Brian Eno
BIOGRAPHY
It’s hard to imagine a musical world without the work of Brian Peter George St. John le Baptiste de la Salle Eno. In a career that has lasted approaching four decades, Eno has tried his hand at a near infinite number of projects, ranging from being a bog standard musician, to producer, artist, author, composer, actor, philanthropist and political advisor (he is youth affairs advisor for the Lib Dems). An impressive effort, I’m sure you’ll agree. His work has maintained such a high level of quality and invention across all mediums that he is often cited as possibly one of the most influential artists to have ever lived, and what is even more impressive is he’s getting better with age.
Having started his career as a member of Roxy Music, he left after only two years, having quickly established himself as a cult figure with his enigmatic persona and over the top stage attire. Then came a stream of solo work, starting with the glam rock of Here Come the Warm Jets, and evolving into the electronic sound that he is most recognised for. He almost single-handedly created a new genre, “ambient” in the mid 70s, which provided a bridge between modern classical composers and the mainstream music scene, and spawned some of Eno’s most impressive work. Since then he has dabbled in both experimental and more mainstream projects with almost universal success, with highlights including Apollo: Atmospheres and Soundtracks and Neroli.
With fingers in so many pies it’s inevitable that occasionally there will be the odd curio on the CV. Eno’s talents as a producer (or “sonic landscaper”) are legendary, and his essay The Studio as a Compositional Tool has completely reshaped how bands go about recording their material. He has production credits on some of the most iconic albums of all time, including Talking Heads’ Remain in Light and Fear of Music, and collaborated with David Bowie on his seminal “Berlin Trilogy”. He has, however, got himself involved in a number ventures less indie-minded, most recently by producing Coldplay’s Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends (he made Chris Martin wear gloves while he played piano). He also partly oversaw U2’s ascent into mega-stardom, which is either good or bad depending on whether you have a soul or not. The association with these less than punk rock souls hasn’t hurt his reputation though, as he himself observes, “When you produce things you almost always get credit if it's a good record, but you hardly ever get the blame if it's not!” Crafty.
The number of artists that have worked with him, or have identified him as a direct influence is huge. Collaborators have included the likes of John Cale, Harmonia and David Byrne, and obvious followers are the recipients (or subjects) of his production expertise. Artists who claim to be fans are as diverse as you might expect, with everyone from Prince to Public Enemy attributing some of their success to Eno’s influence. Less obvious are people who have used his “Oblique Strategies” set of inspirational cards when recording their music. Disciples include Phoenix, MGMT and R.E.M.
Eno’s most recent release is this month’s Small Craft on a Milk Sea, his first on electronica label Warp, which is being hailed by many critics as his best work in decades. The album sees Eno joining forces with guitarist Leo Abrahams and experimental electronic-type Jon Hopkins, having worked with them both in smaller roles on previous projects. The album consists of a number of part-improvised electronic pieces inspired by film soundtracks, with a few of the tracks having been rejected for his soundtrack to the film The Lovely Bones. The album feels almost like a collage of elements present in his previous work, with sparse soundscapes echoing his “Ambient” series, tribal rhythms from his experiments with African music, and even some more pop moments from his glam origins.
In Warp, it seems that Eno has found a label where he truly belongs. Labelmates include the visionary likes of Squarepusher and Autechre, and Eno himself says that being on the same label as Aphex Twin and Battles was what drew him to the label in the first place. It’s ironic that without the influence of his back catalogue, the label might not have even existed at all. His legacy will surely last for many decades to come, and serves as proof that, at 62 years old, Brian Eno is still one of the most relevant artists around.
Links
Videos
Brian Eno: The Dick Flash Interview
2 Forms Of Anger (from Small Craft On A Milk Sea)
1/1 (From Ambient 1: Music For Airports)