Brian Eno - "Drawn From Life" (2001) and "Another Day On Earth" (2005)
According to a recent article in the U.K. Independent, veteran English musician and producer Brian Eno is relaunching his Opal Records music label on October 16th. The man who is regarded as the inventor of ambient music first launched the Opal label in 1988 to distribute music by artists who had similarly unconventional ways of making music, including his brother Roger, John Cale, Jon Hassell, and Daniel Lanois. The label has been technically inactive since the early '90's, although Eno has still sometimes used the Opal branding for his projects. As part of the label's relaunch, Eno is reissuing two of his later albums which have long been unavailable: Drawn From Life (his 2001 collaboration with German composer J. Peter Schwalm) and Another Day On Earth (2005).
Drawn From Life reflects Eno's concept of music being designed more like a visual painting than like standard compositions, as it consists of ambient and electronic soundscapes which were composed, performed, and produced by Eno and Schwalm. Befitting a co-creation by two artists who specialize in those two forms, Drawn From Life generally feels like a two-layered musical work. One layer feels soothing and comforting, while the other layer is vaguely eerie; somehow, these two moods are able to peacefully co-exist on the same musical plane. The sounds of distant and distorted voices are perhaps the spookiest ingredients here; "Rising Dust" and "Two Voices" are marked by electronically warped chants that are truly mind-bending.
By contrast, Another Day On Earth is more song-based than most of Eno's works, though it can hardly be described as conventional. The songs are a sort of ambient alternative pop, with dreamlike electronic textures and oddly synthesized vocals. Eno collaborated with several artists here, including Schwalm, Jon Hopkins, and Leo Abrahams. (Guitarist Steve Jones is not the guy from the Sex Pistols, but wouldn't it be great if it was him?). As different as the format may be from Eno's largely instrumental works, Another Day On Earth still has a similarly atmospheric and otherworldly essence. Eno's vocals sound like those of an elder statesman, albeit one who has become unstuck in time and space. On "And Then So Clear", he seems to be using a vocoder for a robotic effect; on "Bottomliners", he apparently used AutoTune to make it sound as though he was projecting his voice across the heavens. On "Going Unconscious" and "Bone Bomb", Eno used the voices of two females (Inge Zalaliene and Aylie Cooke, respectively) to surreal effect. If the music might be occasionally reminiscent of the likes of U2 or Radiohead, it's not because Eno was mimicking them; rather, it's because he was using the types of sounds and concepts which he pioneered before such artists who followed. The album's most conventional tune is "How Many Worlds", which makes lovely use of piano and violin (the latter played by Nell Catchpole). Another Day On Earth is a good way to experience Eno for those who prefer a recording that is more accessible than his usual sonic landscapes, yet one that is still unique, experimental, and generally serene.
Brian Eno & J. Peter Schwalm "Drawn From Life" (Astralwerks ASW10148-2) 2001
Track Listing:
1. From This Moment
2. Persis
3. Like Pictures Part #1
4. Like Pictures Part #2
5. Night Traffic
6. Rising Dust
7. Intenser
8. More Dust
9. Bloom
10. Two Voices
11. Bloom (Instr.)
Brian Eno "Another Day On Earth" (Opal/Hannibal HNCD1475) 2005
Track Listing:
1. This
2. And Then So Clear
3. A Long Way Down
4. Going Unconscious
5. Caught Between
6. Passing Over
7. How Many Worlds
8. Bottomliners
9. Just Another Day
10. Under
11. Bone Bomb
Drawn From Life reflects Eno's concept of music being designed more like a visual painting than like standard compositions, as it consists of ambient and electronic soundscapes which were composed, performed, and produced by Eno and Schwalm. Befitting a co-creation by two artists who specialize in those two forms, Drawn From Life generally feels like a two-layered musical work. One layer feels soothing and comforting, while the other layer is vaguely eerie; somehow, these two moods are able to peacefully co-exist on the same musical plane. The sounds of distant and distorted voices are perhaps the spookiest ingredients here; "Rising Dust" and "Two Voices" are marked by electronically warped chants that are truly mind-bending.
By contrast, Another Day On Earth is more song-based than most of Eno's works, though it can hardly be described as conventional. The songs are a sort of ambient alternative pop, with dreamlike electronic textures and oddly synthesized vocals. Eno collaborated with several artists here, including Schwalm, Jon Hopkins, and Leo Abrahams. (Guitarist Steve Jones is not the guy from the Sex Pistols, but wouldn't it be great if it was him?). As different as the format may be from Eno's largely instrumental works, Another Day On Earth still has a similarly atmospheric and otherworldly essence. Eno's vocals sound like those of an elder statesman, albeit one who has become unstuck in time and space. On "And Then So Clear", he seems to be using a vocoder for a robotic effect; on "Bottomliners", he apparently used AutoTune to make it sound as though he was projecting his voice across the heavens. On "Going Unconscious" and "Bone Bomb", Eno used the voices of two females (Inge Zalaliene and Aylie Cooke, respectively) to surreal effect. If the music might be occasionally reminiscent of the likes of U2 or Radiohead, it's not because Eno was mimicking them; rather, it's because he was using the types of sounds and concepts which he pioneered before such artists who followed. The album's most conventional tune is "How Many Worlds", which makes lovely use of piano and violin (the latter played by Nell Catchpole). Another Day On Earth is a good way to experience Eno for those who prefer a recording that is more accessible than his usual sonic landscapes, yet one that is still unique, experimental, and generally serene.
Brian Eno & J. Peter Schwalm "Drawn From Life" (Astralwerks ASW10148-2) 2001
Track Listing:
1. From This Moment
2. Persis
3. Like Pictures Part #1
4. Like Pictures Part #2
5. Night Traffic
6. Rising Dust
7. Intenser
8. More Dust
9. Bloom
10. Two Voices
11. Bloom (Instr.)
Brian Eno "Another Day On Earth" (Opal/Hannibal HNCD1475) 2005
Track Listing:
1. This
2. And Then So Clear
3. A Long Way Down
4. Going Unconscious
5. Caught Between
6. Passing Over
7. How Many Worlds
8. Bottomliners
9. Just Another Day
10. Under
11. Bone Bomb
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