“the lateral and luminal surrender experience“
In regards to „Luminal“, surely one the most beautiful albums of 2025, there is only one reason I don‘t come up with the minor quibble that Brian Eno isn‘t doing the lead vocals, and that is the voice of Beatie Wolfe! (Michael Engelbrecht, Deutschlandfunk)Warum ich noch nicht über das Büchlein „What Art Does“ von Brian Eno und Bette A. geschrieben habe, ist rasch erzählt: ich bin allzu vertraut mit all den Gedanken über Kunst, Feelings, Surrender, Play, etc. die Brian in dieser „unfinished theory“ ausbreitet, nach seinem Anspruch so verständlich, dass es auch nicht auf den Kopf gefallene Teenager verstehen können, und herrlich bunt bebildert ist es zudem! Wäre ich Kunstlehrer, wäre das Stammlektüre in meinen Klassen. Ab und zu schmökere ich mit Vergnügen in dem Bändchen. Viel lieber aber begegne ich der Kunst ohne Metaebene, lasse die Feelings durch mich hindurch strömen und rauschen, wenn ich „Luminal“ oder „Lateral“ auflege, Brian Enos famose neuen Alben mit Beatie Wolfe, und erlebe da, ungefiltert, Surrender, Play, etc., in allen Schattierungen zwischen dem Unerhörten und dem Unheimlichen, zwischen dem Fest und den Erschütterungen des Lebens. Denn all das dringt hier durch, und viel zu fesselnd, in diesen Wochen, um kluge Worte darüber verlieren zu wollen. Das Erlebnis der Tiefe spielt sich stets im Zwischenraum von Sender und Empfänger ab, und hier, bei den elf Songs von „Luminal“ etwa, bringe ich es schlicht und ergreifend so auf den Punkt, dass mein mutmassliches Songalbum des Jahres 2025 mich so tief erwischt, berührt, umfängt, umgarnt, verführt, auf gut deutsch „haunted“, dass es seinen Platz findet neben meinen Songalben der letzten beiden Jahre von Beth Gibbons und P.J. Harvey. „Luminal“ ist ein Album, das Tore öffnet, tief taucht und, mich jedenfalls. einfach mitreißt!
Why I haven’t yet written about the little book ‘What Art Does’ by Brian Eno and Bette A. is easy to explain: I am – after so many interviews and lectures – all too familiar with all the thoughts about art, feelings, surrender, play, etc. that Brian expounds in this ‘unfinished theory’, which he claims is so comprehensible that even teenagers who haven’t fallen on their heads can understand it, and it is also wonderfully colourfully illustrated! If I were an art teacher, this would be standard reading in my classes. I enjoy browsing through the book from time to time. But I much prefer to encounter art without a meta-level, to let the feelings flow and rush through me when I put on ‘Luminal’ or ‘Lateral’, Brian Eno’s famous new albums with Beatie Wolfe, and experience there, unfiltered, Surrender, Play, etc., in all shades between the unheard and the uncanny, between the celebration and the darker waves of life. Because all of this comes through here, and far too captivating, to want to lose clever words about it. In the moment. The experience of the profundity of art always takes place in the space between sender and receiver, and here, with the eleven songs of ‘Luminal’, for example, I simply get to the heart of the matter in such a way that my presumed song album of the year 2025 catches me so deeply, touches, embraces, ensnares, seduces, haunts, that it finds its place alongside my song albums of the last two years by Beth Gibbons and P.J. Harvey. „Luminal“ is an album that opens gates, dives deep, and simply elevates! At least that happens to me!„Grosses Leeres Land“
Parallel zu dem Songalbum „Luminal“ von Beatie Wolfe und Brian Eno erscheint am 6. Juni, als LP, CD, und DL, das Instrumentalalbum „Lateral“, mit der Komposition „Big Empty Country“: in der Vinyledituon heisst Seite A „Big Empty Country (Day), und Seite B „Big Empty Country (Night)“. Einmal mehr öffnet dieses Ambientwerk eine ganz eigene Atmosphäre, die zwar unverkennbar Enos Handschrift trägt, aber eben einen weiteren unerhörten Raum öffnet, insofern nur strukturell vergleichbar ist mit Grosskompositionen wie „Discreet Music“, „Thursday Afternoon“, „Lux“, oder „Reflection“. Der Titel „Big Empty Country“ ist mit Bedacht gewählt, und impliziert (mein ganz privater Höreindruck) sowohl das Unheimliche wie das Unberührte, das Pittorekse wie das Postapokalyptische. Der Klang der Gitarre, die hier und da ihre Spuren hinterlässt, ist pure Reminszenz ohne Nostalgie. Mehr wird nicht verraten. (m.e.)Once again, this ambient work opens up a completely unique atmosphere that bears Eno’s unmistakable signature, but opens up another unheard-of space that is only structurally comparable with major compositions such as “Discreet Music”, “Thursday Afternoon”, ‘Lux’ or “Reflection”. The title “Big Empty Country” was chosen with care, and implies (my very private impression) both the uncanny and the untouched, the pittoresque and the post-apocalyptic. The sound of the guitar, which leaves its mark here and there, is pure reminiscence without nostalgia. (m.e.)
The penultimate playlist of KLANGHORIZONTE at Deutschlandfunk, May 29
In regards to „Luminal“, surely one the most beautiful, haunting and seductive song albums of 2025, there is only one reason I don‘t come up with the minor quibble that Brian Eno isn‘t doing the lead vocals, and that is the voice of Beatie Wolfe! (Michael Engelbrecht, Deutschlandfunk, Klanghorizonte, May 29th, 2025)
Sequence matters. The first three albums all circling around a world disintegrating, in danger of falling apart. On his best album ever, William Tyler keeps an ear on remains of beauty. The last three albums deal with the heritage of Don Cherry. Thanks to Richard Williams reminding me of Mr. Cherry’s buried treasure. Two „far out fusion“-albums from the first half of the 70‘s are framing the central „Brian-and-Beatie“-passage of „dream and space music“. (By the way, Beatie Wolfe has written the lyrics and sings on „Luminal“, and she has a way with words, believe me! Brian Eno does the background vocals on every song. In addition, both play all kinds of instruments.) That it will finally happen this way, depends on three interviews (in preparation). I hope it will be time enough left for the „surprise track“ that stands apart of all topics mentioned above!
01 William Tyler: Time Indefinite
02 Eiko Isibashi: Antigone
03 Bennie Maupin: The Jewel In The Lotus (1974)
04 Beatie Wolfe & Brian Eno: Breath March, from: Luminal
05 Beatie Wolfe & Brian Eno: Lateral (excerpt)
06 Beatie Wolfe & Brian Eno: Play On, from: Luminal
07 Don Cherry: The Relativity Suite (1971)*
08 Angel Bat Dawid & Naima Nefertari: Journey to Nabta Playa
09 Natural Information Society and Bitchin Bajas: Totality10 Coda: Surprise Track
* „Wherever, whenever and by whomsoever the idea of “world music” was invented, it had no finer exponent, explorer and exemplar than Don Cherry. In a few months’ time it will be 30 years since Cherry died in Malaga of liver cancer, aged 58, leaving a world in which he was, to quote Steve Lake’s happy phrase, “a trumpet-playing lyric poet of the open road, whose very life was a free-flowing improvisation.” I suppose it was fitting that he should have died in Andalucia, a region where many cultural influences met in the Middle Ages to create a foundation of song.“ (Richard Williams, The Blue Moment)