Brian Eno is one of those highly influential musicians who managed to push boundaries and achieve mainstream success while staying true to himself. As one of the most innovative electronic artists of the 20th century (and all time), he pioneered the ambient music genre and has worked with countless legends in the scene, like David Bowie, David Byrne (of Talking Heads fame), and John Cale. In 2021, he dropped a limited-edition turntable through the Paul Stolper Gallery in London, and now he’s back with the Turntable II, a turntable equipped with ambient LED lights.
Ditching the square design of the OG, this edition can play 33 and 45 rpm vinyl and features a round platter and base that seamlessly changes color using acrylic LED lights. The patterns of these light changes are pre-programmed to transition randomly (and slowly) – Eno states, “I started using light and video because I wanted to make visual experiences that had some of the qualities of musical experiences – that’s to say, that existed and changed in time. I wanted to make very slowly changing paintings, to blur the edges that separate those different forms.” It’s equipped with a white 8.6” Pro-Ject aluminum tonearm, a control board with a 5V adapter and Arduino, and gold-plated RCA connectors.
Eno dropped the original Turntable back in 2021, but they were only limited to 50 pieces. This time around, Professor Eno is feeling generous and offering 150 pieces (along with 20 artist proofs) with a signature and edition number engraved on the side of each turntable’s base.
The Brian Eno Turntable II can be seen at Paul Stolper Gallery starting on February 6th and will be available through the Paul Stolper site (and in person in London) from Tuesday, February 13th at 8 am PST for £20,000 (~ $25,000). The gallery has also stated that “the price will increase as we sell through the edition,” which means you’ll want to act fast if you’re interested (and can afford it).
