Dream Theory In Malaya (Fourth World Volume Two)
	Produced by Jon Hassell
	Released on 1981
	no chart information
	Find it at GEMM
EGM 114 cover [high resolution photo]

T his followup to Possible Musics (minus most of Eno) finds Jon’s trumpetronics in the exotic musical setting of Malay. The album’s theme draws from two tribal tenets: the importance of dreams and the use of water-splashing as a form of musical expression. The dreams are a subtext here, since Hassell’s wispy trumpet implies a human voice shrouded by the subconscious, but the composer took the splashing at face value, whether it’s the splashes of sound featured on “Datu Bintung At Jelong” or recorded samples of real water-splashing used on “Malay.” The end result is nearly identical to his last album; honestly, Hassell’s trumpet seems to possess a limited range of expression itself. My reaction to his music is usually a three-step process: initial amazement followed by mesmerism and ultimately impatience. Dream Theory In Malaya seems designed to accommodate me in this regard. The opening “Chor Moire” employs short bursts of sound to herald Hassell’s muse, a captivating melody is carried across the next two tracks, and in the end the music simply dissipates (“These Times...,” “Gift of Fire”). Eno’s bubbling electronics are here replaced by bass and drums; if Possible Musics is the more intoxicating for it, Dream Theory is the more authentic. Both albums are bookends to the same obscure library, however, so if you liked the one...

EGM 114 back cover

TRACK LISTING

1. CHOR MOIRE    2:18
2. COURAGE    3:28
3. DREAM THEORY    5:13
4. DATU BINTUNG AT JELONG    7:03
5. MALAY    10:10
6. THESE TIMES...    2:52
7. GIFT OF FIRE    5:00
   
   All compositions by Jon Hassell

CREDITS

JON HASSELL -- trumpets, pottery drums, Prophet 5, bowl gongs, mix
BRIAN ENO -- drums, bowl gongs, bells, mix
Michael Brook -- bass (2,3), project co-ordinator
Walter DeMaria -- distant drum (2)
Miguel Frasconi -- bowl gongs (5)
Dan Lanois -- mix (4), engineer
Greg Roberts -- additional engineering
Paul Fitzgerald -- splash rhythm edit assist
Andrew Timar -- frog bog recording
Mati Klarwein -- cover painting
Jimmy de Sana -- photo
Paula Greif -- design

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