SECURE ON THE LOOSE RIM (1991)

PROGRESS REPORT: OF THE ASSEMBLED AND KNOWN DISCOGRAPHY OF JIM O'ROURKE I ESTIMATE WE ARE ABOUT ONE THIRD OF THE WAY THROUGH IT IF WE DISCOUNT SINGLES AND STUFF WHERE HE WAS MOSTLY A PERFORMER (STILL DON'T KNOW WHAT I'LL DO ABOUT THE WILCO RELEASES) THOUGH I WOULD LIKE TO INCLUDE SOME OF THOSE TO FILL OUT THE SENSE OF JOURNEY.

OF COURSE THERE ARE THINGS THAT CROP UP SUCH AS HEARING O'ROURKE PLAYED ON DAVID JACKMAN'S ORGANUM RELEASES, OR THE EARLY PERFORMANCE GROUP THE ELVIS MESSIAHS. BUT THERE ARE ALSO THINGS IN THE MAIN DISCOGRAPHY THAT I CAN'T FIND JUST NOW, SO MAYBE IT WILL ALL EVEN OUT AND ROLL TO A NATURAL STOP.

SECURE TAKES US TO JIM'S COLLEGE DAYS IN 1990 AND THE CONDENSING OF TWO PERFORMANCES GIVEN IN THE JANUARY OF THAT NEW DECADE. IT'S KEYBOARD/DRONE/AMBIENT WITH A SLIGHTLY DILAPIDATED FEEL BECAUSE OF THE TRANSFER FROM CASSETTE TO DIGITAL AUDIO. I DIG IT THOUGH: SOMETHING ABOUT AMBIENT (WE WILL UNPACK THIS ONE DAY, I SWEAR) MUSIC DONE LIVE AND THEN ALSO ANALOGUE TO DIGITAL TRANSFER IS RIGHT UP MY ALLEY.

CLOSING TRACK SOMETIMES HAS A NICELY BROODING AND DISTORTED FEEL AND ROUNDS OFF A SATISFYING ALBUM (THOUGH LISTED ON DISCOGS AS A COMPILATION?) WELL. TEMPTED TO GO CERTIFIED: GOOD ON THIS. IT MIGHT NOT BE JIM'S MOST CONSIDERED OR MATURE WORK, BUT IF YOU ENJOY IT ALL THEN SURELY THAT'S THE POINT?

CERTIFIED: GOOD

THE GROUND BELOW ABOVE OUR HEADS (1991) aka STEAMROOM 9

WHEN I WAS WRAPPING UP MY DEGREE I WAS WORKING IN A BETTING SHOP AND DIDN'T HAVE THE ENERGY TO DO SHIT ALL ELSE: HOW JIM WAS UNDERTAKING A DEGREE AND BEING INVOLVED IN LIKE 6 PROJECTS IS BEYOND ME. EVEN WHEN IT COMES TO MUSIC I CAN'T SPREAD MYSELF ANY THINNER THAN ONE THING AT ONCE. I'M NOT A NATURAL, NOR AM I EDUCATED, SO MAYBE THERE'S YOUR ANSWER. ANYWAY IT DOES SEEM LIKE ONE THING THAT SEPARATES O'ROURKE FROM THOSE WITH A REASONABLY NORMAL RELEASE SCHEDULE IS SOME SUPERHUMAN CAPACITY FOR INDUSTRY.

MARKING A LITTLE BIT OF A CHANGE FROM THE PREPARED GUITAR MUSIC THAT WE SAW JIM ENGAGE WITH IN 1989 AND EARLY 1990, THIS IS WHAT I GUESS YOU MIGHT CALL A DRONE RECORD. THERE'S A NICE ORGANIC FLOW TO IT THAT SUGGESTS USE OF TAPES, AND I LIKE HOW THERE'S SOME MANIPULATION OF THE MATERIAL TO CREATE INTERNAL RHYTHMS (SOMETIMES I FEEL RHYTHMIC EXPLORATION IS TOO OFTEN ABSENT FROM DRONE/AMBIENT MUSIC).

BOTH TRACKS WOULD MAKE A NICE AMBIENT SCORE FOR A SLOW-BURNING FILM CONTAINING A SIMULANT LOOSE AT A POLAR ICE STATION, PICKING OFF HUMANS ONE-BY-ONE. IF BROODING AND SUBTLY EVOLVING DRONE MUSIC IS YOUR THING THEN CHECK OUT THIS.

TOMORROW KNOWS WHERE YOU LIVE (1991)

A COLLABORATION WITH THE SIMILARLY PROLIFIC AVANT GUITARIST HENRY KAISER (IN FACT KAISER MIGHT EVEN HAVE A LARGER DISCOG THAN OUR SUBJECT HIMSELF) ON A CANADIAN JAZZ LABEL IN 1991 FEELS AS GOOD A PLACE AS ANY TO START THIS PROJECT. PLUS HANK KAISER LOOKS LIKE A RIGHT CARD.

  

 

IT'S A LIGHTLY INFURIATING RECORD INSOFAR AS THERE'S VERY LITTLE MUSICAL DISCORDANCY (IE. THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE NOTES, THE COLLISION OF SOUNDS) BUT MAXIMAL GRAMMATICAL DISRUPTION - THAT IS TO SAY THEY START PLAYING AND STOP, THEY CRAM NOTES IN AT RANDOM, THEY IGNORE BARS AND TEMPI TO PLAY CONSONANT MUSIC FREELY. 

WE CAN PARSE THIS RECORD BY LOOKING AT THE CREDITS ON OFFER. ONE TRACK IS CREDITED TO O'ROURKE ALONE AND IT IS A REASONABLY ARID BUT HAUNTED TAPE PIECE SUGGESTIVE OF THE AFTERMATH OF A GRUESOME BATTLE. MEANWHILE THE ONE TRACK CREDITED SOLELY TO KAISER IS MORE OF THE GUITAR FRIPPERY REDOLENT OF A PLEASANT DEREK BAILEY (BUT NOT AS GOOD).

NEAR THE END OF THE RECORD WE SEE A COUPLE OF TRACKS WHERE THEIR STYLES START TO GEL - HAUNTED ATMOSPHERE AND SOME GUITAR HYSTERICS, MOST NOTABLY ON CLOSING TANTRUM 'THE PALACE OF MEMORY' - BUT IT IS A BIT LATE TO SAVE THE RECORD FROM BEING A CHORE.