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Jul 19, 2019 Web Exclusive By Matt the Raven

In honor of the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11’s moon landing, Brian Eno’s classic 1983 album has been re-mastered and re-released with an additional whole album of new music. Featuring co-producer and ethereal guitarist Daniel Lanois and pianist Roger Eno (younger brother of Brian), the album has withstood the test of time and remains one of ambient music’s most influential releases.

Apollo‘s compositions are well-developed and surprisingly lively considering the artist’s propensity to create supremely tranquil soundscapes. The liveliness is courtesy of brother Roger’s chamber-like keyboards and Lanois’ richly layered guitar tones. Make no mistake though; Apollo has plenty of the shadowy and textural sonic soundscapes that rendered Eno the Godfather of ambient.

Perhaps without even knowing it, most listeners are already familiar with the tracks on Apollo as some were heavily used in films, television shows, and commercials. So the real appeal here is the 11 new collaborative tracks.

The space-themed song titles on disc two more than hint at the music that lies within and could act as descriptions; “The End of a Thin Cord,” “Under the Moon,” “Strange Quiet,” “Clear Desert Night,” and “Last Step From the Surface” are the best examples. Following in the footsteps of disc one, the trio show off their creative ambitions with slowly shifting waves of meditative, hypnotic, and majestic harmonies and even an occasional melody. The enchanting instrumental pieces never stray too far into the nebulous stratosphere and are well worth the price of admission. (www.brian-eno.net)

Author rating: 7.5/10