We’re back at our monthly residency in downtown Fresno, and this one is sure to inspire some musical memories
Brian Eno and David Byrne have inspired plenty of today’s musicians, both directly and indirectly. Recorded primarily between 1979 and 1980, My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts was a controversial album that had a massive influence on music at the time and was recognized for its use of experimentation and recording techniques.
This album comes from a place musically, where extra-musical resources were introduced, such as tape loops. The record was controversial due to the religious content in the samples they used—Byrne and Eno were accused of cynicism and cultural appropriation.
The recording process took from 1979 until its release in February 1981, and it was recorded in several studios from NYC, LA, and San Francisco. It took around a year after the album was completed to obtain the rights on all the samples.
"Stop thinking about art as an object, and start thinking about it as a trigger for experiences." —Brian Eno, May 2013.
Amos Tutuola’s novel My Life in the Bush of Ghosts was published in London in 1952. The title is central to an appreciation of this record—It’s a title that stimulates anticipation and controversy, even before the music begins. Brian Eno and David Byrne were fascinated with African culture at the time of creating this album, including music and literature. They discovered the book by Tutuola, but never got a chance to read it as copies were hard to find.
We’ll be exploring other works from both artists as well, including some of Eno’s film works, music Byrne was commissioned to write for plays in the early-mid 80’s, and some left-field gems as well. Doors open at 6:30PM, listening at 7:00PM. Come early and stay late to chat about the records and see what we have coming up in the next few months.
All events are 21+ • Maximum 30 RSVP’s per event • All guests must show proof of RSVP for entry.