artist: David Bryne & Brian Eno country of origin: USA/UK style(s): World beat, entho-ambient, art rock essential releases: My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts (1981, Sire)

This one-off album is a bizarre but thoroughly engaging exercise in world beat from Byrne of the group Talking Heads and the ever innovative Eno. What we have here is a potpourri of funk, ambient textures and ethnic sounds in what’s more or less a rock context, combined with a variety of found sounds and samples taken from ethnic records and American radio. “Help Me Somebody” cleverly samples the voice of a ranting radio evangelist, while “Qu’ran” and “Regiment” likewise integrate Moslem chants and singing into what are otherwise instrumental tracks. At times amusing, at others downright peculiar, it’s inspired, sharply executed and hugely entertaining. As an exercise in free-for-all sampling and fusion without regard for creed, colour or genre boundaries My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts is a visionary take on the coming age of digital sampling and mad eclecticism that would distinguish electronically produced music in the 1990's and beyond.

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