IRT Magazine

From Drag City’s Press Desk:

On May 20^th, Drag City will release two Jim O’Rourke related projects: Tamper, a reissued release of an instrumental, “experimental” CD from 1991 and Mimidokodesuka, a reissue of a Japanese-released CD by the trio Osorezan comprised of Jim O’Rourke, Darin Gray and Chris Corsano.

Osorezan – Mimidokodesuka – DC362.1

Osorezan came about when Jim was given the opportunity to bring some players to Japan to basically do whatever he wanted, but after considering his options, what he chose to do was a “deep roots” project, a return to the kind of music he played before anything else. The very nature of “free jazz/improvisation” means that you are always joining up with other people – and over the years, Jim had participated in plenty of sessions such as these, but had never initiated one of his own.

And so Osorezan was formed! Jim on electric guitar, Darin on contrabass bonded with Chris Corsano who’s blown the free world with his unbridled power, intensely collaborative nature and smooth stickwork behind the kit (he’s also acted as Bjork’s drummer!).

Mimidokodesuka was recorded live at the Pit Inn in Tokyo during a 2005 residency that included sets with alto sax legend Akira Sakata (recordings of which have been released separately and elsewhere). The music appears here pretty much as played, all from the first set. The agreement between players is kinetic and immediate, with everybody playing alternately for each other and to the skies. There’s lots of color and dynamic tension and lots of good awesomeness too!

Tracklisting:

1. Form of the Collapse if A Collapse Should Occur
2. All We Know So Far
3. In Addition

Jim O’Rourke – Tamper – DC362.2

Part two of the multi-part Jim O’Rourke “Old Timing” reissue series is Tamper, from 1991. Tamper is a set of three acoustic instrumental compositions recorded on analogue tape during the final days of the first digital wave (we’re at the end of at least the third wave nowadays), when everyone but a certain young schoolboy in short pants were looking towards CDs and DATs as the things of the future. As both those purely transitory formats fade into obsolescence, Tamper’s analog sound rises again — and even though it comes to you on the frighteningly emaciated CD format, it’s still a reminder of the reward that pure sound before all definition has to offer us.

The spaced-out minimalism of Tamper is as forward-looking today as it was seventeen years ago — and as such; it’s a seminal work in Jim O’Rourke’s catalog. That’s what this reissue series is all about, bringing it all back home to some of the young master’s less-known work. And with Tamper, the goal is to get back to listening to the sound rather than what we expect of it — the literal sound of a piano as opposed to us hearing our expectations regarding the playing of a piano.

As sweet and virginal as all this sounds, we the listener find ourselves straining to hear unvarnished acoustical sound throughout the album — there’s some of that here, but there’s definitely some pixie dust in Jim’s methods. Tamper’s three pieces move quite fluidly along — so much so that you might never consider that they’re actually mapped out in a constant series of crossfades. No particular sound lasts more than 10 or 20 seconds, a process which interprets things in its own mind- (and ear-) bending manner — and gives Tamper a blazed trail all of its own!

Tracklisting:

1. Spirits Never Forgive
2. He Felt the Patient Memory of a Reluctant Sea
3. Ascend though Unspoken Shadow

Last Modified : April 25th, 2008
Filed under : news, rock
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