Friday saw the debut of Brian Eno's latest album -
The Ship following the release of ts epic 21-minute self-titled single.
The Ship accompanied by an official postcard from Eno • Hyde
Like so many of Eno's albums, this record serves more to inspire thoughtful consideration and reflection than it does casual enjoyment. Unlike
Discreet Music or
Airports, this is not sonic wallpaper or furniture music, though it resonates a similar ethereal sonic essence.
The Ship has a somber and harrowing quality, serving as a dire reflection on the Titanic disaster and the horrors of WWI. But the record maintains a meditative and cerebral tone rewarding to any listener who'll give the album their full attention.
The double LP includes more of Eno's art prints. The works are semblant of the visualizations from his
77 Million Paintings generative software. Not particularly inspiring, they function better conceptually rather than visually.
Also this week, Eno's recent collaborator Karl Hyde released a short art film of an installation he produced for Underworld's latest album,
Barbara Barbara, We Face a Shining Future. I found the fervent and tactile quality of Hyde's work more engaging than the static nature of Eno's prints.
Hyde's
Tokyo Street Poem features Soundscape by Underworld's other half, Rick Smith and was exhibited at Parco, Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan in March 2016 as part of the
Tomato 25th Anniversary Exhibition.
Underworld also recently premiered a choreographed dance film for the album's track,
"If Rah", but once again, I believe the concept was better executed by other artists in years prior.
Amelia: A Film by Edouard Lock With La La La Human Steps (2002) features David Lang's cover of
"I'm Waiting For My Man" with choreographed dancers Mistaya Hemmingway and Jason Shipley-Holmes. The film is striking and visually captivating.
Sigur Ros produced an equally effective film piece for their
valtari film experiment - a collection of 16 short films made for the
valtari album. The 2012 film features Ekki múkk, Valtari, Rembihnútur and Varúð. It is a passionate and emotive work.
If you missed my feature on Underworld's latest album,
check it out! And I'll be back next Saturday with my latest culturally-inspired creative and research projects.
Stay tuned!