Eno • Hyde – High Life (2014)

This was part of the Harborough Market haul - Brian Eno's 2014 collaboration with Underworld's Karl Hyde, a name I wasn't previously aware of.

From the start, it feels like a piece of minimalist loveliness. Return has a repeated two chord guitar theme, which seems to slide in and out of phase with an ambient backing vocal and a lovely Eno song, all the time, the sound filling up over the nine minutes, as bass, synths and the kitchen sink are added. On DPF the pair are joined by Fred Gibson on percussion and Leo Abrahams on bass, for a fine sounding instrumental, redolent of a 1970s Blaxploitation film. Time To Waste It continues the simple, repeated theme idea, with a soulful, but not very interesting song overlaid (presumably Marianna Champion, although not credited). But the album bounces back from this lull, with the fantastic Lilac, an electrobeat start, before the guitar theme kicks in, and Eno embarks on a fine song, building to a powerful climax.

After that, Moulded Life is a full on synth beat (you do know, I just make these terms up!) piece, real in your face thudding beat, jerky guitar and synth theme, before the conclusion with Cells & Bells, a much gentler affair, more of an atmospheric soundscape with vocals, very much what you'd expect from Eno, and a welcome slowdown after the previous.

I was very pleasantly surprised by this album. I came into it with an open mind, knowing that Eno's influence would make it at worst listenable, but Hyde's different background turns this into a collaboration showing the best of both artists.

Link to album tracks

4* - a really good joint project, with both participants bringing fresh ideas to life.