Out in the Digital Wilderness: Rare Jim O’Rourke
By David Bernabo
Musician Jim O’Rourke continues to release a startlingly diverse and prolific body of work. Much of that output was documented by Seth Tisue during his 12-year odyssey into building O’Rourke’s discography, but since 2006, the digital whereabouts of O’Rourke’s records are scattered across label sites, internet stores, real life stores, Youtube rips, and more recently, the impressive Steamroom bandcamp page.
As a mega-fan — one who, one night, had to work up the courage to say, “Hi, I really like your work” outside of The Stone — I’ve spent much time and many dollars tracking down rare 7"s, CDs, and LPs. My collection is by no means complete or even close to it, but I still like to seek out the unheard-to-me-O’Rourke tracks.
Youtube, for all of its devious faults, has made that search quicker (read: more rewarding) and easier (read: less rewarding, you know?). Below are a few pieces of music that were new to me. Maybe they will be new to you.
“Natsu No Owari”
In 2013, director Kazuyoshi Kumakiri brought Jakucho Setouchi’s novel Natsu no Owari (The End of Summer) to the big screen. From what I can tell, O’Rourke provided the music. Here is a lovely, simple track.
“Listen Close”
From director Kôji Wakamatsu’s burû film — known in the U.S. as Petrel Hotel Blue — this track starts with gentle fingerpicking before moving into an ambient percussion and vibraphone section. The guitars return as the piece continues to evolve with contrasting piano rhythms and swells of atonality.
“Sketches of Kaitan City”
We’re staying in soundtrack mode but dipping back to 2010. Another score for a Kazuyoshi Kumakiri film. Acoustic guitar, piano, vibes, cello. The music is somewhere near the ballpark of O’Rourke’s excellent The Visitor.
“Endless Cinema”
Jumping from soundtrack work to installation work. “ENDLESS CINEMA” is an installation/performance project that was up in March 2017 at the Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum. Image by Makino Takashi. Both Takashi and O’Rourke are credited with “music,” but I can’t tell if this is collaborative or if the music contributions are separate, stitched together, etc.
“‘88”
This is the first track on Jim O’Rourke’s Old News Vol. 2, a tour-only (right?) CD-r from 2002. This CD-r predates the Old News vinyl series on Editions Mego.
“Mixtape for PBK C100”
This isn’t O’Rourke’s music, but if you’ve read an interview with O’Rourke you’ll know that he doesn’t shy away from talking about music — likes and dislikes. Those interviews are where I heard about Van Dyke Parks, Sparks, and Harold Budd and first caught the cross-referencing bug. This is a mixtape that he made for composer Phillip B. Klingler.
from PBK:
“This has not been available online for quite some time, a mixtape Jim O’Rourke made for me in 1989 when he was still in college. This will give Jim’s fans some correlations towards Jim’s own work. Read more at the link below.
A1 Bernard Parmegianni-La Roue Farris 1971
A2 Jaques LeJeune-Deux Apercus Du Jardin Qui S’eville 1983
A3 Ivo Malec-Reflets 1961
A4 Phillipe Mion-Soupcon Delise 1980
A5 Francois Bayle-Toupie Dans Le Ciel 1979
A6 Pierre Henry-Divinites Paisibles from Le Voyage 1962
A7 Bernard Cavana-Goutte D’or Blues 1985 (from Musiques Contemporaines pour Saxophones on Adda, France)B1 Paul Dolden-Below The Walls Of Jericho (‘88/’89)
B2 Paul Dolden-In The Natural Doorway I Crouch (‘86/’87)
B3 Paul Dolden-Caught In An Octagon of Unaccustomed Light (‘87/’88)More info here: https://meatskull.wordpress.com/2009/...”
