LOU Reed’s Metal Machine Music is discussed, debated and dissected as fans and critics try to work out whether it was genius or madness.

Panned by some, lauded by others, whichever way you look at it Reed’s innovation of the drone sound left a lasting impression and is considered today as a forerunner to industrial and noise rock.

But in perhaps the ultimate realisation of Lou Reed’s ambient vision, the Brighton Festival installation Drones is being set up in The Spire.

The set up features guitars and amps in feedback with 36 strings set in droning motion in a modulating and shifting soundscape of feedback.

“People can sit, lay, listen, meditate, sleep, cry, dance, chant, perform Tai Chi — whatever they get emotionally from the sounds they can react to,” says Stewart Hurwood, the installation’s curator and one of the late musician’s former guitar techs.

He goes on: “When we ran it in The Armory in New York City the drones sounded beautiful. I could hear people playing saxophone, trumpet and you even had a girl there with a cello strapped to her. 

“It was amazing just walking around the hall with this beautifully acoustic ironworks. It was so grandiose and it was the first time we did it.” 

Hurwood worked with Lou Reed for the last ten years of his life, handling his guitars, and equipment. Following Lou Reed’s death, Stewart came up with the idea as an alternative to Reed’s equipment gathering dust.

He worked with Reed’s wife, experimental performance artist Laurie Anderson, to bring the idea of droning life as an interactive installation.

“Fundamentally it is the power of music, I really enjoy just watching,” says Hurwood. “When I get it running right it can be a beautiful symphony but then on other days the sound can be really ugly.

“But people come and they interact, whether to make music or meditate, the feel in the room is very chilled out. I have had people who came along and were there for the whole duration. It is a primarily meditative thing but musicians like it because it is keyless with a lot of harmonics.”

Metal Machine Music was Lou Reed’s fifth record and a major departure from the sounds he became known for, opening up more experimental avenues.
But critics were merciless, comparing the sound to that of a “washing machine”, being dubbed one of the worst records of all time and labelled career suicide. 

“Many things float around Metal Machine Music,” says Hurwood. “But he did the album because he just loved guitar feedback and figured everyone else would, he presumed they would like what he liked and clearly that did not happen. But he just inherently knew he had something going on that was primitive and beautiful.”

While Reed did not live long enough to see the Drones installation be brought to life, Hurwood says he felt “Lou’s presence” when he first ran the installation in New York.

“I feel I get a tap on the shoulder when I do it, I really do,” he says. “Lots of people also say they can feel his presence and I know Lou would love what I am doing it. I have just picked up what he started.”

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