Jon Hassell's trumpet is one of the most distinct sounds in music, a breathy whisper magnified by harmonizers and other processing into a smooth chordal glissando. It’s been heard on records by Peter Gabriel, Ry Cooder and Talking Heads and he’s released a string of inventive albums on his own, including the influential Fourth World Volume 1: Possible Musics, with Brian Eno. In 1990, he put out the powerful album, City: Works Of Fiction, a sign-post in what came to be known as techno-tribal music, a merging of electronics and world music elements with heavy grooves. It’s just been reissued by All Saints Records in a deluxe set that includes a live performance from 1989 mixed by Brian Eno and an additional CD of outtakes and remixes. We revisit our 1989 interview with Jon Hassell.
