There are certain sounds that I've found work well in nearly any context. Their function is not so much musical as spatial: they define the edges of the territory of the music. Brian Eno contextdefineedge Change image and share on social
Although cover notes for classical music albums tend to say that the trill of flutes suggests mountain streams and so on, I don't think anybody listens to music with the expectation that they're going to be presented with a sort of landscape painting. Brian Eno albumclassicalcover share on social
The problem with fine art is that in most cases people have to make a special excursion to go and look at it: they can't afford to own it. So it isn't really part of their life in the way that music can be. Brian Eno affordartcase share on social
When I started working on ambient music, my idea was to make music that was more like painting. Brian Eno ambientideamake Change image and share on social
When I was young, an eccentric uncle decided to teach me how to lie. Not, he explained, because he wanted me to lie, but because he thought I should know how it's done so I would recognise when I was being lied to. Brian Eno decideeccentricexplain share on social
I've got a feeling that music might not be the most interesting place to be in the world of things. Brian Eno felthaveinterest Change image and share on social
If you are part of a religion that very strongly insists that you believe then to decide not to do that is quite a big hurdle to jump over. You never forget the thought process you went through. It becomes part of your whole intellectual picture. Brian Eno bigdecideforget share on social
Nearly all the things I do that are of any merit at all start off just being good fun, and I think I'm sort of building up to doing something else quite soon. Brian Eno buildfungood Change image and share on social
What I believe is that people have many modes in which they can be. When we live in cities, the one we are in most of the time is the alert mode. The 'take control of things' mode, the 'be careful, watch out' mode, the 'speed' mode - the 'Red Bull' mode, actually. There's nothing wrong with it. It's all part of what we are. Brian Eno alertbullcareful share on social
Every band I've worked with also wants to be countercultural in the sense that they want to feel that they've gone somewhere that nobody else has been. Brian Eno bandcounterculturalfeel Change image and share on social