V/A :: The Third Mind. A Sonic Tribute to the Dreamachine (Unexplained Sounds Group)

Guided by Brion Gysin’s radical perceptual legacy, The Third Mind. A Sonic Tribute to the Dreamachine charts a hypnotic journey through ritual, abstraction, and experimental electronics—where sensory illusion, cerebral exploration, and darkly playful sound research collide.

Ritual perception meets electronic abstraction

My dear friend Fabrice Bellaton is deeply engaged with Brion Gysin’s radical perceptual experiments and multifaceted performances. He once told me about the Dreamachine and how it works, immersing the listener in a sensory–mental trip using nothing but specific moving lights. Before that, I was only vaguely aware of who Brion Gysin was, mainly in relation to primordial ethno-ritual music and the psychedelic experiences associated with it—for instance, the Jajouka instrumental tradition from Morocco and its ritual dances in a religious context.

For those who want to explore Gysin’s iconic sound archives and creative variations on his ideas and rare writings, I recommend materials collected and published by Sub Rosa, including One Night (free long-form improvisations in an ecstatic traditional mode, based on authentic cultural instruments).

As for Eighth Tower, this indie label forges its own creative path, drawing abundantly on references to pioneering authors and artistic figures, notably paying tribute to sci-fi novelists and film directors such as Clive Barker, Andrei Tarkovsky, and Dario Argento—bringing together, for these occasions, (post-)industrial sound artists from their catalog, ranging from new-generation acts to cult classics.

Hypnotic experiments in sonic consciousness ::

Unexplained Sounds Group can be considered a sister label to Eighth Tower, both owned by Rafaelle Pezzella (aka Sonologyst). While Eighth Tower focuses on vibrant, dark, and eerily oriented electronic music, Unexplained Sounds Group is devoted to recent discoveries in electro-acoustic music and formal sound research from different—and sometimes unusual—regions of the world.

For this new compilation, we can recognize the presence of recurring names such as Joël Gilardini, 400 Lonely Things, and Robin Storey (Rapoon). The music demonstrates a clear fondness for kinetic, multi-faceted electronic abstractions, reflecting both light and darkness. It moves from dreamlike ambient, hallucination-inducing, trance-like textural sequences to more aleatoric electronic sound manipulations.

Overall, the compilation is representative of the label’s interest in subtle, cerebral electronic voyages and playful experimentation. A solid addition to Unexplained Sounds’ already substantial catalog of inventive and challenging electronic music with a conceptual edge.

The Third Mind. A Sonic Tribute to the Dreamachine is available on Unexplained Sounds Group. [Bandcamp]