Drawn from Life

Drawn from Life
Studio album by Brian Eno and J. Peter Schwalm
Released	15 May 2001
Recorded	2001
Genre	Ambient, experimental, downtempo
Length	68:12
Label	Opal
Brian Eno chronology
Music for Onmyo-Ji (2000) Drawn from Life (2001) January 07003: Bell Studies for the Clock of the Long Now (2003)

Professional ratings

Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
Metacritic	77/100[1]
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[2]
Entertainment Weekly	B[3]
The Guardian	[4]
Pitchfork	5.4/10[5]
Q	[6]
Rolling Stone	[7]
Uncut	[8]

"Drawn from Life" is also the name of a series of short animated films by Paul Fierlinger

Drawn from Life is a 2001 music album by the British ambient musician Brian Eno and the German composer J. Peter Schwalm.

Track listing (original UK vinyl pressing)

All tracks composed by Eno and Schwalm, except where stated.^[9]

1. "From This Moment" – 1:21
2. "Persis" – 7:41
3. "More Dust" – 6:01
4. "Night Traffic" – 8:19
5. "Two Voices" – 3:59
6. "Rising Dust" – 7:44
7. "Intenser" – 5:23
8. "Like Pictures Part #1" – 1:20 (Eno, Schwalm & Holger Czukay)
9. "Like Pictures Part #2" – 5:48 (Eno, Schwalm & Laurie Anderson)
10. "Bloom" – 7:10

Track listing (subsequent releases)

1. "From This Moment" – 1:21
2. "Persis" – 7:41
3. "Like Pictures Part #1" – 1:20
4. "Like Pictures Part #2" – 5:48
5. "Night Traffic" – 8:19
6. "Rising Dust" – 7:44
7. "Intenser" – 5:23
8. "More Dust" – 6:01
9. "Bloom" – 7:10
10. "Two Voices" – 3:59
11. "Bloom" (Instrumental Version) – 7:07

Personnel

• Brian Eno, composing, performing, cover art
• J. Peter Schwalm, composing, performing, mixing, premastering

With:

• Leo Abrahams, guitar on "Rising Dust", "Intenser"
• Laurie Anderson, voice on "Like Pictures Part #2"
• Nell Catchpole, strings on "Persis", "Like Pictures Part #2", "Rising Dust", "Intenser", "Bloom"
• Holger Czukay, IBM Dictaphone on "Like Pictures Part #1"
• Darla Eno and Irial Eno, voices on "Bloom"
• Heiko Himmighoffen, percussion on "Night Traffic", "Rising Dust", "Intenser"
• Lynn Gerlach, voice on "Rising Dust"
• Michy Nakao, voice on "Like Pictures Part #1"

References

1. "Reviews for Drawn From Life by Brian Eno and Peter Schwalm". Metacritic. Retrieved 16 November 2025.
2. Kellman, Andy. "Drawn from Life". AllMusic.
3. No, it's not visionary, but few know how to tenderly calibrate a digital landscape as skillfully as Eno. [6/1/01, p.91]
4. Aizlewood, John (27 April 2001). "We will rock you". The Guardian. Retrieved 16 November 2025.
5. Richardson, Mark (19 September 2001). "Drawn from Life - Brian Eno / J. Peter Schwalm". Pitchfork. Retrieved 16 November 2025.
6. "Brian Eno & J. Peter Schwalm - Drawn from Life". Album of the Year. Retrieved 16 November 2025.
7. Brackett, Nathan & Hoard, Christian David, eds. (2004). "Brian Eno". The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). New York City: Simon & Schuster. p. 278. ISBN 978-0-74320-169-8.
8. Dalton, Stephen (1 June 2001). "Review: Drawn From Life". Uncut. Retrieved 16 November 2025.
9. "Brian Eno & J. Peter Schwalm – Drawn From Life". Discogs. Retrieved 25 March 2022.