This is somewhat of an unexpected news— or, rather, old news that I hadn't caught up on. Nicky Ryan, the legendary Irish music producer and one part of the trip that make up the creative entity of ENYA passed away recently in September.

It's not an exaggeration to say that, without Nicky Ryan, there'd be no Enya, just as much as there'd be no Enya without Eithne Pádraigín Ní Bhraonáin. Nicky and his wife Roma were instrumental in supporting Eithne and giving her the resources necessary to fully bring her artistic vision to fruition. The trio's influence is nothing to scoff at, with Enya's musical influence having made an indelible mark on at least two generations of young musicians while cantankerous snobs dismissed the music. 

In a way, the music's quiet influence has been rather Taoist in its trajectory— persistent, quiet yet inexorably creating a persistent groove that grew deeper and deeper as time went on. One moment music critics are dismissing Enya as 'elevator music', and the next time they blink up rises Weyes Blood, wielding the reincarnated voice of Karen Carpenter and the haunting sounds of Enya's multi-layered soundscapes. 

"The thing about Enya is that she is pre-industrial," Blood says, "But her music is also extremely modern." And she is not the only contemporary artist marked by the music. The musical zeitgeist created by Eithne, Nicky and Roma may have walked quietly for decades, even when Enya's music was part of the mainstream (as in the days of "Orinoco Flow"), but it was never a parade of pomp and circumstance— that intensity tends to burn out in the short term. Enya persisted.

Nicky Ryan's contribution to that cultural movement cannot be understated. This also underlines the disquieting feeling Enya's fans have felt when observing that it has now been ten years since the last Enya album. Not counting compilation albums, the release dates have been

• Enya (1987)
• Watermark (1988)
• Shepherd Moons (1991)
• The Celts (1992)
• The Memory of Trees (1995)
• A Day Without Rain (2000)
• Amarantine (2005)
• And Winter Came... (2008)
• Dark Sky Island (2015)

Rumors abounded about a 2025 release, but the year has come and gone with no news. Now, with the passing of such an important part of the trio, it's very likely that if there is a tenth Enya album in the works, it is likely to be the last, as Eithne and Roma are now about to turn seventy, and it is to be seen whether Eithne and Roma would want to continue the joint project without Nicky's presence.

Then again, it is always important to not grow too attached to any theories. After all, ABBA coming out of retirement and recording one last album (Voyage, 2021) wasn't on anyone's bingo card— and we were overjoyed at being surprised.

Still. If there are no more Enya albums in the future, nine is a more-than-respectable number, and the musical footprint of the Enya musical experiment has proven to be greater and deeper than any cynic had dared to anticipate, back in the day.  We can listen to the music that Nicky helped shape and be thankful that such an unlikely thing was not only allowed to exist, but also to succeed in such a powerful, yet quiet, way.

The supreme good is like water, which nourishes all things without trying to. It is content with the low places that people disdain. Thus it is like the Tao.

In dwelling, live close to the ground. In thinking, keep to the simple. In conflict, be fair and generous. In governing, don’t try to control. In work, do what you enjoy. In family life, be completely present.

When you are content to be simply yourself and don’t compare or compete, everybody will respect you. -Tao Te Ching, Chapter 8