Guillermo E. Brown ~ Black Dreams 1.0
Guillermo E. Brown
holds down the beats and then some on a number of Thirsty Ear’s Blue
Series releases as well as playing in saxophonist David S. Ware’s band.
As this album and its predecessor (2002’s Soul At The Hands Of The Machine)
attest, his interest is in exploring the rhythmic interface between electronica
and improv. Brown’s soundworld, however, is very different from that
of Blue Series colleagues such as Matthew Shipp, DJ Spooky et al. It’s
determinedly lo-fi, slurred and abrasive with junkyard beats that range from
jazzy cymbal breaks to peg-legged stomps. 14 of the cd’s 23 tracks are
less than two minutes long, with some seeming to disappear almost before they’ve
begun. The overall impression is of a mutating bricolage, as though the music
were made from repurposed sonic detritus. There’s something messy, psychically
homeless, id-like about the result which chimes with the ambiguity of the
title. It seems that Brown’s rhythmachines have broken down repeatedly
and been repaired increasingly haphazardly. There’s no peace in these
52 minutes. Black Dreams 1.0 is a whirling vortex, an almost relentlessly
chaotic onslaught, so much so that this record can’t be recommended
for those of a claustrophobic disposition. Everyone else: ensure possessions
are securely tied down before listening.
Colin Buttimer
October 2004