Brion Gysin

The Profile

Brion Gysin (1916–1986) was a Canadian painter, writer, sound poet, and performance artist, credited as the inventor of the Dreamachine and a key figure in popularizing the cut-up technique with William S. Burroughs.

The review highlights Gysin as a versatile storyteller, performer, poet, composer, and painter, linked to the Beat Generation and close to William S. Burroughs. It focuses on the album Self-Portrait Jumping (in Crammed’s Made to Measure series), realized with Ramuntcho Matta and featuring collaborators including Don Cherry, Elli Medeiros, Yahn Leker, and Steve Lacy. The centerpiece is the ~30-minute “Dreamachine” suite, referencing his non-chemical hallucinogenic invention.

One review praises Self-Portrait Jumping as a refined, anti-banality snapshot of Brion Gysin’s multi-arts practice. It highlights spoken-word pieces, jazz-flecked grooves, and notable collaborators. The centerpiece is the hypnotic Dreamachine suite, tied to Gysin’s famed invention. Overall sentiment is clearly favorable.