Brian Eno Premieres New Arrangement of Apollo at London Science Museum

In two live performances at the Science Museum in South Kensington, London, Brian Eno presented a new arrangement of his 1983 record Apollo. The sold-out concerts took place on July 20 and 21 to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing.

The reimagining of the atmospheric album was set to film footage of the historical event. Eno, whose career is marked by a host of ethereal triumphs of his own, commissioned the eclectic UK ensemble Icebreaker and pedal steel guitarist PJ Cole to bring the dreamy composition to life. The Guardian reports that the performance featured "sweet slide guitar sunk deep into long reverberations, a sonic metaphor for the vast emptiness of space."

Held in the museum's Making the Modern World gallery and IMAX Theatre, the ambiance of the multi-media performance was heightened by the Apollo 10 Command Module towering nearby. The spacecraft, which flew around the moon in 1969 in preparation for its successor's history-making landing later that year, is housed in that very gallery.

Eno offered an introduction to the evening, followed by a speech by professor of space science, John Zarnecki.

Related links:
News: Brian Eno Lights Up Sydney Opera House
Review: David Byrne and Brian Eno's Everything That Happens Will Happen Today
ScienceMuseum.org.uk

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