Brian Eno to receive Venice Biennale’s Lifetime Achievement award

“Brian Eno’s compositions have been conceived in terms of a generative process that evolves in a potentially infinite time dimension, foreshadowing many of today’s compositional trends linked to digital sound,” composer Lucia Ronchetti wrote in a statement included with the Biennale’s announcement.

Brian Eno CREDIT: Cecily Eno

Additionally, Eno will be the subject of a video art installation at the festival called Nothing Can Ever Be The Same. It’s set to premiere the same day that Eno is awarded the Golden Lion.

Meanwhile, a rare live concert featuring brothers Eno and his brother Roger premiered in cinemas across the UK earlier this month.

Live At The Acropolis was filmed at Athens’ Odeon of Herodes Atticus amphitheatre in August 2021 as part of the annual Epidaurus Festival.

The concert included a backdrop of Brian’s images projected onto the walls of the amphitheatre, as Brian and Roger performed music from their 2020 album ‘Mixing Colours’.

They were joined by Roger’s daughter and Brian’s niece, Cecily Eno, on vocals, ukulele and mandolin. Leo Abrahams played guitars and Peter Chilvers played keyboards.

NME reviewed Eno’s latest solo album ‘FOREVERANDEVERNOMORE’ last year. Read the three-star review here.

A new Brian Eno documentary is in the works

Hustwit was given access to hundreds of hours of previously unseen footage and unreleased music from Eno’s archive to make the doc, which will be released in multiple versions and “will employ groundbreaking generative technology in its creation and exhibition”.

Brian Eno. CREDIT: Cecily Eno

The director and his team have digitised and restored approximately 400 hours of material spanning 50 years, including interviews, early video art projects, lectures, performances, behind-the-scenes footage of recording sessions and more – most of which have not been released publicly before.

Eno represents the latest collaboration in the legendary musician and filmmakers’ creative relationship. Eno previously created the score for the documentary Rams in 2017, which explored the life of the German designer Dieter Rams.

The film will, according to Hustwit’s website, “offer a deep dive into subjects that Eno has been notably passionate about, such as sustainability, social equity, and the future of civilisation, while centring above all on the nature of creativity”.

“Much of Brian’s career has been about enabling creativity in himself and others, through his role as a producer but also through his collaborations on projects like the Oblique Strategies cards or the music app Bloom,” Hustwit said. “I think of Eno as an art film about creativity, with the output of Brian’s 50-year career as its raw material.

“You can’t make a conventional, by-the-numbers bio-doc about Brian Eno. That would be antithetical and a missed opportunity. What I’m trying to do is to create a cinematic experience that’s as innovative as Brian’s approach to music and art.”

Last year, Eno spoke out about his feelings on the current NFT craze, saying it allows artists to be “little capitalist assholes”. “I’ve been approached several times to ‘make an NFT,’” he said in an interview.

“So far nothing has convinced me that there is anything worth making in that arena. ‘Worth making’ for me implies bringing something into existence that adds value to the world, not just to a bank account.”

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Brian Eno on NFTs: “Now artists can become little capitalist assholes as well”

He replied: “I’ve been approached several times to ‘make an NFT.’ So far nothing has convinced me that there is anything worth making in that arena. ‘Worth making’ for me implies bringing something into existence that adds value to the world, not just to a bank account.”

Eno added that if he “had primarily wanted to make money I would have had a different career as a different kind of person. I probably wouldn’t have chosen to be an artist.

“NFTs seem to me just a way for artists to get a little piece of the action from global capitalism, our own cute little version of financialisation. How sweet – now artists can become little capitalist assholes as well.”

Brian Eno. CREDIT: Getty Images

Going on to discuss whether he believes his mind could be changed on the issue, Eno said: “I am trying to keep an open mind about these questions. People I like and trust are convinced they’re the best thing since sliced bread, so I wish I could have a more positive view but right now I mainly see hustlers looking for suckers. And lots of bright-eyed artists willing to play the latter role. Forgive my cynicism….I’m not feeling too positive right now.”

Another artists not keen on NFTs is neo-classical composer Nils Frahm, who called them “the most disgusting thing on the planet right now”.

“Even some of my heroes like Aphex Twin are selling, sorry, crap for 130,000 bucks,” Frahm told The Independent, going on to say that it is “unforgivable to participate in something which is so bleak and wrong”.

Elsewhere, Eno has called for “a revolution” in music industry’s approach to climate change, and praised Coldplay and The 1975‘s efforts to be more sustainable in their practices.

Appearing on new climate change podcast Sounds Like A Plan, Eno spoke of this year launching Earth Percent, “a charity providing a simple way for the music industry to support the most impactful organisations addressing the climate emergency”.

“We’ve got quite a few people on board already,” Eno explained, “either actually on board or with a commitment to join us. We’re not talking only to artists; we’re talking to agents, promoters, managers, record companies, publishing companies, legal and so on.”

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Brian Eno calls for “a revolution” in music industry’s approach to climate change

He continued: “We’re saying to all of them, ‘We’re all part of this business together, and you’re as an important part of it as anyone else. Why don’t you join us?’

Brian Eno. CREDIT: Cecily Eno

“We’re trying to make it the cause of the music business, really, to say, ‘Let’s have a revolution’,” Eno said, adding that he hopes the model would then spread to other industries.

Asked about Coldplay’s efforts to reduce their carbon footprint (the band vowed to look at more “environmentally beneficial” ways of touring in 2019), Eno replied: “Well, there are other people doing it. The 1975 are working on this as well and U2 also have a sort of climate change department where they’re trying to discuss the same kinds of things. And I’m sure lots of other people that I don’t know about [are].”

He added: “But the important thing about that is that you create a new sort of question that people have to answer, which is, ‘Am I gonna engage with this or not?’ And it becomes harder and harder to say ‘not’ if more and more people are engaging with it.”

Later, Eno suggested that the climate crisis should be reframed as a “climate opportunity”. “I think the opportunity side needs to be stressed a little bit,” he said. “Y’know, all you revolutionaries who want to make a new world: here is your chance. This is why you have to do it.”

You can listen to the podcast in full above.

Sounds Like A Plan was launched in March of this year, and guests during its first season included Radiohead guitarist Ed O’Brien, The 1975’s manager Jamie Oborne and Heidi Leffner, of FEAT (Future Energy Artists) and formerly of Cloud Control.

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Listen to Jon Hopkins frosty cover Roger and Brian Eno’s ‘Wintergreen’

Hopkins’ version of ‘Wintergreen’ sees him spinning a frostier version of Roger and Brian Eno’s 2020 track, which originally appeared on their album ‘Mixing Colours’. Listen to it below now.

In a press release, Hopkins said of the EP: “‘Piano Versions’ is four minimal, ambient piano covers of songs I have loved for a long time but that come from very different places. It seems to me that melody is universal and the ones that I really connect to shine out irrespective of genre or context, whether from techno, folk or whatever.

“I loved the simplicity of having my old upright piano be the centre of a whole record for the first time. But the importance of letting the outside world into the recordings is as present for me as ever, so there are layers of incidental noise, bird song, the sound of someone washing up in the studio kitchen – whatever was going on outside my room is included and even accentuated.”

He added: “I want people to hear not just the recordings but to feel how it felt to be there and make them. It was a deep experience.”

Last year, the musician launched a new series called ‘Meditations’, kicking it off with a track called ‘Singing Bowl (Ascension)’. The song was created using vibrations from a 100-year-old singing bowl that Hopkins found in an antique shop in Delhi.

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Brian Eno, Radiohead’s Ed O’Brien, Lowkey and more teach online music masterclasses

Although designed for those between the ages of 14 and 20, the video guides will be open to all and don’t require the ability to read music, or any knowledge of music theory.

Award-winning composer Paul Clark is the writer and presenter of the series, which launches today (September 15) and is available via Ear Opener’s YouTube channel.

“There’s no such thing as a bad idea,” said O’Brien of his contribution. “Sometimes, that idea that doesn’t work was necessary to be aired, in order for the next idea that does work to succeed.

“Many people feel like they should be doing this, should be doing that, there are no ‘shoulds’ with music. By doing something else, maybe you’re feeding something that will nourish the music.”

Meanwhile, O’Brien has reassured Radiohead fans that the prospect of the band reconvening to make a new album “will definitely happen”.

The guitarist also told NME back in April that he and the band were having “online meetings” and “talking about stuff”. While he stressed that “for the foreseeable future, everyone is doing their own thing,” O’Brien did add that “when it feels right to plug back into Radiohead, then we will.”

Brian Eno is reissuing his diary and essay collection, ‘A Year With Swollen Appendices’

Faber and Faber’s Editorial Director Alexa von Hirschberg said: “We are thrilled to be bringing Brian Eno’s 1995 diary and ‘appendices’ back into print.

“A Year with Swollen Appendices is an intimate time capsule of the mind and working practices of a formidable thinker and creator at a pivotal point in history. It is an indispensable read.”

David Bowie, Bono and Brian Eno – Credit: Getty

Last month (July 1), Eno and his younger brother Roger announced an extended version of their collaborative album ‘Mixing Colours’.

The original edition of the record arrived back in March, serving as Brian Eno’s first record since 2017’s ‘Reflection’.

Released on July 17, the Eno brothers released ‘Mixing Colours Expanded’, which contained seven new tracks including ‘Moss’, ‘Violet’, ‘Vermilion’, ‘Marble’ and ‘Malachite’. A cut titled ‘Pewter’ also appeared, having previously only been available as a bonus track in Japan.

Back in May, it was suggested that Brian Eno was “keen to exchange ideas” with The 1975 by the band’s manager Jamie Oborne. He explained that Eno has been “a massive influence” on Matty Healy and co.

Eno had previously taken part in Healy’s In Conversation podcast series, where the former discussed a negative review of his ‘Ambient 1: Music for Airports’ album received back in 1978.

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The 1975 tribute concert featuring Phoebe Bridgers, Pale Waves and more streaming this week

Pale Waves’ Heather Baron-Gracie will offer up an acoustic rendition of ‘Sex’, while Phoebe Bridgers is due to perform ‘Girls’. Elsewhere, ‘Robbers’ will be covered by Clairo and ‘Milk’ will be played by Beabadoobee.

“MY OWN TRIBUTE CONCERT MY GAWWWWD SHUCKS GUYS,” Healy said of the announcement on Twitter – see that tweet along with the full line-up above.

Meanwhile, the first two episodes of singer’s In Conversation With… podcast arrived earlier today with guests Brian Eno and Stevie Nicks. Also due to appear on upcoming instalments are the likes of Kim Gordon, Bobby Gillespie and Conor Oberst.

Meanwhile, The 1975 are gearing up to release their fourth studio album ‘Notes On A Conditional Form’ on May 22.

In a five-star review, NME said that the band have crafted “something deep and sprawling and occasionally silly to dig deep into over many listens, during which your favourite track will shift on a daily basis. Something that requires time and attention – something just right for now.”

In other news, The 1975 will continue their current series of listening parties on Friday (May 8) to dissect their second LP, ‘I Like It When You Sleep, For You Are So Beautiful Yet So Unaware Of It’.

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Brandon Flowers reflects on being told Brian Eno didn’t want to work with The Killers: “It messed me up”

“He was definitely the top of the list n the earlier days and we considered working with him on our second album,” he continued. “It’s a long story but the label sort of lied to us and told us he said no, but it was a blessing – if a lie can be a blessing. If it’s ever been a blessing, it was on that record because we got to work with Flood and Alan Moulder, and we’re really happy with the outcome.”

Vannucci Jr interjected, “But tell them about the dream,” to which Flowers started laughing and replied: “It messed me up. I’ll tell you about the dream.

“I started having this dream where I was on one side of the street and Brian Eno was on the other side of the street, and I couldn’t cross the street. It messed me up a little bit because he was doing records with Coldplay and stuff like that, so I carried that around with me that we weren’t good enough for Brian Eno. Really, he was never asked to work with The Killers. It was just the label doing their label shit.”

The pair added that they only found out Eno was never asked to work with them “two or three years ago”, with the frontman explaining: “If you saw me on stage from 2005 ’til 2017, you saw me as a person who thought he wasn’t good enough for Brian Eno. Now I’m a new person.”

Earlier today, The Killers shared ‘Fire In Bone’, another new song from their forthcoming album ‘Imploding The Mirage’. The band also confirmed the record’s release would be postponed from its scheduled arrival of May 29, while their summer 2020 UK and Ireland tour dates will now kick off in May 2021.

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