Thirty years ago, Brian Eno released the four-part proto-ambient work Music For Airpots. Then, in 1998, Bang On A Can All-Stars performed and released a live version of the work, which just came out as a digital-only download via Cantaloupe. (Yes, that’s a lot of “8″‘s.) Bang’s live rendition of Eno’s studio work offers the subtle, atmospheric lift of the original with interesting live details flitting with and scraping against the central piano reps. We have “1/2,” as arranged by David Lang, after the jump. Lace up your meditation shoes.
You can literally hear a pin (or vocal drone) drop. Across Music For Airports‘s landscape, the performers are cellist Maya Beiser, Evan Ziporyn on clarinet (keyboard/samplers for 1/1), Mark Stewart on guitar, Steven Schick on percussion, Lisa More on piano/keys, and Robert Black on bass.
If you want to see where else it goes, you can buy the whole thing at iTunes, where commenters aren’t sure who Eno is, exactly. It’s also available via eMusic and at Cantaloupe, where folks do know about Eno (presumably) and you can find out additional info (such as a limited-edition CD will be available to Cantaloupe Club members).
Bang On A Can are also on the road, some shows featuring members of Sonic Youth, the National, and Wilco, as well as Terry fucking Riley. They’re in SF tonight.
02/07 – San Francisco, CA @ Amoeba Music [Featuring pieces by Michael Gordon, Thurston Moore, and others]
02/09 – San Francisco, CA @ Yerba Buena Center For the Arts [Mini-marathon. Includes performances with Don Byron and Iva Bittova]
02/13 – New York, NY @ Merkin Hall [People's Commissioning Fund show feat. Tristan Perich and others]
02/28 – Baton Rogue, LA @ LSU
04/04 – Cincinnati, OH @ Memorial Hall [MusicNow festival appearance featuring Bryce Dessner from The National/Clogs as guest guitarist.]
04/06 – Chicago, IL @ Northwestern University
04/12 – Chapel Hill, NC @ UNC [Mini marathon. Bang on a Can All-Stars with Kyaw Kyaw Naing and new commissions by Glenn Kotche and Lee Renaldo]
05/31 – New York, NY @ World Financial Center [Bang on A Can NYC Marathon]
07/19 – North Adams, MA @ Mass MoCA
07/26 – North Adams, MA @ Mass MoCA [Bang on a Can Marathon w/ Terry Riley]
You Might Also Like
 Watch Brian Eno On The Colbert Report |  Brian Eno – “panic of looking” |  Brian Eno – “Bless This Space” & “Pour It Out” |  Brian Eno Drums Between The Bells Info, Sounds |
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on a related note, it’s quite fun to peruse the reviews of bang on a can’s live recording of eno’s, “music for airports” on iTunes. now topping 80 write-ups, it includes everything from exasperated long-time fans trying to explain why 4 songs are indeed worth ten bucks to new-comers comparing this ‘new work’ to sigur ros.
my favorite of the lot, “pretty music, nice lyrics…”
wow, if someone could please share the lyric sheet of 1/2 with me, i’d be most obliged.
I can’t be of much help there, but maybe you could help me. Everyone I know is raving about Mozes.com? Ever heard of it? I just act like I know what they are talking about, and am like yeah I use it. From what little I understood, I guess you can get tour updates and stuff like that on your cell phone. Anyone else got more info? I don’t think I can keep the act up for long.