Background and concept
Hassell first learned about the Senoi from a paper by anthropologist Kilton Stewart, who visited them in 1935 and was fascinated by their dream practices. According to Stewart, the Senoi regarded dreams as an important part of life, and used them as a source of creativity, learning, and social harmony. Every morning, families would gather to tell their dreams, and offer advice and encouragement to each other. For example, a child who dreamed of falling would be praised for having a gift to learn to fly the next night, and a song or dance learned in a dream would be taught to a neighboring tribe to create a bond beyond differences.
Hassell was intrigued by the idea of using dreams as a creative tool, and decided to apply it to his own musical process. He said: "I wanted to make a record that was like an abstract painting where you could see different things at different times. I wanted to make something that was not fixed in time or place, something that was open to interpretation."
He also drew inspiration from another Malaysian tribe, the Semelai, who lived in the swamp regions and made music by splashing water with their hands. Hassell heard recordings of this on a BBC publication, and used it as a thematic guide for the album, especially for the track "Malay", which features samples of water sounds.
Recording and production
The album was recorded at Grant Avenue Studio in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, with the engineering and production help of Bob and Daniel Lanois. Hassell would experiment with musical sketches in the basement studio of Michael Brook's house in Toronto, and then commute to Grant Avenue to record them on multitrack. Brian Eno, who collaborated with Hassell on the previous Fourth World album, also contributed drums and bells on three tracks: "Courage", "Dream Theory", and "These Times".
Hassell used a custom-made trumpet with two bells, which allowed him to play two notes at once. He also processed his trumpet sound with various electronic devices, such as delays, filters, harmonizers, and reverbs, creating a rich and complex sonic palette. He said: "I wanted to make a sound that was like a voice, but not a human voice. I wanted to make something that was expressive, but not emotional. I wanted to make something that was mysterious, but not mystical."
Reception and legacy
The album received critical acclaim upon its release, and has been regarded as one of Hassell's masterpieces. AllMusic gave it four and a half stars out of five, calling it "a stunning achievement" and "a brilliant example of Hassell's musical vision". Pitchfork named it Best New Reissue in 2017, when it was reissued by Glitterbeat Records, and gave it 8.4 out of 10, praising it as "a work of remarkable nuance and depth" and "a testament to Hassell's singular vision".
The album has also influenced many artists across genres and generations, such as Björk , Radiohead , Oneohtrix Point Never , Arca , Nicolas Jaar , Nils Frahm , and many others. Hassell's concept of Fourth World music has also become widely adopted as a term to describe music that combines elements from different cultures and traditions, creating new possibilities for musical expression.
Track listing
"Chor Moiré" 6:28
"Courage" 4:14
"Dream Theory" 6:23
"Datu Bintung at Jelong" 6:04
"Malay" 5:19
"These Times..." 3:52
"Gift of Fire" 4:05
Personnel
Jon Hassell trumpet, Prophet 5, production
Brian Eno drums, bells, production assistance
Daniel Lanois engineering, production assistance
Bob Lanois engineering, production assistance
Michael Brook coordination, production assistance
References
[Dream Theory in Malaya: Fourth World Volume Two - Wikipedia]
[Jon Hassell - DREAM THEORY IN MALAYA (1981) [Full Album] - YouTube]
[Dream Theory in Malaya: Fourth World Volume Two - AllMusic]
[Dream Theory in Malaya: Fourth World Volume Two - Pitchfork]
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