TIMA FORMOSA (2010)

AN EARLY MEETING OF THE AMBARCHI / HAINO / O'ROURKE TRIO FROM WHAT I CAN GATHER NOT LONG AFTER O'ROURKE DECAMPED TO JAPAN FULL-TIME. I THINK, FROM SOMETHING ELSE I READ, O'ROURKE DIDN'T REALLY DO A LOT BETWEEN 2005 (HIS TIME WITH SONIC YOUTH AND WILCO) AND 2008. YOU CAN SORT OF SEE A BIT OF A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO BROAD ERAS (THOUGH THERE ARE MANY PHASES WITHIN EACH, OR SUB-NARRATIVES, OR WHATEVER). 

THE MAIN ONE IS THAT I THINK A LOT OF THE EGO SEEMS TO GO OUT OF JIM'S MUSIC. HE BURIES HIMSELF IN COLLABORATIONS AND MAKES MUSIC THAT IS LESS DEMONSTRATIVE, REJECTING THE POP GESTURES OF THE TURN OF THE CENTURY.

ANYWAY WHILST I AM GENERALLY A FAN OF THIS TRIO THIS ONE DOESN'T HIT ANY SPOT. IT IS MOSTLY COMPRISED OF INTROVERTED SYNTH DRONES OVERLAPPING. NO ONE GETS TOO HEAVY UNTIL THE BACK QUARTER OF THE RECORD WHEN THERE ARE MORE PULSING INDUSTRIAL MOMENTS AND HAINO TURNS FROM FLOWERY GHOST INTO WAILING BANSHEE. 

GENERALLY THESE RECORDS SEEM TO LIVE AND DIE MORE ON WHETHER HAINO IS IN THE MOOD TO BRING THE FIRE. O'ROURKE AND AMBARCHI PLAY AS HIS BACKING BAND DESPITE THE DEMOCRATIC CREDIT SYSTEM. ANYWAY, IT ISN'T BAD, BUT GIVEN THAT THEY HAVE SIZZLED ON A COUPLE OF RECORDS THEY'VE A BAR SET THAT THIS DOESN'T EVEN REMOTELY GET CLOSE TO JUMPING.

TEA TIME FOR THOSE DETERMINED TO COMPLETELY EXHAUST EVERY BIT OF THIS BODY THEY'VE BEEN GIVEN (2015)

THE AMBARCHI/HAINO/O'ROURKE TRIO IS BACK AGAIN AS A CLASSIC POWER TRIO (EXCEPT HAINO SOMETIMES PLAYS FLUTE) FOR THEIR ANNUAL MEETING OF MINDS, THIS TIME ON AMBARCHI'S HOME TURF IN AUSTRALIA.

THIS RELEASE IS ABSOLUTELY KILLER. HAINO PLAYS SKYSCRAPER GUITAR, SCREAMING SHEETS OF PLEASURENOISE OVER A RHYTHM SECTION WHO FIRST TRUDGE AROUND DOOMISHLY AND THEN OPEN UP TOWARD SOMETHING POLITELY FUNKY AND COSMIC. HAINO'S VOCALS ADD A LOT TO THIS TOO, EVEN IF I CAN'T TELL A WORD OF WHAT HE'S GHOSTLY WAILING ABOUT.

SIDE A PEAKS GLORIOUSLY AND REPRESENTS THE TRIO'S FINEST WORK TO DATE (FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF THIS BLOG). SIDE B IS A LITTLE MORE OBTUSE BUT THEY GET TO THE GOOD STUFF. TOP BASS WORK FROM JIM HERE.

CERTIFIED: GOOD.

ONLY WANTING TO MELT BEAUTIFULLY AWAY IS IT A LACK OF CONTENTMENT THAT STIRS AFFECTION FOR THOSE THINGS SAID TO BE AS YET UNSEEN (2011)

ANOTHER COLLABORATION WITH AMBARCHI AND HAINO (THERE ARE A FEW OF THESE, AT LEAST SIX BY MY ESTIMATES) BUT COMPLETELY DIFFERENT FROM THE LAST ONE REVIEWED. THAT ONE SAW THE THREE STUTTER INTO ACID-FRIED SOLAR-POWERED EARTH-BATTERING ROCK, WHICH AT TIMES WAS TROUSER-FLAPPINGLY TRANSCENDENT. 

THIS RECORD IS A MORE RESTRAINED AFFAIR. JIM PLAYS THE 12-STRING ACOUSTIC, AMBARCHI STAYS BEHIND THE TRAPS, WHILE HAINO SINGS PLAINTIVELY AND SWITCHES BETWEEN AN ARSENAL OF INSTRUMENTS INCLUDING THE KANTELE/PSALTERY. LOOK:

RECORDED LIVE AT ROPPONGI ARTVENUE SUPERDELUXE (RIP), MELT... FINDS ALL THREE IN DECENT FORM. I THINK THEY'RE NATURAL COLLABORATORS AND ONE THING THAT IMPRESSES ME ABOUT AMBARCHI IS HIS RESTRAINT AND GIVING OF SPACE. HE'S LIKE THE CENTRAL MIDFIELDER YOU DON'T SEE IN A FOOTBALL GAME, DOING ALL THE DIRTY WORK AND LETTING OTHERS TAKE THE SPOILS.

SOUND-WISE THE RECORD DEVOLVES FROM A PLEASANT OPENING OF FOLK-INSPIRED CHANTING AND PLAYING INTO A FAIR OLD MESS OF NOISE. HAINO DOWNS THE KANTELE AND PLAYS A SYNTH WITH A LITTLE MALICE. ONCE YOU COME OUT OF THE OTHER SIDE, DEEP INTO SIDE B THEY RETURN TO EARTH WITH A GENTLE THUD. 

JUST DYING FOR THESE THREE TO GET THEIR ACT TOGETHER AND DELIVER FOR A FULL-LENGTH RECORD. IT CAN BE DONE! IT MUST BE DONE!

HENCE (2018)

ANOTHER THREE-WAY COLLAB FEATURING OREN AMBARCHI (EXPECT MORE) BUT THIS TIME KEIJI HAINO IS ON HIS LUNCHBREAK AND JAPANESE TABLA MASTER U-ZHAAN STEPS UP.

THIS TIME JIM GOES ALL NEW AGE FANTASY SURVEYS ON A SYNTH (APPARENTLY HE'S A MODULAR GUY NOW) WHILE OREN WIELDS A GUITAR JUDICIOUSLY. U-ZHAAN TAPS ALONG HAPPILY. 

IT IS TOTALLY PLEASANT AND HAPPY NOT TO PUSH ANY REAL BUTTONS. 40 MINUTES JUST DRIFT BY; YOU COULD WORK TO THIS, DO THE DISHES, WALK TO THE SHOPS, DO YOGA. IS IT PARTICULARLY INTERESTING? BY THE STANDARDS OF A LOT OF INDIE AND POP MUSIC OF 2020, I GUESS? BY THE STANDARDS OF JIM O'ROURKE'S BETTER MUSIC? I'D HAVE TO SAY NOT REALLY.

I WONDER IF YOU NOTICED "I'M SORRY" IS SUCH A LOVELY SOUND IT KEEPS THINGS FROM GETTING WORSE (2016)

A THREE-WAY DANCE BETWEEN TOP TIER IMPROVISATIONAL TALENT AND NOW I LOOK DEEPER INTO IT IT SEEMS LIKE THIS TRIUMVIRATE GET TOGETHER PRETTY MUCH EVERY YEAR TO BASH SOMETHING OUT SO THAT'S SOMETHING TO LOOK FORWARD TO ISN'T IT?

KEIJI HAINO SCRATCHES AT A BAGLAMA (A TURKISH VARIANT OF THE GUITAR/BOUZOUKI FAMILY) AND IS BACKED BY OREN AMBARCHI ON THE TRAPS AND JIM PLAYING A BROODING BASS. FOR ABOUT 10 MINUTES I AM VAGUELY PUZZLED AND IT ISN'T HAPPENING: THERE IS NO MAGIC. IT IS JUST AN ANIMAL LOOKING FOR A HOME.

THEN IT JUST WEIRDLY COHERES AS SOME ELECTRONIC STUTTERING COMES IN. FOR A FEW MINUTES THEY'RE REALLY COOKING WITH THE SAME KIND OF ASTRAL MAGIC OF ANY GREAT BAND AT THEIR BEST (IT REMINDED ME OF THE SUMMIT MEETING BETWEEN LSD MARCH AND BARDO POND ACTUALLY).

O'ROURKE AND AMBARCHI, FROM WHAT I CAN TELL (AND THEY MIGHT TELL YOU OTHERWISE), SEEM TO BE HAPPY TO FOLLOW HAINO'S LEAD AND PROVIDE ADROIT AND APPROPRIATE BACKING. TRACK TWO (ALL THE SONGS HAVE LONG TITLES THAT I CANNOT BE BOTHERED TO REPLICATE) FOLLOWS THE SAME PATTERN - SOME INSCRUTABLE AND NOT INTERESTING EVOLUTION AND THEN *WHAMMMO* THE SPARKS START FLYING. IT'S FREE ROCK THAT ACTUALLY FVKKKN ROCKS!

I TELL YOU IF THEY CAN SEE THEIR WAY CLEAR TO EDITING THE DULL BITS DOWN AND GETTING TO THE BIT WHERE THEY'RE MOMENTARILY THE GREATEST AND MOST EXCITING ROCK BAND OF THE DECADE I WILL LOOK FORWARD TO THESE COLLABORATIVE RECORDS SO MUCH MORE. TRACK THREE GETS TO IT A BIT QUICKER AND SUSTAINS IT FOR LONGER, WHILE THE FINAL PIECE GETS STRAIGHT TO IT.

THIS WAS SO CLOSE TO A CERTIFIED: GOOD.