Brian Eno on ambient music, collaboration, and the art of depersonalization

In a 2001 interview with artpress, Brian Eno discusses his concept of ambient music, his collaborative process, and his philosophy of depersonalized art. He reflects on Bang on a Can's acoustic version of 'Music for Airports' performed at Stansted Airport, which he found deeply moving. Eno explains that his ambient music was conceived as a functional, unobtrusive sound environment for modern spaces like airports, contrasting with the aggressive approach of Lou Reed's 'Metal Machine Music'. He traces his evolution from 'Discreet Music' (1975) to 'Ambient 1: Music for Airports' (1978), emphasizing texture over melody and the elimination of the human voice. Eno discusses his 'Oblique Strategies' card game used with David Bowie on albums like 'Low' (1977), and his collaborations with Harold Budd, Jon Hassell, Talking Heads, and U2. He describes himself as a 'non-musician' who approaches composition like a painter, using studio technology to create sonic environments. Eno also addresses cultural appropriation, expressing disdain for arrogant world music fusions while praising groups like Cornershop. The interview covers his time living in St. Petersburg, his label Obscure Records, and his belief in proliferating differences over global uniformity.