Thanks to a 1987 album collaboration with Pieter Nooten from Clan of Xymox, guitarist Michael Brook showed up on my radar. He was on other albums, of course, including ones from Jon Hassell, Mary Margaret O'Hara, and Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. And in 1992 he put out two solo records on 4AD, and now the seminal label is reissuing them.
Cobalt Blue and Live at the Aquarium will be out on July 10 via 4AD in a 2-record or 2-CD set. The recordings pushed Brook's music in front of new audiences, with his infinite guitar winding up on film scores not so long after the release of those two records. Track "Ultramarine" from Cobalt Blue even ended up being on the Heat (1995) soundtrack. Heard now in 2026, this music still endures. Michael Brook's so-called infinite guitar was a technique which let his instrument sustain tones and notes. The sound here is a little lush, and very spacious. Opener "Shona Bridge" sets the vibe for Cobalt Blue, with the guitar joined by electronic effects, and a mix which favors depth. Violin from Hahn Rowe of Hugo Largo sweetens the cut. Roger and Brian Eno join on the spry "Breakdown" and on other numbers here, while Eno collaborator Daniel Lanois adds drums on "Skip Wave", another gem. "Red Shift" reveals a nimbleness in Brook's playing, showing yet another quality of his infinite guitar. The percussive "Slipstream" anchors the sound of Cobalt Blue back to earlier Eno ambient records in the Eighties.
The Live at the Aquarium set is a nice bonus here. Originally taped for industry use, the recording was eventually released in 1992. It's a set which affirmed Brook's ability to take his in-studio wizardry out to live audiences. Numbers from Cobalt Blue pepper this set, along with other compositions. Paired together in this 2026 reissue, these 1992 recordings from Michael Brook are essential for fans of the musician's infinite guitar, as well as for anyone who has even a cursory interest in the Eno-related music of the era.
Cobalt Blue and Live at the Aquarium by Michael Brook will be out on July 10 via 4AD. You can order here.
More on Michael Brook via his official website.
[Photo: The Douglas Brothers]