Possible Musics

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Fourth World, Vol. 1 : Possible Musics
Fourth World, Vol. 1 : Possible Musics cover
Studio album by
Brian Eno & Jon Hassell
Released 1980
Recorded Celestial Sounds, NY
AGO, Toronto. 1980
Genre Ambient , World
Length 45:05
Label EG , Polydor
Producer Eno with Hassell
Professional reviews

All Music Guide 5/5 stars link
Brian Eno chronology
Ambient #3 / Day of Radiance
(1980)		 Possible Musics
(1980)		 My Life in the Bush of Ghosts
(1981)

Fourth World, Vol. 1 : Possible Musics is an album by Brian Eno and Jon Hassell, released in 1980.

Contents

[edit] Overview

"Fourth World" is a term used by trumpeter Jon Hassell to describe a style of music employing modern technological treatments and influenced by various cultures and eras. He wanted the music in this album to be "future primitive", or "a coffee-coloured classical music".

Hassell had studied Indian classical music with singer Pandit Pran Nath, and later applied the vocal techniques to his trumpet playing. Together with Eno, he melded the sounds from his instrument with digital delay, echo, and electronic effects to produce a unique blend of ambient and world music.

[edit] Track listing

  1. Chemistry (Hassell/Eno) : 6.50
  2. Delta Rain Dream (Hassell/Eno) : 3.26
  3. Griot (Over "Contagious Magic") (Hassell) : 4.00
  4. Ba-Benzélé (Hassell) : 6.15
  5. Rising Thermal 14° 16' N; 32° 28' E (Hassell/Eno) : 3.05
  6. Charm (Over "Burundi Cloud") (Hassell) : 21.29

[edit] The music

Hassell's trumpet is the dominant instrument on the whole album, yet, ironically, it almost never sounds like one.

In Track 1 it possesses the quality of a flute; very soft and breathy. At the same time it has an electronic, "treated" edge and "warbles" on the higher notes. A simple, slide bass motif backed by low congas forms the background. Track 2 is similar, minus the bass, and the congas have a more Burundi feel to them, albeit slow and dreamy.

Handclaps are used as percussion in track 3, with the trumpet sounding like a broken recording of a wounded animal. The trumpet also plays a light, high drone in the background, providing a sense of literal ambience. The same trumpet-sound dominates track 4, which features the return of the congas, and a synth background.

Track 5 repeats a 4-note, tape-looped trumpet with a heavily treated trumpet over the top that sounds like an eerie human voice. The long track, Charm, is based on some of the longer pieces of his 1977 album "Vernal Equinox" (1). The voice, this time, sounds like an animal, backed by congas and ghatan and light synths in a drone; the composition is merely a repetition of parts. The trumpets feature a reverse echo.

[edit] Versions

Country Label Cat. No. Media Release Date
UK Editions EG EGED 7 LP Apr 1980
US Editions EG EGS 107 LP Apr 1980
France Polydor 2335 207 LP 1980
US Caroline 1537-2 LP 1980
US Editions EG EEGCD 7 CD 1992
US Plan 9/Caroline 107 CD 1992

[edit] Credits

  • Recording location : Celestial Sounds, New York City, 1980. Track 3 recorded live at the Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto, January 25, 1980
  • Producers : Eno with Hassell
  • Michael Jay : Engineer
  • Cover design : Cream
  • William Coupon : Hassell photo
  • Roberta Bayley : Eno photo
  • Jon Hassell : trumpet, Prophet 5 touches, Arp loops, "Aular" loop
  • Brian Eno : background cloud guitars, Prophet 5 "Starlight" background, high altitude Prophet, rare MiniMoog & treatments
  • Percy Jones : bass
  • Naná Vasconçelos : ghatam, low congas, congas, loop drum
  • Aïyb Dieng : ghatam, low congas, congas
  • Michael Brook : bass
  • Paul Fitzgerald : electronics
  • Jerome Harris : bass
  • Gordon Philips, Andrew Tomar, Tina Pearson : handclaps
  • Night Creatures of Altamira : sounds

[edit] Miscellenea

  • The "Fourth World" is the current world according to the Hopi belief system and Maya mythology; the coming age is the Fifth World.
  • Percussionist Aïyb Dieng became a regular part of Bill Laswell's Material team later on.
  • Track 1 was featured in the movie Castaway, 1986.
  • Track 4 appeared live (recorded at the Ontario College of Art, Toronto, Nov 14, 1981) on the compilation album "Music and Rhythm" (WEA K 68045) as "Ba benzele". (Link). Eno was playing in the band.
  • The cover photo is an aerial view of the area south of Khartoum, in Sudan.
  • The map coordinates in Track 5 (14°16'N, 32°28'E) translate to the area shown, above. The river is the White Nile, which is also the name of a Sudanese state.
  • The "Night Creatures of Altamira" first made an appearance in Hassell's 1977 album "Vernal Equinox".
  • Eno took what he learned from making this album and put it to use in his collaboration with David Byrne, My Life in the Bush of Ghosts. Hassell, apparently, considered that album too "commercial", and went into print in Andy Warhol's Interview magazine castigating Eno for his methods and "lack of musical pedigree". Eventually, they were reconciled.

[edit] See also

[edit] External links


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Brian Eno
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