BriÂan Eno debuted Music for AirÂports in 1978 and in terms of ambiÂent music he’s been remakÂing it ever since. This groundÂbreakÂing album was both comÂposed and left to chance. “ComÂposed” in that for each piece Eno selectÂed a numÂber of notes and simÂple melodÂic fragÂments that would work togethÂer withÂout disÂsoÂnance. And “left to chance” because each fragÂment was givÂen a tape loop of difÂferÂent length. Once Eno set the loops in motion, the piece creÂatÂed itself in all sorts of perÂmuÂtaÂtions and interÂsecÂtions.
Eno no longer uses tape loops, but he still believes in “genÂerÂaÂtive music,” creÂatÂing albums that are hour-long capÂtures of ranÂdomÂly genÂerÂatÂed tones that could conÂceivÂably go on forÂevÂer.
Dan Carr over at his site Reverb Machine has writÂten a deconÂstrucÂtion of two of the four pieces on Music for AirÂports, reverse engiÂneerÂing them to figÂure out their origÂiÂnal loops. And the best thing is, you can set the loops rolling and have your own verÂsion play out all day long if you wish.
The first, “2/1” is recÂogÂnizÂable from the choral voicÂes used in the score. Each loop conÂtains one note sung for a whole bar, but the note and the length of the tape conÂtainÂing the bar changes. This is the most basic of all the four tracks, but there is someÂthing quite magÂiÂcal when all sevÂen loops sync up.
The secÂond “1/2” conÂtains eight loops conÂtainÂing either a sinÂgle piano note, a melodÂic phrase, or a glisÂsanÂdo chord. (Although the artiÂcle doesn’t menÂtion it, it also conÂtains the choral loops of “2/1”)
You can play the loops at Reverb Machine simÂply by clickÂing on the arrow beneath each bar, or at the botÂtom “play all” or “pause all.”
For musiÂcians thinkÂing they’d like to make their own loops and folÂlow Eno’s methodÂolÂoÂgy, Dan includes some instrucÂtions.
In the comÂments secÂtion, musiÂcian Glenn Sogge notes that he took the loops and creÂatÂed his own deconÂstructÂed take on Eno’s clasÂsic, Blooms EngulfÂing DeconÂstructÂed AirÂports, which you can play at the top of this post. As he explains, the piece startÂed with downÂloadÂing the WAV files from Reverb Machine’s post. Then:
Beside the 15 clips of voicÂes and piano, 10 long loops were build from the 10 worlds of the BriÂan Eno & Peter ChilÂvers genÂerÂaÂtive music app Bloom: 10 Worlds (Android VerÂsion). A mixÂture of improÂvised clip-launchÂing and more stucÂture form resultÂed in 25 audio files that then mixed & masÂtered. In keepÂing with the Oblique StrateÂgies dicÂtum, “HonÂour thy error as hidÂden intenÂtion,” even a ranÂdom phone notiÂfiÂcaÂtion sound has been left in.
What do you think of Sogge’s tribÂute to the masÂter? Let us know in the comÂments.
RelatÂed ConÂtent:
The “True” StoÂry Of How BriÂan Eno InventÂed AmbiÂent Music
BriÂan Eno Explains the Loss of HumanÂiÂty in ModÂern Music
Ted Mills is a freeÂlance writer on the arts who curÂrentÂly hosts the artist interÂview-based FunkZone PodÂcast and is the proÂducÂer of KCRÂW’s CuriÂous Coast. You can also folÂlow him on TwitÂter at @tedmills, read his othÂer arts writÂing at tedmills.com and/or watch his films here.