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" You should be able to advertise " man seeks position as sofa for large lady " and get lots of sensible replies..." Brian Eno

One of the books I return to again & again is Brian Eno's " A year with swollen appendices ".
Ostensibly it is a diary of Eno's activities in 1995 but it is so much more. Apart from details of his domestic life, musical work, projects as an installation artist & visiting professor at the RCA. It is packed with idea's, thoughts & essays.

It never fails when I have reached a musical impasse to spark a creative rush, or push my imagination in to area's that I would not normally consider. The book covers Eno's production work with James, David Bowie, U2 & Jah Wobble. At times giving a very frank & honest account of how artists work in the confines of the recording studio.
He is very open about virtually every aspect of his life, the stress caused by organising events & the politics involved.

The parts I enjoy the most though are the constant stream of idea's he generates. The creative process has always fascinated me & this is a man constantly re evaluating his work methods. At the back of the book are the " swollen appendices " which cover topics as diverse as; Ambient music, Axis thinking, CD Roms ( he routinely ridicules their impracticality ) Generative Music, Culture, Defence, along with letters to various friends & colleagues.

If you get the chance to even browse a copy, I strongly suggest you do, if for nothing else than to read the list entitled " I am ".

Listening to:

Bill Nelson
The Kills
Sharp Practice
Heat Distance ( remixes of my latest collection )