Icebreaker: Apollo
To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Apollo moon landings, Icebreaker perform their multi-media reworking of Brian Eno’s Apollo album alongside works from eclectic ground-breaking composers and footage from the space missions.
Featuring pedal steel guitarist BJ Cole, film from Al Reinert’s documentary about the Apollo space missions, For All Mankind, and music by Brian Eno, Roger Eno and Daniel Lanois, Icebreaker’s piece captures the excitement and awe of the time. Widely regarded as Eno’s most significant work, the music matches the beauty and tranquillity of the moon with the dizzying scale of the feat of engineering involved. Deep synth rumblings mimic the rocket launch whilst string harmonics add an eerie sense of anticipation.
The programme is completed by new versions of tracks by Anna Meredith and electronic artist JLin, a rare chance to hear Gavin Bryars's The Archangel Trip, and Icebreaker's exclusive version of Scott Walker's Epizootics, featuring Walker's recorded voice.
Programme
Anna Meredith arr. Poke Nautilus, Orlok & The Vapours
Gavin Bryars The Archangel Trip
JLin arr. Poke Black Origami
Scott Walker arr. Riley Epizootics
Interval
Eno, Eno, Lanois arr. Lee Apollo
'With the blown-up, grainy Nasa footage and Icebreaker's diligent musicianship, this weightlessness becomes moving and sublime' ★★★★★ The Guardian
'The footage is astonishingly good.' ★★★★★ Time Out on For All Mankind
Blog: Celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Apollo moon landings at Brighton Dome