Browse by Artist: O'ROURKE, JIM

Artist:	O'ROURKE, JIM
Title:	Corona - Tokyo Realization
Label:	COLUMBIA (JAPAN)
Format:	CD
Price:	$28.00
Catalog #:	COCB 53573CD

Japanese-only release of two studio performances of Toru Takemitsu's "Corona", performed by Jim O'Rourke. "Corona for pianist(s)" (1962), played by O'Rourke on piano, Hammond organ & Fender Rhodes. Recorded in Tokyo, 2006. "To be performed, Takemitsu's score must be 'realized,' either ahead of time or improvisationally; what O'Rourke plays here is his own 'Tokyo realization' of the piece; there is also a well known 'London version' recorded by Roger Woodward in 1973, reissued on CD in 2006 by Explore Records." --Seth Tisue. Booklet includes a 34 x 48 cm foldout print of a 1969 painting by Fumio Nambata. An eloquent recording, one of the most crystalline of O'Rourke's serious works; with packaging to match.

Artist:	O'ROURKE, JIM
Title:	Bad Timing
Label:	DRAG CITY
Format:	CD
Price:	$13.50
Catalog #:	DC 120CD

"Make no mistake, Bad Timing is not a pop album by any standards. But it is a musing on popular standards and uses much of the same instrumentation that many of our country's most popular records have. Yes, Bad Timing is a theme record, Jim O'Rourke's pop opera, just waiting for someone to come along and play with it. Based on Fahey-esque 6-string acoustic guitar foundations, each of the three pieces expand to include other musical elements. Piano, organ, electric guitar, brass, strings -- everything, it seems except vocals! Think of the impressionist Americana of Van Dyke Parks and the soundtracks of Jack Nitzsche."

Artist:	O'ROURKE, JIM
Title:	Bad Timing
Label:	DRAG CITY
Format:	LP
Price:	$13.50
Catalog #:	DC 120LP

LP version, 2009 repress; originally released 1997, the first O'Rourke album for Drag City. "Make no mistake, Bad Timing is not a pop album by any standards. But it is a musing on popular standards and uses much of the same instrumentation that many of our country's most popular records have. Yes, Bad Timing is a theme record, Jim O'Rourke's pop opera, just waiting for someone to come along and play with it. Based on Fahey-esque 6-string acoustic guitar foundations, each of the three pieces expand to include other musical elements. Piano, organ, electric guitar, brass, strings -- everything, it seems except vocals! Think of the impressionist Americana of Van Dyke Parks and the soundtracks of Jack Nitzsche."

Artist:	O'ROURKE, JIM
Title:	Eureka
Label:	DRAG CITY
Format:	CD
Price:	$13.50
Catalog #:	DC 162CD

1999 album, release, repressed 2009. "With his new LP Jim is doing for himself what he's more than generously done for other so-called musical talents. Everybody wants a little pop in their lives and the O'Rourke is no exception. There is no way to listen to Eureka without hearing the eccentricity, the progressive musical textures, the utter lack of anything like pop music, but at the same time it's magnificent in scale, pleasant to listen to, catchy and even reminiscent of other records you might actually have heard on The Casey Casem Show. If Bad Timing was regarded as a crossroads of O'Rourkian interests, Eureka is a six-lane clover-leaf junction of singer-songwriter traditions, production styles of the 70s, confusion and contradiction as well as the riveting sound of the artist putting all his cards on the table."

Artist:	O'ROURKE, JIM
Title:	Halfway to a Threeway
Label:	DRAG CITY
Format:	CD
Price:	$11.00
Catalog #:	DC 178CD

1999 EP release, repressed 2009. "It seems like it was only a few months ago that Jim O'Rourke changed everything with the release of the incredible Eureka. And by George, it was only a few months ago. Well never mind -- here he is again with a little more of the same: pop music, but credibly different this time, of course. The pop stylings of Jim O'Rourke will never seem familiar to any of us (that's not his style, silly) but his combination of folk, classic rock, (smooth jazz) and the inevitable twist of the old avant-garde is always something new. Having established himself last time out as some kind of songwriter and singer in his own write, Jim presents more funky, catchy, poppy songs with and without vocals that are sure to spin semi-endlessly on turntables, digital discburners and those fab MP3 players across this land of ours."

Artist:	O'ROURKE, JIM
Title:	Halfway to a Threeway
Label:	DRAG CITY
Format:	12"
Price:	$11.00
Catalog #:	DC 178EP

2012 repress, originally released 1999. "Well, never mind--as long as people love it, here's another few sides of long-ago and far-away O'Rourke back on vinyl for the first time since way back in the mid-aughties. It's the Halfway to a Threeway 12" EP back to set turntables a-spinnin'! Fans of Eureka and Insignificance (not to mention Jim's tomfoolery as part of the Loose Fur band) will appreciate the analog pressing of these four slices of the pop music party-pooper combination of folk, classic rock, smooth jazz and a bit of the old avant-garde to help communicate the twisted ways of the misanthrope that made Jim such a perennial in the fickle world of record sales. A quick listen to the title track will hip you to our meaning: Halfway to a Threeway exposes our sweet soul-crusher as a lustful man-beast on the make. The song is a straight folk number--straight, that is, until you listen through the haze of those six-string overtones and chirpy harmony vocals to hear the true perversity of O'Rourke's fantasies. The decadence of stardom seems to have turned Jim into not only a sex freak, but also a man who loves women of all persuasions--particular the crippled and brain-dead kind! Don't listen to this song alone--at least, not with the drapes open."

Artist:	O'ROURKE, JIM
Title:	Insignificance
Label:	DRAG CITY
Format:	CD
Price:	$13.50
Catalog #:	DC 202CD

"Insignificance consists of rock plus multiple musical allusions, layers of discreet noises, great playing from all the players and, to top it off, funny pop tunes laced with lyrical arsenic. As the moving finger of O'Rourke points (and clicks...just kidding! Insignificance is an all-analog affair), moments will come and go -- to remind you of other moments. Moments will arrive that have no precedent. And different, conflicting emotions will flash within you. He'll have total control of you, the helpless listener." [LP version forthcoming]

Artist:	O'ROURKE, JIM
Title:	Tamper
Label:	DRAG CITY
Format:	CD
Price:	$13.50
Catalog #:	DC 362.2CD

"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 analog 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. Fools! As both those purely transitory formats fade into obsolescence (what's DAT?), 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 17 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 lesser-known works -- all remastered and shit. 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!"

Artist:	O'ROURKE, JIM
Title:	The Visitor
Label:	DRAG CITY
Format:	CD
Price:	$13.50
Catalog #:	DC 375CD

"The cat's back in the bag again -- try not to throw it in the river this time! This one is special: Jim O'Rourke has delivered his first new solo album since 2001. Working relentlessly since he burst onto the scene in 1989, Jim has played, recorded and mixed a couple hundred records -- but only a dozen of them have been Jim O'Rourke-endorsed products that bear the name that gives his promise of quality. That relative handful of albums has established a brand that's been burned deep into Jim's flanks. Is it any wonder that he fled the western hemisphere; never leaves his Tokyo apartment and isn't seen in public anymore without a strong drink in his hand? So anyway, it's been a long time since one of Jim O'Rourke's popular music records. The Visitor hasn't made us wait as long as Chinese Democracy but it has made us wince a lot less. Call it Jim's Japanese Democracy -- a republic of one inside the studio where it was recorded and mixed. The Visitor is a seriously all-O'Rourke affair -- all the sounds you hear are Jim and Jim alone. So this time you can't blame any of those session dudes and their bloodless line readings -- the chill you're getting is a one-hundred percent O'Rourke effect. As a matter of fact, it might be more like two hundred percent -- some of The Visitor is tracked so deep, it took two hundred tracks to hold it all. It doesn't sound like it though -- to Jim's credit, the mix sounds very minimal, very straightforward -- not like several hundred tracks at all. Call it his invisible wall of sound -- Spector without the gun. But what Jim lacks in firearms, he makes up for in desire. Speaking of sound, all the classic O'Rourke-isms are here, for you musicologist types: percolating banjos, smooth electric leads, organic, kicking drum sounds, the flickering of shakers to the left and right, mellow but ominous woodwinds, sounds that indicate 'vintage' (before turning left and running out the door), sonic jokes, sonic tear-jerkers, sonic jerkoffs, all wrapped in spacious yet subtle left to right placement of everything in the picture. There's moments of low comedy next to high drama and juicy melancholy with a seeming lack of regard for proximity (which of course is just what Jim wants you to think, that's how jaded and perverse he is!). Plus -- sudden surging rhythms! A roil of noise or two! Constantly shifting moods! Things that aren't what they seem! The Visitor is sort of 'O'Rourke Does O'Rourke' -- Jim recontextualizing everything he's done over the years, and throwing out the bullshit. The one thing you won't hear is his voice -- perhaps another O'Rourkian self-examination? Or maybe he's just saving it for all the name-calling on his next album. At the end of the day, The Visitor doesn't overstay its welcome -- call it a cautionary tale, rest of the music world! And get ready for redefinition -- Jim O'Rourke is back."

Artist:	O'ROURKE, JIM
Title:	I'm Happy, And I'm Singing, And A 1, 2, 3, 4
Label:	EDITIONS MEGO (AUSTRIA)
Format:	2CD
Price:	$21.00
Catalog #:	EMEGO 050CD

Recorded between 1997-1999 in NY, Osaka, Tokyo, Toronto and Malm�. Originally released on Mego in 2001, Jim O'Rourke's I'm Happy, And I'm Singing, And A 1,2,3,4 is now reissued with a bonus disc featuring unreleased material from the same period, sourced from Jim's vast archive, as well as new artwork. Jim O'Rourke needs no introduction, being well-known as a performer, producer and all-round top chap, as well as a member of various pop and rock combos for more than two decades (Gastr Del Sol, The Red Krayola, Sonic Youth, etc). I'm Happy, And I'm Singing, And A 1,2,3,4 was cited by many common folk at the time as Jim's ultimate laptop record or his Powerbook album. Nowadays, people prefer the simple term "computer" when referring to the instrument used for the creation of this milestone album. Equal parts schizoid pop, cracked minimalism, concr�te drama and melancholic contemplation, this is a highly personal release. Given the nature of this warm beast, it appeals across the board -- electronic nuts, indie rock kids, and yes, even the good folk of the established experimental world may take pleasure in the delicate nuances of Jim's hard drive. This reissue is long overdue (the album being out-of-print for 5 years), including a bonus disc featuring unreleased material as well as new artwork. This album will not be available as a download. File under: "handsome."

Artist:	O'ROURKE, JIM
Title:	Old News #5
Label:	OLD NEWS (AUSTRIA)
Format:	2LP
Price:	$25.00
Catalog #:	OLDNEWS 005LP

Introducing a nearly regular series of vinyl albums documenting analog synth and tape works (both studio and live) from the depths of Jim O'Rourke's archive, spanning a near quarter century of active duty in the field. Old News #5 kicks off with "Pedal And Pedal," a refined beauty of a live set at Tokyo's Super Deluxe, to only be followed by a massive blast from the past in the shape of the monstrous "Detain The Man To Whom," recorded in 1992. Record two delivers the genuine weirdness of studio session "Its Not His Room Anymore," backed by the ripping "Mother And Who," which is an alternate version of what would become O'Rourke's live set at the 2003 All Tomorrow's Parties Festival in the UK. Available only in this format. Last copies, deleted edition.

Artist:	O'ROURKE, JIM
Title:	Old News #7
Label:	OLD NEWS (AUSTRIA)
Format:	2LP
Price:	$27.50
Catalog #:	OLDNEWS 007LP

More archival works from Jim O'Rourke see the light of day on Old News #7. Side one and two were recorded circa '96-'97 at the Steamroom, Chicago. Side three was recorded live in Nagoya at Tokuzo, April 2011. Thanks to Carlos Giffoni. Side four recorded during '93-'94 and originally released on These Records. Thanks to Andrew & Howard Jacques. "Welcome To The Django" is a 2-sided mid-'90s excursion of O'Rouke's first experiments with a Serge Modular System. "Natural Born Killers" is a recent live jam recorded in Nagoya. "Tacere Fas" is legendary early '90s piece, finally available again, originally appearing on the compilation Unentitled, released by These Records in 1994. Available only in this format.

Artist:	O'ROURKE, JIM
Title:	Old News #8
Label:	OLD NEWS (AUSTRIA)
Format:	2LP
Price:	$27.50
Catalog #:	OLDNEWS 008LP

More archival works from Jim O'Rourke see the light of day on Old News #8. Recorded in 1991-1992. Originally released as part of Disengage by Staalplaat. Special thanks to Geert-Jan Hobijn and Frans de Waard for their years of support. Jeff Cortazzo (trombone), Sue Wolf (cello), Michael Prime (shortwave), Geoff Fontaine (voice), Gretchen Wells, Matt Guerierri, Scott Shell. "Merely" recorded live at DePaul University, 1991 -- Carrie Biolo (percussion). Remastered in 2012, Steamroom Tokyo. This one is for Billy F. Available only in this format.

Artist:	O'ROURKE, JIM
Title:	Tamper
Label:	P-VINE RECORDS (JAPAN)
Format:	CD
Price:	$23.00
Catalog #:	PCD 23008

These 2 early O'Rourke albums, originally issued by the Australian label Extreme (and out of print for the past few years) have now been reissued as Japanese imports on P-Vine, with cute new packaging. Evidently so much cigarette smoke has clouded Jim's interior thought process that he has allowed these early works to regain public consumption potentiality (the series subtitle, "Jim O'Rourke Old Series" might indicate even more will be on the way). Notoriously dismissive of his own work in the past, it's a nice gesture to see these on the shelves again. Because pleasure is what it's all about (even cigarettes can evidently provide pleasure), and these discs deliver it in pure, billowing form. Tamper was O'Rourke's first solo CD release (following the long neglected LP-only The Ground Below Above Our Heads on Entenpfuhl), originally released by Extreme in 1991. It features three longish compositions for small chamber groupings: "Spirits Never Forgive" (Warren Fischer: violins; O'Rourke: cello, percussion, electronics); "He Felt The Patient Memory of a Reluctant Sea" (Ken Novotny: clarinets; O'Rourke: oboe, percussion); "Ascend Through Unspoken Shadow" (Jeff Cortazzo: bass trombones; Fischer: violins; Dave Klingelhoffer: cellos; Novotny: bass clarinets; Sue Wolf: cellos). Although scored for mostly acoustic instruments ("Ascend..." is scored for 8 bass clarinets, 8 bass trombones, 8 cellos and 4 violins for example), electronic ambiance bursts forth via the dense mixing. Retrospectively impressive.

Artist:	O'ROURKE, JIM
Title:	Long Night
Label:	STREAMLINE
Format:	2CD
Price:	$20.00
Catalog #:	STREAM 1023CD

"Long Night, a 2� hour electronic drone work produced by Jim O'Rourke in 1990 around the time of his graduation from music school had been buried in the archives along with several other electronic music pieces Jim had created before he went about to explore other musical territories. Unearthed, remastered and now released for the first time, its ageless qualities shine as brightly as ever." "...the tower was not a tower; it was a needle. Standing on top a high hill, it jabbed a finger heavenward. At the base it measured a good six feet across, tapering to a sharp point a hundred feet or more above the ground. It was of a rather nasty pinkish color and was made of a substance that appeared similar to the substance of which the cube had been constructed. Plastic, he thought to himself, although he was fairly sure it was not plastic. When he laid his hand flat against its surface, he could feel a slight vibration, as if the wind out of the west, playing upon it, was causing it to vibrate along its entire length as a freestanding, tapering, most unlikely violin string would vibrate to the bow. It was not generally loud, although at times it became a little louder. Despite the fact that more often than not it was a soft music, it had fantastic carrying power."

Previous Page Index of Artists Next Page