The Plateaux of Mirror
Encyclopedia
Ambient 2: The Plateaux of Mirror is a 1980 album by ambient
musicians Harold Budd
and Brian Eno
. This is the second installment of Eno's Ambient series which began in 1978 with Music for Airports
, identifiable by its similar cover art which looks like it depicts rural
terrain on a map
.
after British composer Gavin Bryars
introduced the pair, which led to their collaboration on this album.
Eno said of Budd that he indulged in "live improvisation on The Plateaux Of Mirror ... I would set up a sound, he would improvise to it, and occasionally I would add something: but it was mainly him performing in a sound-world I had created".
Speaking about how Budd discovered new ways of playing on the album simply by bouncing ideas off each other, Eno has also commented "... with him I used to set up quite complicated treatments and then he would go out and play the piano. And you would hear him discovering, as he played, how to manipulate this treatment. How to make it ring and resonate. Which notes work particularly well on it. Which register of the piano. What speed to play at, of course, because some treatments just cloud out if they have too much information in them".
, with a melodic line intended for vocals, and mailed the composition to Eno in New York
. Eno then reversed the melodic phrase, recorded it and played it to Budd for the first time over the telephone. The basic theme of "The Chill Air" was repeated on "Their Memories," a piece on Budd and Eno's 1984 release The Pearl. While the theme is recognisable by its melody line, the treatments are more pronounced.
Tracks 2, 4, 7, 8 and 10 are mostly piano-oriented, with little in the way of heavy electronic tinkering by Eno; track 1, also piano-based, has some light synth treatments towards the latter half. Tracks 3 and 9 feature syncopation, mostly in the form of light chimes, while track 6 has wordless vocal-style effects accompanying the piano. Track 5's piano is backed with some warm synths, the most uptempo composition on the album.
Because the album was recorded on analog equipment, the listener can hear the hiss of the tapes Eno used for his treated sounds in several of the tracks.
and Harold Budd
.
Ambient music
Ambient music is a musical genre that focuses largely on the timbral characteristics of sounds, often organized or performed to evoke an "atmospheric", "visual" or "unobtrusive" quality.- History :...
musicians Harold Budd
Harold Budd
Harold Budd is an American ambient/avant-garde composer and poet. Born in Los Angeles, he was raised in the Mojave Desert, and was inspired at an early age by the humming tone caused by wind blown across telephone wires....
and Brian Eno
Brian Eno
Brian Peter George St. John le Baptiste de la Salle Eno , commonly known as Brian Eno or simply as Eno , is an English musician, composer, record producer, singer and visual artist, known as one of the principal innovators of ambient music.Eno studied at Colchester Institute art school in Essex,...
. This is the second installment of Eno's Ambient series which began in 1978 with Music for Airports
Music for Airports
Ambient 1: Music for Airports is an ambient album by Brian Eno released in 1978.-Overview:Music for Airports was the first of four albums released in Eno's "Ambient" series, a term which he coined to differentiate his minimalistic approach to the album's material and "the products of the various...
, identifiable by its similar cover art which looks like it depicts rural
Rural
Rural areas or the country or countryside are areas that are not urbanized, though when large areas are described, country towns and smaller cities will be included. They have a low population density, and typically much of the land is devoted to agriculture...
terrain on a map
Map
A map is a visual representation of an area—a symbolic depiction highlighting relationships between elements of that space such as objects, regions, and themes....
.
Overview
Eno produced Budd's 1978 album The Pavilion of DreamsThe Pavilion of Dreams
- Track listing :# "Bismillahi 'Rrahman 'Rrahim" – 18:23# "Two Songs: 1. Let Us Go into the House of the Lord / 2. Butterfly Sunday" – 6:19# "Madrigals of the Rose Angel: 1. Rosetti Stone / 2...
after British composer Gavin Bryars
Gavin Bryars
Richard Gavin Bryars is an English composer and double bassist. He has been active in, or has produced works in, a variety of styles of music, including jazz, free improvisation, minimalism, historicism, experimental music, avant-garde and neoclassicism.-Early life and career:Born in Goole, East...
introduced the pair, which led to their collaboration on this album.
Eno said of Budd that he indulged in "live improvisation on The Plateaux Of Mirror ... I would set up a sound, he would improvise to it, and occasionally I would add something: but it was mainly him performing in a sound-world I had created".
Speaking about how Budd discovered new ways of playing on the album simply by bouncing ideas off each other, Eno has also commented "... with him I used to set up quite complicated treatments and then he would go out and play the piano. And you would hear him discovering, as he played, how to manipulate this treatment. How to make it ring and resonate. Which notes work particularly well on it. Which register of the piano. What speed to play at, of course, because some treatments just cloud out if they have too much information in them".
The music
The bulk of the instrumentation is Budd on acoustic piano with treatments by Eno. "The Plateaux of Mirror" and "Wind in Lonely Fences" are performed on electric piano. Budd composed "Not Yet Remembered" in CaliforniaCalifornia
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, with a melodic line intended for vocals, and mailed the composition to Eno in New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. Eno then reversed the melodic phrase, recorded it and played it to Budd for the first time over the telephone. The basic theme of "The Chill Air" was repeated on "Their Memories," a piece on Budd and Eno's 1984 release The Pearl. While the theme is recognisable by its melody line, the treatments are more pronounced.
Tracks 2, 4, 7, 8 and 10 are mostly piano-oriented, with little in the way of heavy electronic tinkering by Eno; track 1, also piano-based, has some light synth treatments towards the latter half. Tracks 3 and 9 feature syncopation, mostly in the form of light chimes, while track 6 has wordless vocal-style effects accompanying the piano. Track 5's piano is backed with some warm synths, the most uptempo composition on the album.
Because the album was recorded on analog equipment, the listener can hear the hiss of the tapes Eno used for his treated sounds in several of the tracks.
Track listing
All tracks by Brian EnoBrian Eno
Brian Peter George St. John le Baptiste de la Salle Eno , commonly known as Brian Eno or simply as Eno , is an English musician, composer, record producer, singer and visual artist, known as one of the principal innovators of ambient music.Eno studied at Colchester Institute art school in Essex,...
and Harold Budd
Harold Budd
Harold Budd is an American ambient/avant-garde composer and poet. Born in Los Angeles, he was raised in the Mojave Desert, and was inspired at an early age by the humming tone caused by wind blown across telephone wires....
.
- "First Light" – 6:59
- "Steal Away" – 1:29
- "The Plateaux of Mirror" – 4:10
- "Above Chiangmai" – 2:49
- "An Arc of Doves" – 6:22
- "Not Yet Remembered" – 3:50
- "The Chill Air" – 2:13
- "Among Fields of Crystal" – 3:24
- "Wind in Lonely Fences" – 3:57
- "Failing Light" – 4:17
Credits
- Piano and electric piano: Harold Budd
- Other instruments, treatments: Brian Eno
- All compositions Brian Eno and Harold Budd except "Steal Away" by Harold Budd and Eugene Bowen
- Production and cover art: Brian Eno
- Recording location: Grant Avenue Studio, Old Rugged Cross, Hamilton, Ontario
- Thanks: Bob and Danny LanoisDaniel LanoisDaniel Lanois born September 19, 1951 in Hull, Quebec) is a Canadian record producer, guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter. He has released a number of albums of his own work and has produced albums for a wide variety of artists, including Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Peter Gabriel, Emmylou Harris, Willie...
at Grant Avenue Studio; Eugene Bowen at the Old Rugged Cross; Roddy Hui
Release details
| Country/Region | Label | Cat. No. | Media | Release Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK | EG Records | EGAMB 002, | LP | April 1980 |
| UK | EG Records | EGED 18 | CD & LP | ? |
| Germany | Polydor | 2311 105 | LP | ? |
| France | Polydor | 2335 205 | LP | 1980 |
| US | Editions EG | EGS 202 | LP | April 1980 |
| US | Caroline | 1549-2 | LP | ? |
| US | Caroline | 1549 | CD | April 1992 |
| US | Editions EG/Obscure | ? | LP | January 1987 |
| US | Editions EG | EEGCD 18 | CD | April 1992 |
| Europe | Virgin | 8664982 | CD | December 2004 |
| UK | Virgin | ENOCD 7 7243 8 66497 2 0 |
CD | 2004 |
External links
See also
- Ambient 1/Music for AirportsMusic for AirportsAmbient 1: Music for Airports is an ambient album by Brian Eno released in 1978.-Overview:Music for Airports was the first of four albums released in Eno's "Ambient" series, a term which he coined to differentiate his minimalistic approach to the album's material and "the products of the various...
- Ambient 3/Day of RadianceDay of RadianceAmbient 3: Day of Radiance is an album by the American ambient musician Laraaji which was produced by Brian Eno.-Overview:...
- Ambient 4/On LandOn LandAmbient 4: On Land is an album by the British ambient musician Brian Eno. It was the final edition in Eno’s ambient series, which began in 1978 with Music for Airports.-Track listing:...
- Electronic musicElectronic musicElectronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...