SOMEDAY WORLD (ENO HYDE) DOUBLE LP (2014)

First Released in 2014.

In 2009, Karl Hyde and Brian Eno (along with Jon Hopkins, Leo Abrahams and the Necks) performed at the Sydney Opera House for three nights under the moniker Pure Scenius. A meeting of like-minded musicians, Pure Scenius would start from a predetermined point before heading off into largely improvised territory. Each show would take the end of the previous night’s as the starting point. The cumulative effect was stunning. 

A few year’s later, back in London, Karl headed to Eno’s studio in Ladbroke Grove to see where a closer collaboration might take them. Their intention was to create a set of pieces in a style they’d given the portmanteau Reickuti - music inspired partly by minimalist composer Steve Reich and partly by afrobeat pioneer Felt Kuti. Added to that, a few echoes of Eno’s own ’70s masterpieces Another Green World and Before and After Science and much of the instincts for improvisation that Karl picked up during the Edgeland sessions. 

The songs here bounce with kinetic energy and the two artists voices mesh together perfectly. Hard edges melt away into glorious harmonics and sunset guitar lines; mournful eulogies to human endeavour are rendered in almost evangelical tones.