Brian Eno: Drums Between the Bells ((Warp)

Brian Eno first encountered the work of poet/spoken word artist Rick Holland more than a decade ago and despite some small attempts to collaborate things didn't come to much. Until now.

Here Eno creates the textural soundbeds for these readings of Holland's work by various people (himself included) and sometimes they have a drilling, intense electrostatic quality (Glitch, Sounds Alien, Multimedia), at other times they are appropriately gentle and err towards a kind of drifting astral ambience (Dreambirds, The Airman, Cloud 4).

With 16 pieces it is inevitable some are more successful than others (the Kraftwerk-like opener Bless This Space is very promising, Eno on the industrial trip-hop of Dow is among the best) and you have to accept that some readers (and perhaps Holland) think    that   by    leaving   huge    gaps   between   words    it   imbues    them    with     more       emotional     weight.

It doesn't, just draws attention to the emptiness of the some of the imagery.

So a mixed bag of occasionally transcendental sound with astutely evocative distilled words and other musical material which sounds like it was from the "one I prepared earlier" box.

Apparently there is a double CD version, the second disc just being Eno's music. That could actually be the way to go for Eno-aficionados. 

Like the idea of this? Then check out this.