Picture this. A table adorned with seven wine glasses filled with different quantities of liquid. To most of us this appears to be a celebratory tableau. But to Tasmanian multi-instrumentalist, Gareth Koch, this is the playing field for musical invention. While known for his highly-skilled classical and flamenco guitar work, Koch has a knack for tinkering, re-inventing, and even re-animating traditional music alongside recording his own compositions.
So, it doesn’t surprise me that his latest piece of music as part of his “A Song for…” series, “A Song for Brian Eno”, began life with non-traditional musical instruments like wine glass sounds on tape. Glass “harp” or “harmonica” music can be ridiculously complex and fine-tuned, but just as well serves as an eerie jumping off point for Koch’s ambient leanings.
For “Eno”, Koch joined forces with fellow Tasmanian, Martin Kennedy, under his All India Radio moniker. The two previously worked together on the gorgeous full-length LP,”Music in the Afterlife” (Foghorn, 2023), reviewed here.
Once Koch recorded the glass notes, the track was expanded upon with synthesizers by Kennedy (who also mixed and mastered the release). Koch also contributed stripped-back flourishes with his trusty classical guitar. As the song title suggests, Koch and Kennedy were inspired by Brian Eno and specifically call out his now classic ”Ambient 1: Music for Airports” (Polydor, 1978). The airy synthesizers evoke the original Eno music, but not overly so, and Koch’s echoing guitar is restrained but prominent at the same time.
Like other recent Koch single releases, this one comes with more than one mix; the main one and the “1970’s Mix”. Both mixes work in their own right. The main mix is crystalline and space-futuristic, but the 70’s mix has a cozy, burnished charm to it, sounding almost like playback of the original if you were merely thinking or dreaming of the tune.
The accompanying video is worthy of attention, saturated in psychedelic visuals.
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