Ambient trailblazing legend Brian Eno and art x science innovator Beatie Wolfe followed their feelings for their new pair of sonic creations: Luminal and Lateral. Luminal is Electric-Country-DreamMusic, an unexpected journey through myriad of emotions and soundscapes with Beatie exploring new vocal frontiers in synergy with Brian’s undeniable audio wizardry. Lateral is Ambient-LandscapeSpace-Music, a continuous zero gravity theta level state of sound. United by their mutual commitment to the intersection of art and the environment at their renowned 2022 SXSW talk, Art & Climate, their paths crossed again the following year in London. Beatie was exhibiting her brain installation imPRINTING at Somerset House while Brian was showing with light sculpturist Dan Flavin at Paul Stolper Gallery. Just like their encounters, their stars aligned for this musical collaboration when they found themselves organically writing and recording throughout 2024, with the albums taking shape in real-time. As a result, Luminal and Lateral is a piece of art that serves as a home for feelings, ranging from the familiar to those never quite felt before to those we don’t even have the language to express. Audibly encompassed in a boundless dream world meets vast outer space, we’re reminded here that, like both expanses, our feelings, though full of the unknown, are ripe for exploration. We just have to dive in. No. 138 Brian and Beatie talk about feeling the feels in the making of Luminal and Lateral. Brian Eno: With these records there wasn’t a single modus operandi. We didn't think about a strategy or that we were making records. We just started playing and we enjoyed playing together so much. Like two kids who meet in the school yard and get on well. Beatie Wolfe: And share each other’s toys. Brian: Yeah, we didn’t have many toys. That was a big part of it. We did the whole three albums really on one microphone and one guitar and quite a bit of software, but not that much these days. Beatie: I think with everything we’ve made, which is really across a very wide spectrum, we started out with nothing, with each layer then informing the next, wouldn’t you say? Brian: Yeah, because of the way we work, we never start out with the thought, Let’s write a song, or let’s write a landscape or something like that. Instead we just follow our noses like little piggies and see what happens. Beatie: When a piece of music did feel like it was in the song territory, which is what Luminal became a home for, the question was, “If this music could speak, what would it say?” That was kind of the approach PHOTOS BY MANUELA BATAS
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