Brian Eno is MORE DARK THAN SHARK

INTERVIEWS, REVIEWS & RELATED ARTICLES

Prog APRIL 2020 - by Sid Smith

ROGER AND BRIAN ENO: MIXING COLOURS

Ethereal dialogue between brothers.

Consisting of eighteen short four-to-five minute pieces, this collaboration began life as a musical conversation with Roger sending a composition to Brian which he'd then manipulate, augment or alter as the mood and the music took him. With the first exchange dating back to 2005, there's a spacious, unfussy, unhurried quality to the record. The obvious go-to reference is the still-life sepia moods of Erik Satie. Glacial in their progress, an air of remembrance and melancholia hangs about them, seemingly ephemeral but in fact substantial. Like dust motes caught in a sliver of sunlight slowly crossing a darkened room as the day ticks away, Roger's deceptively simple melodies make their calm and stately way through his older brother's subtly illuminated sound world. Sometimes just catching the very edge of a tune, whilst at other times, setting it to bask in a shimmering atmospheric halo, there's a perfect balance between the added effects and the eloquence of the original tunes. While Brian's prolific output is, of course, known around the world, hopefully, this album will encourage listeners to explore Roger's less well-known but equally rich and satisfying back catalogue.