There’s “quiet.” And then, there’s “too quiet.” It’s been over a decade since the world was last given new music from Roger Eno, a composer of stark, melancholic medleys whose name has been somewhat unfairly ignored among similar artists (Gavin Bryars, Paul Lansky, and the like). That’s too quiet.
But that’s why we have a record label like Sean McCann’s Recital — a label quite well-loved around here for its uncanny ability to gracefully amplify some of the most provocative and under-appreciated music around. This Friday (November 10), Recital will release This Floating World, a record of Eno’s preludes that would move Philip Glass to tears.
Describing the record, labelhead and rockstar McCann described the 12 new tracks as “warm and feathered furniture music.” He also quite chummily notes: “In our communication Roger has been a real charmer, ending every email with ‘Roger and out.’ A curious fellow, with a knack for tracing the understated beauties of this world.”
Eno’s dramatic, moving arrangements of piano and ambience fit snugly in Recital’s hefty catalogue, accurately imagining those beauties McCann was privy to point out. Listeners may have heard Eno’s work before on the legendary Music for Films series or on the soundtrack for David Lynch’s adaptation of Dune — on both of which he worked with his brother, another relatively famous (albeit balder) Eno of whom you may have heard.
On Recital’s site, you can pre-order the LP, which comes with a lovely booklet of Eno’s written stories accompanied by his own photography. Because of course it does. You can also stream a perfectly somber track from the album below, which will be sure to draw out gray clouds over the sun and make you feel — no matter the weather — like it’s gonna rain.
This Floating World tracklisting:
01. Stasis Affected
02. The Last Day of May
03. DeeDee Alone
04. Where You Once Were
05. Garden
06. Empty Room
07. Silk
08. Riddle
09. That Sinking Feeling
10. Bee in Early August
11. Where to Now?
12. Out of Tune, Out of Time, Out of Here
More about: Roger Eno, Sean McCann
