24 HOURS OF ENO
FILM FIRST
JANUARY 24, 2025
Brian Eno is not a conventional artist. He may have produced some of the biggest albums and singles over the past 40 years, but he is anything but conventional. Eno is a documentary of sorts of the artist. However, the film/presentation/art piece has less to do with Eno, but more to do with his views, philosophy, humour, work and the question that Eno wants to answer is “Why do people like music?” This presentation, 24 Hours Of Eno incorporates the documentary Eno but there is so much more.
Eno has confounded collectors and fans for decades, releasing music only at a particular museum, or his famous 77 Million Paintings, which was software to continually change the picture forming, yes, 77 million different paintings. With Eno, he is doing something similar. Variations of the documentary exist because it is digital and ever changing. Gary Hustwit has put together the documentary, and the show is referred to as a ‘generative documentary’. This means the film is different every time it is shown.
Eno is a genius, as an artist with his own solo music, his ambient music, with Roxy Music or his numerous collaborations. He also produced Ultravox! Devo, U2, David Bowie (with whom he also collaborated), Robert Fripp, Laurie Anderson, and John Cale to name just a few. His music has stood the test of time, he is credited for inventing ambient music and his influence has been felt and continues to be felt for over 50 years. This documentary and supplements for the 24 Hours Of Eno is nothing short of brilliant. In fact, I wish there was a better word. This is groundbreaking and demonstrates how technology can be a tool and not dictate the content but rather work with the artist.
ENO (ORIGINAL MOTION PICTURE SOUNDTRACK) ALBUM REVIEW
There is some fantastic archival footage, much of which has not been seen, and tons of interviews with artists like David Bowie, Laurie Anderson, Bono, and The Edge. Some of these are older interviews but still very interesting. Eno himself comes off brilliantly throughout. His humour, his humility, his own self-doubts, it is all here throughout the film. The documentary is not in chronological order and if one pays close enough attention, one gets a sliver of insight into Eno. But don’t expect a conventional biography.
In between the different viewings of the documentary, one finds concerts, interviews (one with Eno is especially interesting), digital art installations and a lot more. Obviously in one review, one cannot cover 24 hours of content by, for, and about Eno, but one can get a general idea of what those 24 hours involved.
Spending a day with Eno is exciting, encouraging, motivating, and downright interesting. This project is absolutely well thought out and never boring. At 60, however, I do need some sleep, but this kept me watching well into the wee hours. Once again, Eno, along with Gary Hustwit and many more, have come up with something truly unique and wonderful. It also serves as a reminder of Eno’s upcoming book he wrote with Bette Adriaanse (What Art Does: An Unfinished Theory).
Eno may change the way documentaries are written, produced and presented. There will always be a place for the standard format, but Eno offers a viable alternative to the transfer of information and also offers a very creative way in which to present it. Eno and 24 Hours Of Eno are both exciting experiments, and all Eno all day is never a boring concept. And one thing is for sure, it was definitely time well spent.
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