A beautiful package of rare work from the archives – two never-released recordings, brought together in a cool book-style package! First up is Living
City – breathtakingly organic sounds from Jon Hassell – performing here live, and at a level that's a nice evolution from his studio modes in the earlier part of the 80s – with
all sorts of long-blown lines, and nicely complex elements in the sound! Hassell handles both his famous electrified trumpet and keyboards, with a group that includes keyboards, guitar, bass, and percussion samples –
all mixed live by Brian Eno, who definitely adds a darkness to the whole proceedings – recalling the Fourth World experiments that he and Hassell had done about a decade before, but with a quality that really respects
all the growth that Jon went through as an artist in the intervening years. Titles include "Ituri", "Alchemistry", "Mashujaa", "Paradise Now", "Nightsky", and "Adedara Rising". Next is Psychogeography – very heady work from Jon Hassell – a set that almost seems to showcase his skills as a producer as much as it does his always-creative work on trumpet and keyboards! The sound here is often very layered and dense – maybe Hassell's own take on the noisier territory of Miles Davis electric imports of the 70s – but warmer, and with more of the organic elements that we love in some of Jon's other material. The recordings have never been issued – and are reworked elements of some material that went into the
City/
Works Of Fiction album – but with a quality that's very different than that. Tracks are shorter than some of Hassell's ususal work, which only increases their density – as Jon plays with work from a group that uses guitar, bass, keyboards, and plenty of live and sampled percussion. Titles include "
Cityism Superdcub", "Harambe", "Freeway", "Midnight", "Favela", "Waterfront District", "Cloud Shaped Time", and "Emerald
City".