Experimental composer and trumpeter Jon Hassell, inventor of the “Fourth World†music genre, has died at the age of 84, his family confirmed in a statement. “After a little more than a year of fighting through health complications, Jon died peacefully in the early morning hours of natural causes. He cherished life and leaving this world was a struggle as there was much more he wished to share in music, philosophy, and writing,†the statement reads. Hassell’s friend and longtime collaborator Brian Eno had started a GoFundMe last year for Hassell, who had been struggling with “long-term health issues.†Eno collaborated with Hassell on their 1980 album, Fourth World Vol 1: Possible Musics, which developed Hassell’s concept of “Fourth World†music. As described by Hassell, “Fourth World†music is “a unified primitive/futuristic sound combining features of world ethnic styles with advanced electronic techniques.â€
In addition to his work with Eno, Hassell collaborated with Talking Heads, Peter Gabriel, Terry Riley, David Sylvian, Tears for Fears, Lloyd Cole, Ani DiFranco, and La Monte Young, among others. “All donations to Jon Hassell’s GoFundMe will allow the tremendous personal archive of his music, much unreleased, to be preserved and shared with the world for years to come,†his family wrote in their statement. “We also hope to provide philanthropic gifts of scholarship and contributions to issues close to Jon’s heart, like supporting the working rights of musicians.â€