HALFWAY TO A THREEWAY (1999)

NINE YEARS AFTER THE RELEASE OF THIS RECORD IT HAD REACHED A CULT STATUS IN WHICH IT COULD BE TRUSTED TO RAISE A SMILE AT ITS MENTION IN LYRICS BY THE WRY ELECTRO POPSTER MAX TUNDRA:

I found the girl on eBay
She was bidding on "Halfway To A Threeway"
I wrote the words "a grain of sand" upon a grain of rice
She baked a pie of very shy laboratory mice

AND WITH GOOD REASON BECAUSE .5->3-WAY IS A GREAT LITTLE USE OF THE EXTENDED PLAY FORMAT AND I AM GOING TO MAKE A BOLD CLAIM HERE AND SAY AS EPS GO THIS IS PROBABLY UP THERE WITH SLATES AND ADMONISHING THE BISHOPS AND WATERY DOMESTIC AND IN A BEAUTIFUL PLACE OUT IN THE COUNTRY.

THIS IS FROM JIM'S SMALL RANGE OF 'RELEASES THAT UNCUT MAGAZINE COULD TUG OFF TO', BRINGING GENTLE FOLK AND EXPLORATORY AMERICANA TO THE FOREFRONT WITH NO TECHNOLOGICAL INTERVENTION. 

THE LYRICS ARE SMART AND CUTTING, SOME MIGHT SAY MEAN, BUT THEY DO AT LEAST TRY AND DO SOMETHING OTHER THAN TURN THESE INTO EMPTY SENTIMENTS OF THE KIND JIM DOESN'T REALLY CARE FOR. THE MUSIC DOES THE SENTIMENTAL LIFTING, TO BE FAIR.

I LIKE ALL FOUR SONGS HERE AND I WOULD SAY TO ANYONE LOOKING TO GET INTO JIM TO START HERE. THERE'S ABSOLUTELY NO GUARANTEE IT WOULD GET YOU LISTENING TO HAPPY DAYS OR LONG NIGHT OR FENN O'BERG, BUT PLAY THE PERCENTAGES AND REAP THE REWARDS.

CERTIFIED: GOOD.

THE MAGIC SOUND OF FENN O'BERG (1999)

THE PLAYFULNESS THAT ACCOMPANIED THIS ERA OF ELECTRONIC MUSIC, TONGUES FIRMLY PUSHED IN CHEEKS AS CEX, KID606, APHEX, BOGDAN RADCYNZSKI, CEEPHAX, V/VM, THE MEMBERS OF FENN O'BERG (JIM, FENNESZ, PETER 'PITA' REHBERG) AND MANY MORE HELPED ESTABLISHED NOT JUST AN ELEMENT OF THE MUSICAL LANGUAGE BUT A SLIPPERY FORM OF IDENTITY FOR MORE RAREIFIED FORMS OF EXPERIMENTAL COMPUTER SOUND. TRICKSTERISH BY NATURE, I THINK IT DID A LOT TO OFFER ITSELF UP AS THE PISS-TAKING FUN FORM OF MUSIC WHILE GUITAR MUSIC GOT REALLY PO-FACED.

THIS ALBUM COMPILES PERFORMANCES FROM A EUROPEAN TOUR OF IMPROVISED LAPTOP PERFORMANCES (I HAVE NO IDEA HOW THAT EVEN WORKS, SORRY). YOU CAN HEAR BITS THAT ARE IDENTIFIABLY FENNESZ (BITCRUNCHY WHIRLWIND GUITAR FLUTTERING) BUT MOSTLY THEY HAVE A GOOD INTERPLAY OF LIGHT-HEARTED ELECTRONIC EXPLORATION. THERE ARE LITTLE SNATCHES OF FAMILIAR MELODIES (IE FROM FAMOUS SONGS) THAT JUMP INTO THE EAR AND OUT BEFORE YOU CAN PLACE THEM.

WHILE THAT MIGHT NOT SEEM LIKE THE PRESS PHOTO OF A GROUP OF LADS WHO ARE A BARREL OF LAUGHS, THIS IS AVANT-GARDE MUSIC THAT HAS MORE IN COMMON WITH THE SURREALIST/DADAIST TRADITION: IT WOULD RATHER MAKE YOU REACT PHYSICALLY THAN OVERTHINK IT TOO MUCH. IT'S A SIDE OF O'ROURKE WE RARELY SEE AND I THINK IT IS QUITE APPEALING ON THE WHOLE.

LIKE A LOT OF IMPROVISED MUSIC WITH TOO MANY BIG NAMES ON THE MARQUEE PERHAPS IT DOESN'T EXPLORE A PARTICULAR MOOD FOR LONG ENOUGH, UNLESS THAT MOOD IS RESTLESS GLEE, IN WHICH CASE IT DOES THAT FOR THE ENTIRE ALBUM.

IN BERN (1999)

A LIVE COLLABORATION BETWEEN EXPERIMENTAL GUITARIST LOREN MAZZACANE CONNORS AND JIM, TAKING PLACE IN 1997 AT A SWISS MUSEUM IN THE CITY OF BERN. HERE IT MIGHT BE WISE TO TALK ABOUT THE EUROPEAN MAINLAND (IE. NOT BRITAIN, NOT IRELAND) AND ITS STRONG PATRONAGE OF THE MUSICAL ARTS THAT MAKE THINGS LIKE THIS - A PERFORMANCE, A RECORDING - BETWEEN TWO FAMOUS SHIPS IN THE NIGHT POSSIBLE. I LOVE IT, EVEN IF I DON'T LOVE THE RESULTS EVERY SINGLE TIME. LIKE, IT TAKES A STRONG VISION TO GET SOMETHING LIKE THAT FEAR TO FALL RECORD OR THIS TO HAPPEN IN THE FIRST PLACE. RESPECT IT.

I DON'T WANT TO APPLY TOO MUCH NARRATIVE OR OUTSIDE KNOWLEDGE (APART FROM THAT GAINED DURING THE COURSE OF THE BLOG) BUT IN 1999 JIM HAS JUST LEFT GASTR DEL SOL (IT EVEN SAYS THIS ON THE ALBUM COVER) AND IS VERY MUCH ENAMOURED BY THE AMERICAN PRIMITIVE GUITAR SOUND - MELODIC RIVERS THAT MOVE IN A LINEAR FASHION RATHER THAN OBVIOUS 'SONG STRUCTURES' (THOUGH THOSE ARE ON THEIR WAY). THERE'S ALSO A VERY 'STUDIED' EDGE TO WHAT JIM SEEMS TO BE UP TO AROUND THIS TIME. HE EVEN DRESSES LIKE AN ARCH MUSIC PROFESSOR.

THE RECORD - FOUR TRACKS OVER 48 MINUTES - IS QUITE A REVERENT PIECE. MELODY-FIRST, WITH EACH PLAYER MAKING LITTLE INCURSIONS OR EXCURSIONS - A LITTLE PERCUSSIVE TAPPING, A LITTLE JAZZY FLOURISH, BACKING OFF, STEPPING UP, LETTING THE OTHER TAKE OVER. AT TIMES IT IS A LITTLE JOHN FAHEY, BUT AT OTHER TIMES IT FEELS LIKE FLEETWOOD MAC AT THEIR SPACIOUS 60S BEST.

THE RECORD LEADS WHERE PEOPLE LIKE CAM DEAS AND JAMES BLACKSHAW WOULD FOLLOW. IT BRINGS A LITTLE PIECE OF AN UNDULATING JOURNEY THROUGH NOWHERE AMERICA TO A MEDIEVAL SWISS CITY. SOMETIMES IT FEELS LIKE IT IS ALL IN ONE KEY AND AT ONE DYNAMIC LEVEL, BUT MAYBE THAT ALLOWS THE PERFORMANCE TO HAVE A PARTICULAR TYPE OF TRANSFORMATIVE CAPABILITY.

GONNA GO CERTIFIED: GOOD ON THIS. I CAN'T REALLY SAY THERE'S ANYTHING BAD ABOUT IT ALL.