šµāļø
Stripping back the cult of ENO and just looking at the music, Music For Airports has got it all. Forget the Isaac Newton-y backstory (TLDR: Eno is bedridden while recuperating after being hit by a car, friend visits and puts on record, volume too low to āhearā properly, turntable too far to reach, the idea of music as room ātintā ensues), and the brilliance of the technical execution, the tunes are what matter here. I actually met ENO once, yes, in an airport. I associate this music along with a lot of the ENO cannon as the search for a romantic life. That there is more going on than meets the eye, but only if you look for it. Also the idea of Eno as the consummate ānon-musicianā is very appealing/comforting to me. Eno apparently said he sought to create music āas ignorable as it is interestingā which is great, and is coincidentally the basis of my personality.
Apr 6, 2021
Related Recs
Apr 28, 2024
seminal album for ambient enjoyers. the story of how this album was conceived is also really sweet, if i had a second link i would connect the wiki page. enjoy <3
Jan 22, 2024
desperately playing this album on repeat while doing breathing exercises and incantations over burning incense trying to induce a creative genius iāve never had or shown any evidence of having
Aug 9, 2024
Top Recs from @sam-valenti
š
Prob fave this year
Dec 10, 2023
šµ
I started a playlist series called Herb Sundays, which came out of posting sort of uncool (āherb-yā) records that I was listening to online and thinking about how the perfect Sunday records get played when other people arenāt looking. I don't feel bad plugging this series because itās free and the mixes are by other people than myself. I donāt think I could host a podcast so this scratches the itch of inviting interesting people to contribute to something beyond my regular job, and its also purely for fun. Music discovery is one of lifeās great gifts. A good new song can make your week, and a good mix can make your day. This series is also a love letter to the Mixtape. I still think a hand-cranked mix is one of the greatest DIY projects as far low-effort satisfaction on both ends of the chain. Iām not anti-algo on the whole, it has a place, but you can feel it when someone puts time into making a great mix.
Apr 6, 2021
š
I love record stores and the discovery that happens when old stock mixes with new. More recently I've been getting deeper into art books and love buying books for people as gifts. NYC has a great community of shops like Karma and Mast, and thereās a gaggle of independent vendors that work the fairs like the Printed Matter MoMA PS1 Art Book Fair. I started going to the fairs a few years ago. They are like record fairs but even crustier in some ways, full of curmudgeons and characters. Check The Booksellers documentary for a nice slice of this world. I have met a few dealers and developed some rapport, one of which is Jeff Hirsch Books in Illinois, which has an incredible inventory and their sales emails are one of my favorites of all types. Even if you donāt buy, you learn something.
Apr 6, 2021