RULES OF REDUCTION (1993)

WHILST THIS WILL NEVER BE THE MOST FAMOUS, MOST POPULAR, MOST INTERESTING, MOST ENJOYABLE, OR MOST DISCUSSED JIM O'ROURKE RELEASE, THERE IS A REASONABLE ARGUMENT TO SUGGEST IT COULD BE ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT.

METAMKINE HAD BECOME FRANCE'S LEADING RELEASER OF MUSIQUE CONCRETE AND IN ITS FIRST DECADE PUT OUT RELEASES BY WALTER RUTTMANN (LONG DEAD, BUT A DIRECTOR OF TREMENDOUS IMPORT), RALF WEHOWSKY (WHO ONCE STATED THAT THE PROBLEM WITH MUSIC WAS HUMAN MEMORY: THAT WE CANNOT REMEMBER REPETITIONS BEYOND A CERTAIN LENGTH), ELIANE RADIGUE, MICHEL CHION (A FILM SOUND THEORIST OF SOME REPUTE), LUC FERRARI (JIM'S IDOL; REMEMBER HIS BAND BRISE-GLACE? THAT WAS A FERRARI PIECE) - AND NOW, LITTLE JAMES HENRY O'ROURKE FROM THE NICE SUBURBS BETWEEN O'HARE INTERNATIONAL AND WRIGLEY FIELD.

THIS MEANS THAT FROM 4/5 YEARS AGO OF DOING GROT-ROCK AND PREPARED GUITAR IN HIS BEDROOM O'ROURKE HAS NOW JOINED THE CREAM OF THE EUROPEAN AVANT-GARDE. THIS MAY ONLY BE ONE OF THOSE CURSEDLY STUPID 3" CDS (GREAT IF YOUR TRAY HAS A SPINDLE, FUCKED IF YOU DON'T) BUT WHAT IT REPRESENTS IS HUGE. I AM SURPRISED HE DIDN'T JUST MOVE TO PARIS OR MUNICH AND REAP THE REWARDS OF "MUSIC-THOUGHT".

ANYWAY RULES OF REDUCTION IS A SOLID PIECE OF MUSIQUE CONCRETE SLASH TAPE MUSIC. I CAN TELL WHAT A LOT OF THE SOUNDS ARE AND THEY DON'T SEEM PARTICULARLY 'TRANSFORMED' (ART IS, AS THE FORMALISTS SUGGESTED, TRANSFORMATION OF MATERIAL) BUT IT DOES PAINT AN INTERESTING SOUNDWORLD TO LIVE IN FOR 17 MINUTES. I DON'T KNOW HOW IT STACKS UP TO FERRARI AND WEHOWSKY, AND I DOUBT I HAVE THE EARS OR THE LEARNING TO CREDIBLY EXPLAIN SHOULD I CHOOSE TO EXPLORE. STILL, IT'S DECENT STUFF.