney in June.

Radiocitizen writes: Brian Eno will be interviewed on Radio National's Music Show on 30th May. The show will be available for download shortly thereafter.

Brian was one of the contributors to part 1 of Island 50, a BBC Radio 2 documentary on his & Roxy Music's first record label.

Eno in YouTube video and pictures.

Talking of Jon, here are some interviews with him.

Harold Budd has a new collaboration with Clive Wright (thanks to John Diliberto).

David Byrne has released a live EP in suport of Amnesty International.

Coldplay are giving away a free live album.

The Expression Records re-re-releases of 801 performances will now be re-re-released in July.

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

Brian will be one of the guests on Radio 4 programme The Museum of Curiosity on Monday 4th May at 18:30 BST. It's repeated on Sunday 10th May at 12:04 and should be available via Listen Again for seven days after broadcast.

Some more information about the Pure Scenius finale at Sydney Opera House on 14th June (thanks to Bernd Kretzschmar).

EnoWeb visitors with mid-term memories may recall Brian performing some of Rick Holland's work at the Bath International Music Festival three years ago, and Rick including one of his collaborations with Brian, "Predestined Connection", on his MySpace page. Now Rick has added some other collaborations (thanks to Bernd Kretzschmar).

Another sometime Eno collaborator, Jon Hopkins (who's also part of the Luminous line-up), has a new album titled Insides out on 4th May.

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

The 40th anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon landing is coming up soon -- and to celebrate, the Science Museum, in collaboration with Sound and Music, is presenting the premiere of a new live arrangement of the 1983 Eno-Lanois-Eno album Apollo. To be performed on 20th & 21st July 2009, the new arrangement is by Jun Lee and performed by Icebreaker with BJ Cole and supported by experimental artists. The concert will take place in the Science Museum IMAX Cinema and Making the Modern World gallery, and is part of the Science Museum's space season and Centenary celebrations. Tickets will be available from 18th May. More information when we get it.

Radiocitizen writes: Pure Scenius, the concert finale to Luminous in Sydney, will be comprised of 3 separate shows – the first will be music, the second will be a public discussion of that music, and the final concert will be more music. Each part will run for about 90 minutes. There's some comment here.

Renzo writes: Brian Eno's 55 Million Crystals at Swarovski Kristallwelten.

John Diliberto says: I've just posted a blog about the new album from Brian Eno accomplice, Leo Abrahams. It features interview clips, an audio version with music and a link to the Echoes May CD of the Month Review: Leo Abrahams' The Grape and the Grain.

TwoLegsGood advertises: As a feature of my blog, I'm offering a different Oblique Strategy each day, manually randomly selected. If you have any objections or suggestions please let me know and I'll do my best to accomodate them.
Mustard The Tortoise says: Suggestions? I'd like to see you walk around for a week with a tea-cosy on your head. Can you accommodate that?

Brian's on the iPhone/iPod Touch again. Well, sort of. Some of the tracks he produced are included in Tap Tap Revenge: Coldplay Edition, in which you tapalongaColdplay in Guitar Hero stylee.

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

Brian appeared on BBC Radio 4's Front Row on 24th April to talk about Sum, his collaboration with David Eagleman at the Luminous Festival in May.

Stage set9th April saw the EnoWeb Annual Works Outing to England's famous London to witness Brian Eno and Jon Hassell live on stage in hot conversation action at the Ether Festival.
     Mustard The Tortoise: It didn't really sound like my cup of dandelion tea. I'm glad I took my radio with me for company.
ScreenThe stage featured two armchairs, two projectors, a coffee table, an array of papers set out like a game of Pelmanism, and eventually two men who started by claiming they were going to walk about and then spent the rest of the evening sitting in their comfy chairs.
Screen images show Brian's introductory e-mail to Jon suggesting how their discussion could go, alongside a cartoon by David Suter. Artists and most of audience not present as this was some time before the performance started. Problems reading the e-mail? Either you need an eye-test or there's dreadful camera-shake combined with low-light conditions.

Six minutes in, Brian was just warming to his theme when he started complaining of hearing somebody talking from on-stage speakers.
     Mustard: Did he hear voices?
He asked the people operating the sound board if they could stop it. It seems to be a feature of talks with Eno that he likes to dissipate tension early on by grumbling about something (often seating capacity, though not in this case).
     Mustard: He did, so he was possessed.
Brian carried on speaking and then again claimed he could hear Radio 4 on the speakers.
     Mustard: He was a Believer Born Again, yet he heard voices
     and he was possessed. Actually that might have been my
     radio, come to think of it. Radio 4 comedy, I never go to
     sleep listening to anything else.
Have you finished?
     Mustard: Look on the bright side, at least people got a
     free sort-of performance of "The Jezebel Spirit" from
     Eno before I finally dozed off.
EnoWeb found it interesting to see how Brian can flick from discussing some intellectual position to making irked remarks about technical problems and back again, without breaking his stride.

Brian and Jon took it in turns to expound on what was described as "a discussion that has been going on for 30 years". They had a similar approach to their art according to Brian: it wasn't just a question of making attractive things, but a way of practising a worldview. Both of them were writing books but as they covered similar subject-matter, they might collaborate on a single tome instead -- a fact that Brian said might come as a surprise to his publisher.

Jon contrasted the "north and the south of you", also expressed in terms of "the microchip and the samba" or an excess of abstraction versus feeling. Brian's approach was Surrender, a concept he views as an active choice rather than a passive verb; he identified four zones where we can take pleasure and surrender: art, sex, drugs and religion, where "I stop being me and I start being us".

What else does EnoWeb have written down on the notepad? "Resolution of thought by non-evaluation". By the Fat Lady of Limbourg, what on earth is that supposed to mean? I'm sure it made sense on the evening.
     Mustard: Perhaps Sir had surrendered a little too much by that point?
Or it could be that Brian's fidgeting was getting a bit distracting. As he was in charge of the large overhead projector, he zoomed in on a document and then forgot to zoom out again, and he fiddled with a pen which got projected onto the screen behind him in jerky arcs and circles like a Tony Hart 1970s stop-motion animation.

Jon mentioned that Brian worked with a group whose name was made up of numbers or letters or something. "Clodplay?" Brian asked helpfully, adding that he would be working with them the following week. BBC 6music reported this as meaning Brian would be in the studio with U2 (original story picked up in the usual Internet game of Chinese Whispers, and correction).

Various topics were aired like laundry with colour-run during the evening: Propagenda (like propaganda, but rather than blatantly telling people something, it is a way of stimulating discussion so something becomes real because it is talked about); Axis Thinking (covered in Brian's Diary, but this was the clearest explanation EnoWeb's ever witnessed); intrinsic and conferred value; latex; man born of woman and woman born of woman; pornography; Credit Default Swaps; Jon Hassell's Party Of One; and Brian Eno's delight at an opportunity to keep repeating the word "anus".

Red-faced, the two miscreants fled the stage, scattering papers as they scarpered.Brian and Jon concluded that one way of thinking about the subjects they had covered is the question "What is it that I really like?", and it will remain a matter of abiding regret to EnoWeb that the two did not then break into an impromptu performance of "Ooh, a little of what yer fancy does yer good".

When they exited the stage, they left their papers behind -- either as a thought experiment to see how many audience members would try to read them, or because they felt the stagehands could do with a little extra work. We know which explanation we favour.

Papers More papers Even more papers
All text © 2009 Jon Hassell & Brian Eno

In raising the possibility of audience questions, Brian spoke disparagingly of "bad" questions that referred to other aspects of his career rather than the evening's discussion*, citing as an example "are you going to play with David Byrne on Sunday night?"
     Mustard: Quite, what a ridiculous idea. He made it absolutely 100% clear in his interview with The Guardian that it would never happen.

Brian made an appearance on stage with David Byrne at the Royal Festival Hall on 13th April (Monday night, you see, that's his get-out-of-jail-free card). It was just a brief encore chorus though.

*which shows that something EnoWeb wrote as a gag in The Da Roxy Code is actually far more accurate than we realised at the time...

Another two reviews of Conversation Piece.

Luminous Festival updates.

Brian has been writing the "Dr Pangloss" column for Prospect magazine (thanks to Radiocitizen).

David Byrne has some additional UK performances lined up for his 'Songs of David Byrne & Brian Eno' tour. He will play London Barbican Centre on August 3rd, Southampton Guildhall on August 4th and the Big Chill festival in Ledbury on August 9th(thanks to Alankngal).

Brian gets up close and personal.

Rory Walsh, who makes a study of things Eno projects that haven't happened, stumbles across one that did:

David Sheppard’s On Some Faraway Beach mentions that in October 1978 Eno helped record and contributed backing vocals to a demo recorded by The Urban Verbs, a band fronted by Roddy Frantz the brother of the Talking Heads drummer. I located a website for the band on MySpace and they currently have the Eno version of their song "Next Question" available to listen to on their player. There is also a video which can be downloaded and provides the following information: "Next Question - This music was recorded by Brian Eno and Ed Stasium at CBGB's after the Urban Verbs first show there in 1979. The band and Eno then took the recording into Media Sound Studios on W 57th Street where they mixed the version you hear here".

PeterSchmidtWeb now has a piece of Peter Schmidt's sound art from 1969-70 embedded on the home page -- possibly an influence on Brian's "Alternative 3"? (Thanks to John Emr)

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

Just a reminder that Brian Eno and Jon Hassell will be talking in London on 9th April as part of the Ether Festival. (Thanks to Radiocitizen).

Radiocitizen writes: I don’t know if you’re aware of this one: Brian Eno talks about recording the latest U2 album.

Onur Azeri e-mails: another find today in that venerably NYC staple -- "U2's Consistent Sound and Eno"

Andrew Smith writes on Moondust, with brief quotes from Brian.

The New York Times has a feature about design innovations which includes a quote from Brian on Bloom.

David Sheppard's biography of Eno, On Some Faraway Beach, sees its US hardback publication in May, and a UK paperback is due out in July.

Also due out in May is Songs from the Films of David Lynch, an album of covers by Thomas Truax including the Bowie-Eno track "I'm Deranged".

Toronto's CONTACT Ensemble will give a live performance of Discreet Music at Miller Theatre at Columbia University in New York City on 29th May.

This is Nottingham has an interview with David Byrne, text and audio. If you choose audio, note that they have opted to keep their bandwidth low by providing it as a 127Mb .wav file.

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

Just a reminder that Brian Eno and Job Hassell will be talking in London on 9th April as part of the Ether Festival. (Thanks to Radiocitizen).

Brian and David Byrne talk to The Guardian. (Thanks to David Evans.)

Brian is not on Twitter, and who can blame him?

Neil Tennant briefly mentions a day with Brian.

Phil Manzanera talks a bit about 801 -- Collector's Editions of the 801 albums will be released in May.

Roger Eno has a new track on his MySpace page, "There's Something Wrong With Ted". (Thanks to Richard Mills.)

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

More information is now available about Brian's proposed activities in Sydney, Australia, in May-June. It's a case of Taking Tiger apparently. (Thanks to Danielle Hoareau, Radiocitizen, Richard Joly & Noel Hart.)

In EdgeVideo Song of Songs, evolutionary biologist Armand Leroi reports on a chat he had with Brian about the evolution of music, and the results of the research that ensued. Is that Brian sitting at the end of the first row? (Thanks to Richard Joly.)

Josh Harrison writes: I recently heard about the oblique strategies cards, looked into a bit, loved it and made myself a website to give random strategies. I was just looking into the whole thing a bit more, came across your website and I notice that most of your oblique strategies links have gone out of date - perhaps you would like to link to my one to help people find a random strategy website? It presents the strategies in a random colour set against another random background colour which somehow seems suitable! Cheers :)

John Emr points out that Afterimages 1, the DVD of films including Berlin Horse by Malcolm Le Grice, can now be purchased from Amazon. It was previously not available to the general public, only educators. While we're on the topic of John, his V'ger-like quest to learn all that is learnable about Peter Schmidt and transmit that information back to the Creator is going from strength to strength.

Coldplay's Will talks about stuff including Brian.

On 29th March Bang On A Can All-Stars will be performing Music For Airports at the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center at Maryland, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland. Later in the day there's a performance with Terry Riley too.

U2 producers talk about No Line On The Horizon, and some people review it.

Trisha Foley writes: Calling all 0p Seekers
Mustard The Tortoise replies: You woke me up for that? Why would I seek zero pence?
Trisha: Ok, time is running out.
Mustard: This is undeniable.
Trisha: I need a few more people then that is it. I won't be able to help you making some serious funds right from the comforts of home.
Mustard: Let me get this straight. You are offering no money, and you say that you can't actually help anybody make money. You don't work in a major financial institution by any chance, do you?
Benny Lovett writes: Thank you so much for your patience and good customer service.
Mustard: Don't be too sure. This is EnoWeb you're writing to.
Benny: GreetI received the watch and I love it and my Son will also,
Mustard: Who's GreetI? Apart from bankers, of course. Ooh, I'm sharp today.
Benny: not only that the quality is unreal.
Mustard: Which I interpret as meaning that it's rubbish.
Benny: I wear real watches but this is unreal
Mustard: It is a non-watch? What an interesting philosophical concept.
Benny: I may be ordering for my self today!
Mustard: How about getting an extra one for your non-self as well? I think you'll agree that would make perfect non-sense.

We changed our updates page to Blogger, so you can subscribe to an Atom feed that'll let you know when we've made an update. News as a whole will not move to Blog format as we find it convenient to have a single page per year.

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

Fabio writes: In case you find interesting to put it on line, I've uploaded on my site an extract of Eno's speech at the Presentism press conference held in Rome last 20th February and some pics of his light installation.

Matteo Milani e-mails: Here is the talk given by Brian Eno at the inauguration of the 258th Academic Year of the Accademia di Belle Arti (Venice).

And here's an Italian news report from VeniceWebTV.

Brian was interviewed by the Daily Telegraph about producing U2. (Thanks to Stephen Miller and David Whittaker).

Here is a transcript of the Convention on Modern Liberty session at which the troublemaker Eno attempted to foment dissent through a discussion of "imagination". Is it significant that the dangerous Eno had difficulty getting into the venue at first because of the enthusiastic attitude of Security personnel? The benevolent Party cannot comment. A Party Official noted with surprise that Eno is quoted as saying, "We don’t do it emprickly".

Radiocitizen says: Readers of your site might be interested in my review of David Byrne's Songs of David Byrne and Brian Eno gig in Melbourne, Australia on February 9, 2009. Includes the set-list, photos, band line-up, etc.

David Byrne writes exclusively for EnoWeb (and everybody else on the Everything That Happens mailing list): A limited-edition 180g gatefold vinyl edition of the album is available now.

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

Plenty about Presentism.

Talking of YouTube, here's Brian and James in the studio 8 years ago.

Still in videoland, looks as though film-maker Gabriella Cardazzo has released the Imaginary Landscapes film online at Artspace.it.

The Independent has the full text of the remarks on so-called "liberties" and "freedoms" spouted by the disruptive element Eno, previously exerpted in The Times. (Thanks to Radiocitizen).

Possible insight into Brian's student years here.

Markus Daaniel e-mails: Found this snippet that you might be interested from Tim Bowness' website: Tim will be appearing on a couple of tracks on Norwegian band The Opium Cartel's new album, Night Blooms, which has a release date of March 16th. Tim's main contribution will be on a cover of Brian Eno's classic, "By This River".

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

Francesco Lo Forte writes: According to LaRepubblica newspaper, Brian Eno will be in Rome on Friday 20th February for the "Presentism" event at Fondazione Memmo, Palazzo Ruspoli, Via Del Corso 418. Re-translating (Italian>English) part of his interview reads: "What we do, what we destroy, what we build today, doesn't determine our future. I would call it 'Presentism': there's no longer any difference between the future and the present."

Soundbites: Brian gets quoted.

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

In Venice, Brian gave the Lectio Magistralis at the start of the Accademia di Belle Arti's 258 academic year on 16th February. (Thanks to MM).

Radiocitizen writes: David Eagleman, neuroscientist and author of Sum: Forty Tales From the Afterlives, will appearing with Brian Eno at Sydney Opera House in May.

Long Now has a PDF of 77 Million Paintings at Venice in 2006.

Our previous update was on 15th February when we wrote:

Eno celloThe Observer now has the second part of its short film showing U2 recording in London with Brian and Daniel Lanois (and elsewhere without). There's also a long feature with some quotes from Brian.

The Music Producers' Guild site has a CMU report on the awards ceremony where Brian was presented with the Joe Meek Award For Innovation In Production.

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

The Observer has a short film showing U2 recording in Fez with Brian and Daniel Lanois.

Our previous update was on 5th February when we wrote:

The Coldplay site has some information on the current recording sessions and just what Brian's been encouraging them to get up to. (Thanks to Andrew Nicholas).

Only a tiny mention of the Eno/Hancock project in Leo Abrahams' 12th January webdiary.

Our previous update was on 3rd February when we wrote:

Kevin Eden writes: saw an advert on tv last night for this CD, Ascent by Tyler Rix. Lo and behold it is "An Ending (Ascent)" done in classical saxophone stylee. Next thing you know a string quartet will want to do Music For Airports!! What's the world coming to?

Koin Dennis e-mails: With much respect I send you this picture.

For Coldplay's new studio sessions, Brian suggested that three band members should work on music without singer/songwriter Chris Martin for a couple of weeks. This seems to be a further development of his Vida la Vida production policy that they didn't need to begin each song with an idea from Chris. (Thanks to Francesco Lo Forte).

Francesco Lo Forte also says: Just in case it could be useful, I have created a Facebook event for the upcoming Brian Eno exhibition in Rome.

Pursuing his assault upon the true forces of peace and democracy, the dissident Eno continues to spread his baseless lies about the Party. EnoWeb urges right-thinking citizens to reject the bankrupt arguments of the reviled Eno and advises them not to watch this video propaganda message. We respectfully remind citizens that the State's loyal informants are everywhere.

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

Brian will be having words with Jon Hassell at London's Queen Elizabeth Hall on 9th April 2009. (Thanks to Robin Bunce, David Whittaker and Kevin Eden).

Production: Coldplay's new single Life in Technicolor II (including the previously unreleased track "The Goldrush") and U2's Get On Your Boots are out now and then (2nd Feb & 15th Feb respectively). The iTunes versions of U2's album No Line On The Horizon will include a bonus track for pre-orders.

Chris Martin was interviewed by Jonathan Ross on BBC Radio 2 on 31st January.

Ross: Working with Brian Eno must have been exciting.
Martin: Working with Brian Eno was incredible, yeah.
Ross: What does he bring to it that other producers don't, because he's got this kind of -- not legendary -- status, because he is...
Martin: He's like an excited kid about music.
Ross: So, still fresh.
Martin: Yeah, it's infectious, and also he always thinks we can do better. We got a letter from him the other day saying 'you've done okay, well done, but I think you can get better'."
Ross: I don't like the sound of that.
Martin: Yeah.
Ross: I personally don't like receiving that kind of mail.
Martin: You've been getting some horrible mail.
Ross: Yes. This is true.
Martin: Don't worry about it. You're at the top of your game, but we can get better.
Ross: Yeah, I think we can all improve.
[...]
Ross: Did you hang out socially with Brian much?
Martin: We hang out with him a lot, yeah.
Ross: Before I met him I didn't know what to make of him, and I was concerned that he would be kind of, you know, ephemeral, living a life kind of like you know, inside -- instead, very down to earth, just engaged.
Martin: He's the sweetest man you could ever meet.
Ross: And he'll be doing the next album with you I guess?
Martin: Touch wood.
Ross: He does all the big bands now though, doesn't he?
[...]
Martin: Brian Eno, he's like Alex Ferguson, he's just -- good.
Ross: Top of the game.

Everything That HappensHere's an HD trailer for the Everything That Happens promo film, part of the exclusive deluxe CD package. (Thanks to Bernd Kretzschmar). EnoWeb grabbed a frame to make an album cover for the bonus tracks.

Bernd also says Brian was interviewed by Der Spiegel last December. This is not Google Translate's best performance; when Brian suggests that the interviewer could entertain his cat Kofi, this is rendered as hangover Kofi*. Brian says he would like to stop producing and concentrate on writing and making music. He also enthuses about the directness of being able to create Everything That Happens and Bloom without needing marketing campaigns or soul-destroying meetings with office workers who complain about a track being too long or complicated.
*We accept that Kofi is well known as a hangover cure, mind you.

Bernd's Eno-antennae twitch again. This month (20th February to 10th March), 77 Million Paintings manifests itself as PRESENTISM: Time And Space In The Long Now at Palazzo Ruspoli in Rome, and later Brian will take his light-show Down Under from 26th May to 21st June.

On 12th February the Music Producers Guild (UK) awards Brian with the first Joe Meek Award for Innovation in Production. (Thanks to Julian Lewis and Goran Vejvoda).

Rory Walsh writes: I was in Waterstones in Gower Street (London) during the week and they were advertising that critic, novelist and cultural voyeur, Michael Bracewell (author of Re-Make Remodel and a sort of non-celebrity Will Self) will be giving a talk on 19th February 2009 at 18:30. Mr Bracewell will be talking about Roxy Music’s early years -- a subject which some of your readers may have a passing interest in. He will include first time accounts from band members including Bryan Ferry and one Brian Eno (whatever became of him!). Price is £3 (about €3 for those in Euroland or if you are reading this next week $3) or £2 for students.

Daniel Darch writes: a friend(/music professor) of mine, Matt Rogalsky and his group Plastic Billionaires have recorded covers of Taking Tiger Mountain.

Magazines: The March issue of MOJO has an interview with Brian (thanks to David Whittaker) and Uncut (also March) has an interview with David Byrne (thanks to Rory Walsh).

David Sellers writes: I wanted to provide you with a heads up regarding the new DVD featuring the Bang on a Can All-Stars performing Brian's Music for Airports. This DVD also includes a documentary featuring Brian, Steve Reich & Louis Andriessen discussing the music picture over the past 30 years. )

Jon Hassell has a new album out, Last Night the Moon Came Dropping its Clothes in the Street. (Thanks to John Diliberto and Richard Joly).

Here are a couple of pics of Brian at Design Indaba in 2007.

Goran Vejvoda e-mails: Dutch photographer Gijsbert Hanekroot has published a book called Abba to Zappa - in november 2008 of his rock years. There are two very nice, rarely seen, b&w pictures of Brian from 1974 especially the one where he is standing behind a mixing desk.

Daniel Phillips says: Just thought I'd mention I received an email yesterday from a firm in the USA stating that My Life in the Bush of Ghosts is being reissued (with the new - in what way any better? - artwork) as a double lp in February next month, followed on the 17th by their speedy follow-up set Everything That Happens... as a single lp. All very good news for those of us who still adhere to the old faith...

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

Radiocitizen writes: Brian Eno will be appearing at The Convention on Modern Liberty, a one-day gathering at the Institute of Education in London on Saturday 28th February 2009.

David Evans e-mails: The Stream Magazine article is now online (in Dutch), and Brian's name appears among the authors of a letter in the Guardian from the Stop The War Coalition.

Eno on demoSure enough, there was a soundbite from Brian on the BBC News report about the demonstration on 10th January. He said: "There are a lot of Jews here; there are a lot of Israelis here as well, and they're people who -- like the rest of us -- think this is a terrible, terrible situation that has bad implications for everybody."

Daily Mail columnist Peter Hitchens disagrees with Brian's Warsaw ghetto analogy (Thanks to Scrooby).

David Grayck writes: Brian Eno is EVIL
EnoWeb responds: No, surely that was the late Mr Knievel? Albeit spelt with an e not an i. Hmm, what can this e-mail be about?
David Grayck: Brian Eno is evil for supporting the murder of innocent people in Israel. Please give him this message. Thanks.
EnoWeb: I'm sure you'll agree that accuracy is all-important, David, and that bearing false witness is a bit of a no-no. Here at EnoWeb we have never seen any evidence that Brian Eno supports the murder of anybody, certainly not innocent people in Israel. Nothing written by him, nothing said by him. Here's what he has done: he has opposed Israel's activities in Gaza and he has sought to explain (in his view) the motives for those activities and also the possible result of those activities. Opposing violence and highlighting the possible consequences in no way equates to supporting, condoning or justifying the actions of Hamas -- any more than Eno's opposition to the invasion of Iraq in 2003 meant that he supported Saddam Hussein's regime. But maybe you're right, maybe it is best to smear the reputation of someone whose views you don't share. By the way, as it says on the contact page, EnoWeb really doesn't have any way of passing messages on to Brian. Probably just as well.

Francesco Lo Forte e-mails: Eno, Daniel Lanois and Edge sing "You Don't Miss Your Water" a capella.

Richard Joly writes: Marianne Faithfull's studio session of the cover of "How Many Worlds" is on YouTube.

Our previous update was on 5th January when we wrote:

Onur Azeri writes: ...Another Happy New Years to you folks.... Here is a bit of Eno-o-city from his usual hangout with all of the other smarty folks over at Edge.org. Asked to talk about the question "what will change everything?"

Brian offered a short contribution to Jarvis Cocker's Today programme on BBC Radio 4 on 31st December.

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

Jonathan Coffin writes: Another timely message from Brian Eno posted at Counterpunch on "Stealing Gaza".

Brian appeared on the BBC Radio 4 Saturday Live programme on 27th December 2008 for its "Inheritance Tracks" feature, where people talk about a piece of music they've inherited and another they would like to pass on. (Thanks to David Whittaker).

StreamGoran Vejvoda e-mails: Just back from Amsterdam where I picked the winter 2008/2009 free issue of the local music - Stream Magazine - A nice cozy b&w picture of our man Brian in sweater talking promo info about the iphone - Bloom - app. See picture, no link for this interview on their site.

Richard Joly has been out and about finding Eno mentions...

So, what else do we have to look forward to from Brian in 2009? Fairly definite: Production work on U2's album No Line On The Horizon (due for release on 2nd March), and soundtrack for The Lovely Bones (due for release on 11th December 2009 in the US). Third Party: Geeta Dayal's book Brian Eno's "Another Green World" (due out on 30th June), and the UK/US release of Marianne Faithfull's album Easy Come, Easy Go (which includes a cover of "How Many Worlds"). In addition, Lumen London (the company that produces and creates 77 Million Paintings shows around the world) says that "Installations are scheduled for 2009 in Italy, Spain, Australia and Germany". Might possibly see the light of day: the collaboration with Herbie Hancock; Brian's book 44 Minutes: A Big Theory about Culture or whatever he decides to call it.


02008's Enews


02007's Enews


02006's Enews


02005's Enews


02004's Enews


02003's Enews


02002's Enews


02001's Enews


02000's Enews


01999's Enews


01998's Enews


Other news sources

The Nerve Net e-mail newsletter. Subscribe to this, and you'll get all the news and views from Eno enthusiasts across the globe, delivered free to your e-mail inbox. Operated by Alex Rubli, Nerve Net is a lot more focused than the alt.music.brian-eno newsgroup and you don't have to put up with any spam. Subscribe today!

The alt.music.brian-eno newsgroup. You can subscribe using many e-mail / newsreader packages, or visit from web-sites like groups.google.com. But it really doesn't have much in the way of news.


EnoWeb's Newsbot is Tom Boon.


home