Dave Harrington

Most dreams are forgotten. They eventually become the cosmic dust of the subconscious, burning brightly for a few minutes before fading back into a buried chamber of mind. But occasionally nocturnal reveries assume a life of their own. They disappear and return, haunt and tantalize, offering unconscious symbols and twisted shapes that help us navigate the labyrinth of our own existence. Dave Harrington’s latest album, Skull Dream, falls into the realm of the indelible. It’s an odyssey of psychedelic imagination and unpredictable turns. A chimerical vision projected upon an Imax screen in the flickering back of the brain. A psychomagic collaboration from Jerry Garcia and Jodorowsky or Luis Buñuel as scored by William Basinski. In the wandering levitations of these eleven songs lie the missing link between spaced-out drone and abstract jazz, skyscraping post-rock and Zen-like ambient. The first release on Harrington’s new imprint, Maximum Overdub, Skull Dream heralds a new chapter for the New York-raised, L.A.-based guitarist and producer – whose extensive resume includes myriad solo projects and group collaborations including DARKSIDE and Taper’s Choice. After more than a decade of establishing himself as one of the defining experimental musicians of his generation, Harrington is creating a hub for the community that he has already built. Skull Dream is yet another reminder why he’s the rightful heir to Bill Frisell and Dylan Carlson. Daniel Lanois and John Zorn.