In 1992, Eno talking about his interference with Roxy Music and his musical career, said: “As a result of going into a subway station and meeting saxophonist Andy Mackay, I joined Roxy Music, and, as a result of that, I have a career in music. If I’d walked ten yards farther, on the platform, or missed that train, or been in the next carriage, I probably would have been an art teacher now”. In life turning on a particular point to left or to right, sometimes makes the difference. Eno took the right turn and went on his own way. He didn’t get along with Bryan Ferry, he quit the band on completing the promotion tour for the band’s second album, “For Your Pleasure” in 1973, but he becomes an important musician, composer, record producer, music theorist, singer and visual artist, known as one of the principal innovators of ambient music.
Eno’s solo work has been extremely influential, pioneering ambient and generative music, innovating production techniques, and emphasizing “theory over practice”.He also introduced the concept of chance music to popular audiences partly through collaborations with other musicians.By the end of the 1970s, Eno had worked with David Bowie on the seminal “Berlin Trilogy,” helped popularise the American punk rock band Devo and the punk-influenced “No Wave” genre, and worked frequently with Harold Budd, John Cale, Cluster, Robert Fripp and David Byrne, with whom he produced the influential “My Life in the Bush of Ghosts” in 1981. He produced and performed on three albums by Talking Heads, including “Remain in Light” in 1980 and produced seven albums for U2, including the famous “The Joshua Tree” (1987), and worked on records by James, Laurie Anderson, Coldplay, Depeche Mode, Paul Simon, Grace Jones and Slowdive, among many others.
Brian Eno first came across the work of Rick Holland in the late 90’s during the Map-Making project, a series of collaborative works between students of the Royal College, the Guildhall School of Music, the Royal Academy of Music, the Royal College of Music, the National Youth Orchestra and the English National Ballet, among others.
In 2003, Brian and Rick made their first music together, but the resulting work does not appear on this album. In the intervening time since that initial session they have met infrequently to work on new compositions.
In early 2011, following the release of “Small Craft on a Milk Sea”, the pair managed to finally finish the project and the result is this “Drums Between the Bells”.
Along Eno and and poet Rick Holland, the album features the voices of Grazyna Goworek, Caroline Wildi, Laura Spagnuolo, Elisha Mudly Aylie Cooke, Nick Robertson, and Anastasia Afonina.
“Drums Between the Bells” is like a trip, it’s flowing, moving, changing, it’s about atmosphere, it’s absolutely Eno and have all its charm.
Eno is a wizard, at least a sound-wizard and every time listening Eno’s works you will be surprised by his simple but extremely efficient solution, there’s always something subtle and sparking in his music and arrangements. And well, it’s not about technology, it’s about the soul behind the machines.
Brian Eno – bless this space (taken from Drums Between The Bells) by Warp Records
Brian Eno – pour it out (taken from Drums Between The Bells) by Warp Records
Brian Eno – glitch (taken from Drums Between The Bells) by Warp Records
