Of all the figures lauded for their influence on the arts, there is no one quite like Brian Eno. Noble Rot met up with him at his London studio to drink and discuss some of the world’s most exciting wines, and try not to ask “got any ambient mate?” Words by Dan Keeling Photographs by Tom Cockram Ode to Perfume 26 Noble Rot Noble Rot 27 he finale of Patrick Susskind’s novel was synthesized to try and create the smell Over the past few years Noble Rot has been Perfume is a fantastically far-fetched of violets, because you can’t distil their smell fascinated to witness the growth of estates Taffair. Set in 18th century France, like you can from other flowers. But actually in California that produce a more elegant aroma-obsessed Grenouille is sentenced to it smells halfway between violets and… style of wine than the ‘blockbusters’ that death for murdering twenty-five virgins in racing motorbikes.” became critics’ favourites in the 1990s, order to blend their scents into the ultimate “Ah, here’s the bottle,” Eno exclaims, whilst conversely some of the more austere, perfume. Hours after arrest, he manages to pleased to have finally found the fragrance ‘old world’ estates have begun to make their unleash his intoxicating concoction on the he made with his friend Maurice Roucel at wines more forward and accessible. town’s population, arousing widespread Quest Laboratories. “I wanted to make a Although not set up as an ‘old world’ vs ‘new carnal passion and setting off a huge public perfume only for use during sex, and this is world’ competition, nor tasted blind, we are orgy in the local square. The lustful townsfolk what I came up with.” He offers the vial looking forward to garnering the opinions of decide to pardon Grenouille and execute an around the table to lots of “oohs” and “aahs”. one the world’s most open-minded creative innocent man instead, leaving him to make “I gave some to a friend, and ever since that thinkers on a stellar selection of producers good his escape. Preposterous though the day she has been completely addicted to it. close to Noble Rot’s heart. prospect might be, having experienced She thinks this is how she got her husband First gaining notoriety in the early Brian Eno’s unreleased perfume first-hand to marry her.” Did she keep dabbing it behind 1970s as the synthesizer player in the glam (thankfully no virgin murders necessary), her ears? “You don’t put it there, you put it on rock band Roxy Music, Brian Eno is Noble Rot can attest to the possibility of your…” Eno laughs. “It’s not something probably best known as one of the world’s a fragrance wielding unexpected and you would ever wear during the daytime in most successful music producers, helping to extraordinary powers. the street; it has an effect on the person shape albums as diverse as David Bowie’s “My interest in smells comes from when who is wearing it. Somehow, it’s like an Heroes, U2’s The Joshua Tree, Talking Heads’ I was young and fascinated by one smell envelope of sensuality.” Does he feel he may Remain In Light and Coldplay’s Viva La in particular: motorcycle oil,” Eno tells have missed out on a lucrative career as a Vida among many more. As an artist in his Noble Rot as he searches through a perfumier? “I don’t think I would be very own right he was among the first to use collection of bottles of fragrance, much like good at it,” he grins, “I’ve only ever had two sampling (and in turn inspire hip hop and an advanced version of the wine aroma box ideas: sex and petrol.” house/techno production) on the classic set Le Nez Du Vin. “My dad owned Tucked away in the corner of a mews just My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts (with Talking motorbikes, and we used to go to Snetterton behind one of Notting Hill’s busiest tourist Heads’ David Byrne), and released a series A Brief History Of Time seem like a light in Norfolk to see the racing. The smell of the streets, the white walls of Brian Eno’s studio of landmark albums starting with 1975’s read, Eno’s highly diverse CV is a reflection high-octane fuel just haunted me as I grew are covered in a multitude of boxes, books, Discreet Music, which introduced a musical of a charming and super bright intellectual older, so I got a little bottle of it, and after tools, CDs and musical instruments that lend genre called ‘ambient’. Elsewhere, he was who has the talent and curiosity to skip from that I started collecting other smells. it the air of a well-loved art school. Noble Rot responsible for the music that played every project to project, seemingly unencumbered I now have about a thousand or so. has arranged to meet Eno here for a tasting time Microsoft’s Windows 95 was launched on by conventional rules, mediums or formats. When I was forty, I smelled something that of wines from some of the most exciting a PC, and is a pioneer of what he describes as Joining us for the tasting were The Wine really intrigued me called methyl octane domaines in France (and one in Germany), ‘generative’ or ‘chance’ music, most recently Advocate’s Neal Martin and Coldplay’s carbonate, which is used in an aftershave and their counterparts in California, who embodied in his Bloom and Scape apps. Will Champion (both present for appreciation called Fahrenheit. Methyl octane carbonate make wine from the same grape varieties. With a Wikipedia page entry that makes purposes only). Brian Eno, Notting Hill, “My interest in smells December 2014 comes from when I was young and fascinated by one smell in particular: motorcycle oil” Brian Eno 28 Noble Rot Noble Rot 29 ”I was convinced there was a different type of drunkenness from each kind of wine. That was the reason I got into Burgundy, because I noticed Aloxe-Corton in particular made people laugh. Bordeaux is a bad drunk for me“ Brian Eno 30 Noble Rot Noble Rot 31 The tasting with Brian Eno. They are one of the leading estates involved Which one would you prefer to drink? immediately reminds me of is cinnamon bark. Noble Rot: Hi Brian. Before we start, in the ‘In Pursuit Of Balance’ movement I’d go for the Sandhi, as the other one When cinnamon bark is distilled it’s different what kind of wines do you normally like? towards a more restrained style of does strike me as a mistake. It’s like it has from the taste of cinnamon in food – it smells Brian Eno: My best wine experiences have Californian winemaking. got a greenish-grey cloud hanging over a little bit like the Plasticine clay that been with French wines, so I think the best Coche-Dury is revered as one of France’s the flavours. children play with. There’s such a strong French wines are the best wines. But there most legendary vignerons, his famous style In musical terms, is it like an off-note? resemblance to some of the aromas in this are also so many bad French wines – there’s of white Burgundy – redolent with aromas Or a resonance when something gets Riesling. such a range. A long time ago I wrote an of minerals and gun smoke – inspiring legions recorded. Bad microphone placement! essay called Wines classified according to of loyal fans. However, perfection doesn’t (Everyone agrees. Damn. Not only is this their effects, because I was convinced there come cheap, and even his village-level Flight 2 2011 Tatomer / Kick-On guy one of the smartest thinkers in art and was a different type of drunkenness from Meursault (featured here) now retails for Ranch Riesling (Santa Barbara, USA) music, he’s also got the nose of a bloodhound.) each kind of wine. That was the reason I got upwards of £200. 2010 Keller / Hubacker Riesling into Burgundy, because I noticed Aloxe- Grosses Gewächs (Rheinhessen, Do you prefer one of the wines? Corton in particular made people laugh. Eno: (Sniffs Coche-Dury Meursault) Germany) For me, the Tatomer is the most interesting Bordeaux is a bad drunk for me. I think Now, I have to ask you a question. To me this Graham Tatomer worked at the renowned one. It’s intense, but saying that, the fact that Bordeaux wines are largely responsible smells like it’s a bit off – in a restaurant I Emmerich Knoll estate in Austria’s Wachau it resembles Plasticine might overwhelm me for the decline in French philosophy in the would send it back. It’s a bit foxy and smells region before returning to California to make after a while. (laughs) I grew fonder of the last 50 years. I think the problem is that of old fireworks. his own wines. Kick-On Ranch Riesling, Keller as time went on, although I thought it Bordeaux makes you think that everything from a coastal vineyard near Santa Barbara, was a little bit characterless, to be honest. you are saying is really quite important. Coche wines are well known for that type of uses many of the same winemaking old firework/gun smoke aroma profile, methods and techniques as are typical in Could that have been because it was drunk Scores which isn’t to everybody’s taste. Caused by Austria and Germany. alongside the more rambunctious Tatomer? Eno: The way I like to give scores is by an effect called ‘reduction’, which, when Klaus Peter Keller’s dry Grosses Yes, probably.