"Strange Overtones" | ||||
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Single by David Byrne and Brian Eno | ||||
from the album Everything That Happens Will Happen Today | ||||
Released | August 4, 2008 | |||
Recorded | Demoed in Eno's London home studio (2006), finished by Byrne and Leo Abrahams in New York City (2008) | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 4:17 | |||
Label | Todo Mundo | |||
Songwriter(s) | David Byrne and Brian Eno, with Leo Abrahams | |||
Producer(s) | David Byrne and Brian Eno, with additional production by Leo Abrahams | |||
David Byrne and Brian Eno singles chronology | ||||
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David Byrnesingles chronology | ||||
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Brian Enosingles chronology | ||||
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"Strange Overtones" is a song recorded by David Byrne and Brian Eno,written by the duo with Leo Abrahams. It was released on August 4,2008 by means of free download as the lead single from Byrne's and Eno's second collaborative studio album Everything That Happens Will Happen Today (2008). "Strange Overtones" is an uptempo electronic gospel song,and its lyrics explore the themes of humanity overcoming technology that are central to the album. "Strange Overtones" was well received by critics,and was downloaded 40,000 times in its first three days of release.
While discussing the 2006 remix of My Life in the Bush of Ghosts at a dinner party,Eno suggested finishing some songs that he had written but that did not have lyrics. [1] Byrne visited Eno's studio to listen to the demos and the two decided to collaborate to finish writing the songs. They continued working on the tracks in New York City and London,with regular e-mail correspondence to finish the composition. [2] Multi-instrumentalist and previous Eno collaborator Leo Abrahams performed guitar,percussion instruments,and piano in his London home studio and played guitar with Byrne on one occasion. [3] Abrahams would continue working on the tracks in his home studio through May 2008,with all collaborations being carried on via e-mail. [2]
"Strange Overtones" is the first single off the album Everything That Happens Will Happen Today . The track was released for free [4] on August 4,2008,as a DRM-free MP3 available only through the album's website. This is part of the unorthodox Internet-based marketing scheme the two used to promote the album, [5] inspired by the success of Radiohead's 2007 album In Rainbows [6] and the self-promotional strategies of Nine Inch Nails for the albums Year Zero , Ghosts I–IV ,and The Slip . [7] In September 2008,Jon Yeo created a music video for the track featuring the paintings of Eno. [8]
A live recording of the song also appeared on Everything That Happens Will Happen on This Tour –David Byrne on Tour:Songs of David Byrne and Brian Eno ,released on May 11,2009. The song was also featured on the soundtrack album to Wall Street:Money Never Sleeps ,along with several other David Byrne compositions. [9]
In 2020,the song was covered by the indie rock group Whitney on their covers album,Candid. [10] [11]
Eno has also said the album is about "paint[ing] a picture of the human trying to survive in an increasingly digital world;" [6] themes that are explored in this song. "Strange Overtones" has been described as "a song about writing a song" [12] —the subject of the song struggles to write innovative music, but is overheard by a neighbor using beats that are "twenty years old." In terms of the genre of music, both Byrne [13] and Eno [12] have called it "electronic Gospel"—the backing tracks are the kind of electronic music for which Eno is known, paired with hopeful and inspiring lyrics from Byrne— [14] this song in particular features an uptempo backing track. [4] Eno had been thinking about Gospel for several years, [15] but couldn't write lyrics to hopeful songs. [16]
Eno considers the album "[S]omething that combines something very human and fallible and personal, with something very electronic and mathematical sometimes." And they tried to "make that picture of the human still trying to survive in an increasingly complicated digital world... It's quite easy to make just digital music and it's quite easy to make just human music, but to try and make a combination is sort of, exciting, I think." [17] Byrne considered his job as lyricist to "bring more humanity" to Eno's instrumentals, which can be "cold and academic." [18]
The song was downloaded over 40,000 times in its first three days of availability. [19] One of the earliest reviews for "Strange Overtones" was on the August 11, 2008, episode of NPR's All Songs Considered . [20] The Los Angeles Times called the track "intimate" [21] and Stereogum [22] echoed this by labeling it "warm"; it also received a positive review from Rolling Stone . [23]
Pitchfork Media gave the song several adulations, including a positive review in their discussion of Everything That Happens Will Happen Today [24] and naming the song number 11 track of 2008 [25] —including appearances on eight editors' end of the year lists [26] —and placing number 297 on the Top 500 Tracks of the 2000s. [27] Pitchfork also solicited the opinions of musicians for their favorite albums and songs of the year and The Watson Twins proclaimed "Strange Overtones" one of the best songs of 2008. [28] KCMP's Top 89 of 2009 featured the song on two editor's lists. [29] Mark Wheat of NPR named it one of the top 10 songs of 2009. [30]
Ranking 60th for the year, this song was one of several from Everything That Happens Will Happen Today which appeared on The Village Voice's Pazz & Jop singles poll for 2008—"Life Is Long" placed 337, "My Big Nurse" was 350, "Everything That Happens" ended up at 748, and "I Feel My Stuff" reached 942. In addition, a vote was cast for "Strange Undertones". [31]
David Byrne is a Scottish-American musician, writer, visual artist, and filmmaker. He was a founding member, principal songwriter, lead singer, and guitarist of the American new wave band Talking Heads.
Another Green World is the third solo studio album by Brian Eno, released by Island Records on 14 November 1975. The album marked a transition from the rock-based music of Eno's previous releases toward the minimalist instrumentals of his late 1970s ambient work. Only five of its fourteen tracks feature vocals, a contrast with his previous vocal albums.
Remain in Light is the fourth studio album by the American rock band Talking Heads, released by Sire Records on October 8, 1980. Produced by Brian Eno, his third album with the band, the album was recorded at Compass Point Studios in the Bahamas and Sigma Sound Studios in New York in July and August 1980.
Another Day on Earth is the twenty-second solo studio album by Brian Eno, released on 13 June 2005 in the UK and Europe through Hannibal Records, and on 14 June 2005 in the US. The album predominantly recorded and mixed on Macintosh software, using Logic Pro, over a period of four years.
Jonathan Julian Hopkins is an English musician and producer who writes and performs electronic music. He began his career playing keyboards for Imogen Heap, and has produced but also contributed to albums by Brian Eno, Coldplay, David Holmes and others.
My Life in the Bush of Ghosts is the first collaborative studio album by Brian Eno and David Byrne, released in February 1981. It was Byrne's first album without his band Talking Heads. The album integrates sampled vocals and found sounds, African and Middle Eastern rhythms, and electronic music techniques. It was recorded before Eno and Byrne's work on Talking Heads' 1980 album Remain in Light, but problems clearing samples delayed its release by several months.
Sebastian Rochford is a British drummer and composer. He has recorded and released music as leader of the British band Polar Bear, as Kutcha Butcha and as part of numerous collaborations.
"Born Under Punches (The Heat Goes On)" is a song by American rock band Talking Heads. It is the first track on their 1980 album Remain in Light.
Peter Chilvers is a Cambridgeshire-based British musician and software designer.
Big Love: Hymnal – Music Written for the HBO Series Plus Other Recent Compositions is a soundtrack album by David Byrne including music composed for the HBO television drama Big Love released on August 19, 2008. Byrne has written on his journal that it is not "a pop record by any stretch," but a soundtrack featuring lush instrumentation, including horns and strings, with minimal percussion. It is the first release by Byrne's independent record label Todo Mundo, although Everything That Happens Will Happen Today was released in digital format one day prior to Big Love: Hymnal.
Everything That Happens Will Happen Today is the second collaborative studio album by David Byrne and Brian Eno, released on August 18, 2008, by Todo Mundo. Marking Byrne's eighth studio effort overall and Byrne and Eno's first joint project in nearly 30 years, the album explores themes of humanity versus technology and optimism in spite of bleak circumstance through the blending of electronic and gospel music. Critical reception was largely positive and the album received awards for both the musical content as well as the packaging and technical production.
The Songs of David Byrne and Brian Eno Tour is a 2008–2009 promotional concert tour of music co-written by David Byrne and Brian Eno with performances by Byrne. In addition to being a retrospective of the duo's collaborations, the tour promoted the album Everything That Happens Will Happen Today. The musical performers were accompanied by dancers who were choreographed to several songs. Performances were held across the world and later documented on a tour EP and a concert film.
This article catalogs the ongoing discography of Scottish-American recording artist, composer, musician, and producer David Byrne, former singer for Talking Heads.
Brian Peter George Jean-Baptiste de la Salle Eno, also mononymously known as Eno, is an English musician, songwriter, record producer and visual artist. He is best known for his pioneering contributions to ambient music and electronica, and for producing, recording, and writing works in rock and pop music. A self-described "non-musician", Eno has helped introduce unconventional concepts and approaches to contemporary music. He has been described as one of popular music's most influential and innovative figures. In 2019, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Roxy Music.
Ride, Rise, Roar is a documentary film chronicling the Songs of David Byrne and Brian Eno Tour conducted by David Byrne in 2008–2009. The film includes concert footage, footage of the planning and rehearsals for the tour, and exclusive interviews with Byrne, Eno, and the supporting musicians and dancers.
Small Craft on a Milk Sea is a 2010 album by British musician and record producer Brian Eno. The album—his debut with Warp—was released in Japan on 19 October 2010, in the United States on 2 November, and the United Kingdom on 15 November. The album was recorded with collaborators Jon Hopkins and Leo Abrahams in 2009 and 2010 and was released in several formats, including Compact Disc; digital download; a box set featuring the album on Compact Disc, vinyl, and download, a bonus CD with four extra tracks, and a lithograph by Eno; and another box set with all of the previous media and a 12" square silkscreen print by Eno and a copper plate.
Leo Matthew Abrahams is an English musician, composer and producer. He has collaborated with Brian Eno, Katie Melua, Imogen Heap, Jarvis Cocker, Carl Barât, Regina Spektor, Jon Hopkins and Paul Simon. After attending the Royal Academy of Music in England, he started his musical career by touring as lead guitarist with Imogen Heap.
Mauro Refosco is a Brazilian percussionist. He is best known for his work with singer David Byrne and the American rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers. He was a member of the experimental supergroup Atoms for Peace – featuring Thom Yorke and Flea – and the forró band Forro in the Dark. Refosco was also briefly a member of Dirty Projectors.
Love This Giant is a studio album made in collaboration between musicians David Byrne and St. Vincent, released on 4AD and Todo Mundo on September 10, 2012, in the United Kingdom and the following day in the United States. Marking Byrne's ninth studio album overall and Clark's fourth, Byrne and Clark began working together in late 2009, using a writing and promotion process that Byrne had previously used on his 2008 collaboration with Brian Eno Everything That Happens Will Happen Today. The duo had previously played together live at an Actor Tour concert, and on the album Here Lies Love. The performers enlisted a variety of brass musicians to augment their songwriting and toured over the following year to promote the album.
The Ship is the twenty-sixth solo studio album by Brian Eno, released on 29 April 2016 on Warp Records. Announced on Eno's website on 24 February 2016, it was Eno's first solo album to contain vocals since 2005's Another Day on Earth. The Ship debuted at number 28 on the UK Albums Chart and is the second highest-charting solo album of Eno's solo career The album received critical acclaim.
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(help)Tras las experiencias de Radiohead o Nine Inch Nails y lo mucho que había escrito sobre el tema, creí que debíamos llevarlo a la práctica.