The death of David Bowie has prompted a huge outpouring from fans and musicians alike.
Clash has refrained from publishing most of these – how could we do justice to such a tsunami of loss? – but we couldn't help but be moved by Brian Eno's tribute to his comrade.
The producer worked with Bowie on his famed Berlin trilogy, and the two last hooked up in 1995 for the under-rated 'Outside' album.
Issuing a short statement, Brian Eno revealed that the two remained in close communication, emailing to the last.
"David's death came as a complete surprise, as did nearly everything else about him. I feel a huge gap now," Eno said. "We knew each other for over 40 years, in a friendship that was always tinged by echoes of Pete and Dud."
"Over the last few years – with him living in New York and me in London – our connection was by email. We signed off with invented names: some of his were mr showbiz, milton keynes, rhoda borrocks and the duke of ear."
"About a year ago we started talking about 'Outside' – the last album we worked on together. We both liked that album a lot and felt that it had fallen through the cracks. We talked about revisiting it, taking it somewhere new. I was looking forward to that."
The producer continued: "I received an email from him seven days ago. It was as funny as always, and as surreal, looping through word games and allusions and all the usual stuff we did. It ended with this sentence: 'Thank you for our good times, brian. they will never rot'. And it was signed 'Dawn'."
"I realise now he was saying goodbye."
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Check out the full Clash tribute to David Bowie HERE.