Dreamachine

Description

Wewantsounds continues its exploration of producer Ramuntcho Matta's treasures with the very first vinyl release of these cult recordings by Brion Gysin, one of the most influential counterculture figures of the 20th century. A pioneering artist whose work spans literature, sound, performance, and visual arts, Gysin remains inseparable from the Beat movement and his friend William Burroughs. Born in England and raised in Edmonton, Canada, he lived in Paris in the 1930s, New York in the 1940s, Tangier in the 1950s — where Paul Bowles introduced him to the Master Musicians of Jajouka — before returning to Paris at the end of that decade, becoming a central figure among writers and artists experimenting with new forms of expression. His cut-up technique, permutation poetry, and transdisciplinary approach influenced generations of creators, including David Bowie, Laurie Anderson, Genesis P. Orridge, and Burroughs himself. Produced by Ramuntcho Matta in the 80s and early 90s, "Dreamachine" reflects Gysin's fascination with altered states of perception. Matta, who returned from New York in the late 1970s after spending two years there following the death of his brother Gordon Matta-Clark, had already produced the album Junk with Gysin in the early 80s, as well as the single "Kick" featuring Don Cherry. At the heart of this re-release is "Dreamachine," a hypnotic 32-minute track based on minimalist repetition, echoing the strobe effects of Gysin's cult light sculpture invented with Ian Sommerville. Slowly evolving grooves create a state of trance, drawing from Fela Kuti's Afrobeat and King Sunny Adé's Juju Music's cyclical guitar patterns. Conceived as a sonic extension of the visual installation, "Dreamachine" reconfigures the listener's relationship to time and perception. The album also includes "The Door," featuring saxophonist Steve Lacy, which adds an avant-jazz dimension to the album. This remastered vinyl includes an insert featuring a historic photograph of Gysin and Burroughs in front of the Dreamachine, taken by photographer François Lagarde, accompanied by liner notes by Jason Weiss, placing these recordings in their historical and artistic context. The re-release coincides with a major exhibition dedicated to Gysin at the Musée d'Art Moderne de Paris planned for April 2026, making this release both an essential archival document and a timely reinterpretation of the work of an artist whose influence continues to resonate through music, art, and pop culture.