Brian Eno is MORE DARK THAN SHARK

INTERVIEWS, REVIEWS & RELATED ARTICLES

International Times JUNE 3, 2023 - by Alan Dearling

FRED AGAIN AND BRIAN ENO: SECRET LIFE

There's sometimes an element of 'London buses' with Eno's recordings. Many seem to appear almost simultaneously, often collaborative efforts, as is this one. On his ambient records, soundscapes take centre stage more than words or vocal performances. That was true of 2022's Foreverandevernomore with its whooshing sonic blips and swirling, pulsating rhythms. Vocals are an ethereal dream - and that is even more so on Secret Life his team effort with Fred Again (actually Fred Gibson of dance music fame for his widely acclaimed Actual Life trilogy). There's a lot of disembodied vocals and glacial stutterings and whispers. Many loops, repetitions and samples from across many genres and artists apparently including Lola Young, and John Prine. There's a courtly elegance too in quasi-classical sounds on such tracks as Follow. There's a beauty and sense of love and loss in Eno's recent music. Likewise, Fred Again. Oodles of vulnerability. Stark beauty. At times it is perhaps a tad too impersonally-personal, but if you like Eno, and possibly Penguin Café Orchestra, it's definitely worth a listen.