No New York - 1978 - V.A.

No New York is a compilation album released in 1978 by Antilles Records under the curation of producer Brian Eno. Although it only contained songs by four different artists, it is considered by many to be the definitive single album documenting New York City's late-1970s No Wave movement. The album became well-known in underground rock circles; an unrelated album was released in 1979 entitled Yes L.A., featuring many punk acts from the L.A. hardcore scene. In 2003, Criminal IQ Records, along with Brian Costello's Protomersh Records released a CD that paid tribute to the two albums' ethos of scene documentarianism by releasing a compilation titled Maybe Chicago?

In New York, New York, a four day New York underground rock festival was hosted at Artists Space. The final two days of the show consisted of Friday with D.N.A. and James Chance and the Contortions, credited as "Contortions", followed by Mars and Teenage Jesus and the Jerks on Saturday. In the audience for the shows was English musician/producer Brian Eno who originally came to New York to master the Talking Heads second album More Songs About Buildings and Food. Brian Eno was impressed by the bands, and was convinced that the movement should be documented and proposed the idea of a No Wave compilation with himself as a producer.

The recording sessions for No New York were done without much of Eno's stylized producing he's done for previous artists albums. James Chance stated that the Contortions tracks were "done totally live in the studio, no separation between the instruments, no overdubs, just like a document." However, in 1979 Eno's famous lecture "The Studio As Compositional Tool" he is quoted saying "On 'Helen Thormdale' [sic!] from the No New York album (Antilles), I put an echo on the guitar part's click, and used that to trigger the compression on the whole track, so it sounds like helicopter blades.

No New York was released in 1978 on Antilles Records and failed to chart in the Billboard Charts. The album was printed originally with the lyrics printed on the inside of the record sleeve which forced the owner to have to tear apart the sleeve to read them. Critic Richard C. Walls writing for Creem initial review described it as the most "ferociously avant-garde and aggressively ugly music since Albert Ayler puked all over my brain back in - what? - 64." and stated "If you're intrepid enough to want to hear this stuff (a friend, 3/4 into the first side, complained that the music was painful - she wasn't referring to any abstract reaction, she was grimacing), be advised that Antilles is a division of Island Records, which ain't exactly Transamerica Corp. You'll probably have to make a little effort to procure it, because there's no way it's going to come to you."

The album was re-issued in 2005 by Lilith Records on vinyl and digipak form on compact disc. Reviews of the album were positive. Todd Kristel of the online music database Allmusic gave the album four and half stars out of five and stated that "this seminal album remains the definitive document of New York's no wave movement." but also mirrored Creem's statement with "Some listeners may be fascinated by the music on No New York while others may find it unbearable". In December of 2007, Blender place the album at number 65 on their list of "The 100 Greatest Indie-Rock Albums Ever"

Track listing

1 - "Dish It Out" - Contortions - 3:17

2 - "Flip Your Face" - Contortions - 3:13

3 - "Jaded" - Contortions - 3:49

4 - "I Can't Stand Myself" - Contortions - 4:52

5 - "Burning Rubber" - Teenage Jesus and the Jerks - 1:45

6 - "The Closet" - Teenage Jesus and the Jerks - 3:53

7 - "Red Alert" - Teenage Jesus and the Jerks - 0:34

8 - "I Woke Up Dreaming" - Teenage Jesus and the Jerks - 3:10

9 - "Helen Fordsdale" - Mars - 2:30

10 - "Hairwaves" - Mars - 3:43

11 - "Tunnel" - Mars - 2:41

12 - "Puerto Rican Ghost" - Mars - 1:08

13 - "Egomaniac's Kiss" - D.N.A. - 2:11

14 - "Lionel" - D.N.A. - 2:07

15 - "Not Moving" - D.N.A. - 2:40

16 - "Size" - D.N.A. - 2:13

14 Video Paintings (1981 & 1984) - Brian Eno

1981 & 1984

Brian Eno

These video installations were produced by Brian Eno to be shown at various galleries around the world. Subsequently released on vhs and laserdisc, this is the first time for these pieces on beautifully crisp DVD. Perfect viewing material for any follower of Eno, the two works are to the video format what his audio pieces were to music; ambient musings on the nature of the medium. They are non linear and have no obvious plotline or direction : 'video paintings' as the title suggests, drifting in and out of focus. Luckily for us, the music is there to support what could have been a lifeless exercise; the first piece on the disc is accompanied by Eno's seminal Thursday Afternoon, a beautiful single hour-long piano track, and the second piece entitled 'Mistaken Memories of Mediaevil Manhattan' is set to tracks from Music for Airports and On Land. 'Thursday Afternoon' is probably the most accessible, with Eno using film footage taken of his close friend Christine Alicino and cutting it together intimately. It ends up playing a little like a nostalgic diary, a musing on the life or a person now departed. The second piece is less figurative, and features painterly shots of the New York skyline, clouds moving overhead and the colours drifting like a melting palette. This brings to mind the recent William Basinski DVD, which probably took influence from this piece in some way as the two tackle very similar subject matter, albeit in totally different time slots. Altogether this is a captivating disc and an indispensable part of any discerning Eno fan's collection. 

Harmonia & Eno - 1976 - Tracks and Traces

Review

Tracks and Traces was recorded at Harmonia's studio in Forst, Germany. It was not released until November 4, 1997 by the American Rykodisc label.

Various websites quote Eno as saying that Harmonia was "the world's most important rock band" in the mid '70s, including Sherman Wick in his review of Musik Von Harmonia, the first Harmonia album. Daniel Dumych, who also cites that quote, writes in his article for hyperreal.org: "Perhaps Eno's reason for praising Harmonia so highly was that their music fit the requirements of ambient rock. Its music was equally suitable for active or passive listening. The careful listener found his/her attentions rewarded by the musical activities and sounds, but Harmonia's music was also capable of setting a sonic environment." Clearly Eno had been very impressed with both Musik Von Harmonia and Cluster's fourth album Zuckerzeit and had joined Harmonia on tour, first playing with the group at The Fabrik in Hamburg.

Jeff Melton, who reviewed Tracks and Traces for the Expose Progressive Music website, described the album, in part: "Overall the album is relaxing and evokes dream like images but doesn't force you to passively count sheep. For a lost project which had been unreleased for over twenty years, I'd say it's as current [as] any techno project if only for the strength of the collaboration and the blurring of egos." The album has only one vocal track, "Luneburg Heath". Jess Barnett, writing in her review for FensePost, comments that the song "has a strong Eno presence and a disembodied voice singing, 'Don’t get lost on Luneberg Heath'. The synth lines are twangy and muffled, repetitive but not boring." Ned Raggett, writing the review for Allmusic, says in part: "Having already created two excellent albums, the core Harmonia trio was easily placed to whip up a third, with Eno the wild-card factor who turned out to be a perfect addition. While contributing some lyrics and singing at a time when he was steering away firmly from both in his own solo work, most of the time Eno lets the band speak for themselves musically, most notably adding snaky, quietly threatening basslines."

Track Listing

1 - "Vamos Companeros" – 4:32

2 - "By the Riverside" – 9:31

3 - "Luneburg Heath" – 4:53

4 - "Sometimes in Autumn" – 15:49

5 - "Weird Dream" – 6:39

6 - "Almost" – 5:28

7 - "Les Demoiselles" – 3:59

8 - "When Shade Was Born" – 1:30

9 - "Trace" – 1:31

Harmonia & Eno - 1976 - Remixes

Track Listing

1. HARMONIA & ENO '76 : Sometimes In Autumn (Shackleton Remix) 10:17

2. HARMONIA & ENO '76 : By The Riverside (Appleblim & Komonazmuk Remix) 7:48

Cluster & Brian Eno - Old Land - 1985

Review

Old Land is a Relativity Records 1985 compilation album by Cluster and Brian Eno. All of the tracks had been previously released on two prior albums: Cluster & Eno and After the Heat, which were released on LP by Sky Records in 1977 and 1978 respectively. The title is drawn from a track originally released on After the Heat.

Track listing

"Base and Apex" – 4:29

"Broken Head" – 5:25

"The Belldog" – 6:16

"Tzima N'Arki" – 4:30

"Schöne Hände" – 3:03

"Steinsame" – 4:06

"Wehrmut" – 3:20

"Für Luise" – 5:04

"Old Land" – 4:10

Cluster - Begegnungen II - 1985

Review

Begegnungen II is a Sky Records 1985 compilation album by Brian Eno, Dieter Moebius, Hans-Joachim Roedelius, and Conny Plank, recording as Cluster, from solo albums, and from various collaborations between the artists. All of the tracks had been previously released elsewhere. The albums these tracks were drawn from are: Material by Moebius & Plank, Zero Set by Moebius, Pank, Neumeier, Durch Die Wuste and Lustwandel, both Roedelius solo albums, After The Heat by Eno, Moebius, Rodelius, Tonspuren, the first solo album by Moebius, Sowiesoso by Cluster, and the eponymous Cluster & Eno. These albums were released by Sky between 1976 and 1983.

The title is the German word for "Meetings" or "Encounters".

Begegnungen II was issued in the US on CD in 1996 by the Gyroscope label. It was also reissued on the San Francisco-based Water label in 2006.

Track listing

"Conditionierer"  – 4:50

"Speed Display" – 5:14

"Mr. Livingstone"  – 5:41

"Broken Head"   – 5:22

"Langer Atem"  – 7:14

"Hasenheide"  – 2:39

"Es War Einmal" – 5:20

"Für Luise"  – 5:01

Cluster - Begegnungen - 1984

Review

Begegnungen is a Sky Records 1984 compilation album by Brian Eno, Dieter Moebius, Hans-Joachim Roedelius, and Conny Plank, recording as Cluster, from solo albums, and from various collaborations between the artists. All of the tracks had been previously released elsewhere. The albums these tracks were drawn from are: Durch Die Wuste, Roedelius' first solo album, Rastakraut Pasta by Moebius & Plank, After the Heat by Eno, Moebius, Rodelius, Tonspuren, the first solo album by Moebius, Zero Set by Moebius, Pank, Neumeier, Sowiesoso by Cluster, and the eponymous Cluster & Eno. These albums were released by Sky between 1976 and 1983.

The title is the German word for "Meetings" or "Encounters".

Begegnungen was issued in the US on CD in 1996 by the Gyroscope label . It was also reissued on the San Francisco-based Water label in 2006.

Track listing

"Johanneslust" – 4:58

"Two Oldtimers" – 6:58

"The Belldog" – 6:14

"Nervös"  – 3:26

"Pitch Control"  – 6:21

"Dem Wanderer" – 3:52

"Schöne Hände" – 3:02

Cluster - After the Heat - 1978

Review

After the Heat is a 1978 album by Brian Eno and both members of Cluster, namely Dieter Moebius and Hans-Joachim Roedelius. The album represents the second collaboration by the trio, the first being 1977's Cluster & Eno. Again, it was created in collaboration with the influential "krautrock" producer, Conny Plank.

The track "Tzima N'Arki" contains a reversed vocal track, part of which includes the chorus of Eno's song "King's Lead Hat" (from his album Before and after Science), itself an anagram of "Talking Heads", whose recordings Eno was producing during that period.

"Broken Head" makes prominent use of tape flanging on Eno's declaimed vocal. The song "The Belldog" is notable for its sequenced analogue synth bassline.

Track listing

"Oil" – 4:12

"Foreign Affairs" – 3:30

"Luftschloß" – 3:10

"The Shade" – 3:08

"Old Land" – 4:10

"Base & Apex" – 4:29

"Light Arms" – 1:29

"Broken Head" – 5:25

"The Belldog" – 6:16

"Tzima N'Arki" – 4:30

Cluster - Cluster & Eno - 1977

Review

Cluster & Eno is a collaborative album by the German electronic music group Cluster and British ambient musician Brian Eno. The style of this album is a collection of gentle melodies: a mixture of Eno’s ambient sensibilities and Cluster's avant-garde style.

In June, 1977 the duo of Hans-Joachim Roedelius and Dieter Moebius joined with Brian Eno for recording sessions at Conny Plank's studio. The first release from those sessions on Sky Records was Cluster & Eno. Guest musicians on the album included Can bassist Holger Czukay and Asmus Tietchens on synthesizer. The association with Eno brought Cluster a much wider audience than previous albums and international attention.

Bryan Reesman, in his editorial review for Amazon.com, writes, in part:

"Meshing Cluster's affinity for loops and repetition and Eno's penchant for processing sounds, the trio proves that ambient music does not merely consist of drawn-out drones and insipid keyboard tapestries. Certainly many of these nine tracks play off of sustained sounds and atmospheres, but their shorter running times make them more digestible, as does their variety of moods and textures. Highlights include the angelic atmosphere of "Für Luise," the classically inspired piano interlude "Mit Samaen," and the Indian-influenced "One," a trippy progenitor of ethnoambient music, ripe with sitar drones, guitar noises, and exotic percussion that features contributions from Okko Becker and Asmus Tietchens."

The American Gyroscope label reissued Cluster & Eno on CD in 1996. The album was also reissued in the United States by the San Francisco based Water label in 2005.

Track listing

"Ho Renomo" – 5:07

"Schöne Hände" – 3:03

"Steinsame" – 4:06

"Wehrmut" – 3:20

"Mit Simaen" – 4:26

"Selange" – 3:30

"Die Bunge" – 3:45

"One" – 6:06

"Für Luise" – 5:01