keiji haino / jim o’rourke / oren ambarchi “imikuzushi” double long playing record set

• still unable to throw off that teaching
  a heart left abandoned
  unable to get inside that empty space
  nerves freezing
  that unconcealed sadness?
  
  
• ready and waiting
  ready and tired of waiting
  this happiness
  hovers for a while opaque..
  
  
• invited in
  practically drawn in by something
  facing the exit of this hiding place
  who is it? that went in..
  
  
• an acute sensitivity is
  not simply a "madness"
  an acute sensitivity
  to the resonance of "i love you"
  teaches us just a little something
  it's not that we can't do something
  it's just that we haven't done it yet...

black truffle press release...

keiji haino / jim o’rourke / oren ambarchi imikuzushi label: black truffle format: 2lp catalogue number: bt07 release date: 2/28/2012 the yearly summit of keiji haino, jim o'rourke and oren ambarchi continues with imikuzushi, which finds the group extending the power-trio strategies of 2011's highly-praised in a flash everything comes together as one there is no need for a subject (bt 005lp) and bringing to them a newly-sustained intensity. for this performance, haino limits himself to electric guitar and vocals, forming complex networks of slashing rhythm work, noise squall and chromatic shredding, moving at times to near-silent passages of howled vocals and isolated, hanging guitar strums. the tendency towards driving free-rock which surfaced on moments of the trio's last release is cemented here, with o'rourke's fuzzed-out, non-linear bass riffing moving the music into almost garage-rock areas, combining with ambarchi's drums to form a bedrock of hypnotic, metronomic pounding which transforms itself effortlessly into passages of flowing free-time. like all of haino's best work, the trio transcends any 'rock' genre exercise to enter a non-idiomatic zone of ritual intensity, creating a music formed purely out of instrumental and group-mind possibility. presented as four unedited excerpts salvaged from an epic show that lasted well over three hours, the sometimes raw nature of the recording only adds to its directness and harshly emotive quality. - francis plagne, melbourne, november, 2011 design by stephen o'malley (sunn o)))) with high quality live shots by ujin matsuo and stunning images by tokyo-based photographer and sound artist shunichiro okada.

keiji haino / jim o’rourke / oren ambarchi “imikuzushi” compact disc

• still unable to throw off that teaching
  a heart left abandoned
  unable to get inside that empty space
  nerves freezing
  that unconcealed sadness?
  
  
• ready and waiting
  ready and tired of waiting
  this happiness
  hovers for a while opaque..
  
  
• invited in
  practically drawn in by something
  facing the exit of this hiding place
  who is it? that went in..
  
  
• an acute sensitivity is
  not simply a "madness"
  an acute sensitivity
  to the resonance of "i love you"
  teaches us just a little something
  it's not that we can't do something
  it's just that we haven't done it yet...

black truffle press release...

keiji haino / jim o’rourke / oren ambarchi imikuzushi label: black truffle format: cd catalogue number: bt07 release date: 2/28/2012 the yearly summit of keiji haino, jim o'rourke and oren ambarchi continues with imikuzushi, which finds the group extending the power-trio strategies of 2011's highly-praised in a flash everything comes together as one there is no need for a subject (bt 005lp) and bringing to them a newly-sustained intensity. for this performance, haino limits himself to electric guitar and vocals, forming complex networks of slashing rhythm work, noise squall and chromatic shredding, moving at times to near-silent passages of howled vocals and isolated, hanging guitar strums. the tendency towards driving free-rock which surfaced on moments of the trio's last release is cemented here, with o'rourke's fuzzed-out, non-linear bass riffing moving the music into almost garage-rock areas, combining with ambarchi's drums to form a bedrock of hypnotic, metronomic pounding which transforms itself effortlessly into passages of flowing free-time. like all of haino's best work, the trio transcends any 'rock' genre exercise to enter a non-idiomatic zone of ritual intensity, creating a music formed purely out of instrumental and group-mind possibility. presented as four unedited excerpts salvaged from an epic show that lasted well over three hours, the sometimes raw nature of the recording only adds to its directness and harshly emotive quality. - francis plagne, melbourne, november, 2011 design by stephen o'malley (sunn o)))) with high quality live shots by ujin matsuo and stunning images by tokyo-based photographer and sound artist shunichiro okada.

thomas brinkmann / oren ambarchi “the mortimer trap” compact disc

• the mortimer trap (77:45)

black truffle press release...

thomas brinkmann & oren ambarchi the mortimer trap label: black truffle format: cd catalogue number: bt06 release date: 2/14/2012 the mortimer trap is an epic, 77-minute "variation" of morton feldman's for bunita marcus, constructed by german experimentalist and techno icon thomas brinkmann and australian sound artist oren ambarchi. pulsating waves of claustrophobic ambience generated from who-knows-what patiently builds into a throbbing, rhythmic pulse of gorgeous sonic density. since the '80s, thomas brinkmann has experimented with sound, its textures and its construction methods. his custom-built two-arm turntable on concept 1, the sampling of damaged records on klick and various experiments with carved-groove vinyl are just a handful of career highlights that mark brinkmann out as a true musical pioneer. oren ambarchi, primarily known for his solo guitar records for the touch label, has worked with a diverse array of artists such as keiji haino, fennesz, phill niblock, jim o'rourke, voice crack, keith rowe and sunn 0))). ambarchi and brinkmann first worked together in japan in january 2011 in a trio with mika vainio. the mortimer trap is their first collaborative work as a duo.

oren ambarchi / fennesz / pimmon / peter rehberg / keith rowe “afternoon tea” compact disc

• afternoon tea 1 (19:15)
  
• afternoon tea 2 (24:37)
  
• no title (3:33)
  
• live tea 1 (12:44)
  
• live tea 2 (8:27)

black truffle press release...

ambarchi / fennesz / pimmon / rehberg / rowe afternoon tea label: black truffle format: cd catalogue number: bt03 who would have thought a relaxed sunny afternoon, newfound friendships and some spur-of-the-moment would have resulted in what’s been described as ’one of the most compelling documents of both free improvisation and electronica’ (all music guide) ? it’s the people involved in ’afternoon tea’ - originally released in 2000 on german label ritornell and now reissued on black truffle with a new master, bonus tracks and newly discovered live recordings after years of being out of print - that ensured it as more than a happy accident. the twin guitar presence of amm’s keith rowe and oren ambarchi and kindred spirits of the laptop - sydney’s pimmon, vienna’s christian fennesz and peter rehberg - made it a momentous day. with all the players coming together during the 2000 what is music? festival, ’afternoon tea’ stands as a highpoint of the then-emerging intersection between powerbook performance and guitar improvisation. all subtlety, nuance and detail, it is a revelation of restraint. built on a steadying flow of burbling rhythm, the quintet slowly weave around each others’ sonics in layers to create a tonal palette immersive in its atmosphere and magnetic in its compulsion. hindsight clearly reveals the heart of these pieces - important to note considering they were recorded at a time when laptop performance was an alien concept to many in experimental music, suffering controversy and backlash as well as an over-abundance of pale approaches from many who took it on as novelty as opposed to serious musical pursuit. those involved in the 'afternoon tea' session left their australian tour inspired, citing their merry time in the country eating, drinking and hanging out at the beach as well as their performances as a direct influence on their following work. many great live recordings were spawned from the tour itself including rehberg & bauer's 'passt', fennesz' 'live at revolver' (both on touch) and a collaboration between him and new zealand's rosy parlane (released on synaesthesia). additionally the seeds were sown for the fennesz classic 'endless summer' from 2001 (mego). ’afternoon tea’ remains one of the quiet and real achievers for experimental music of the past decade. remastered in may 2009 and with artwork designed by stephen o'malley.

oren ambarchi “stacte.3” compact disc

• stacte.3a (14:15)
  
• stacte.3b (22:41)

black truffle press release...

oren ambarchi stacte.3 label: black truffle format: cd catalogue number: bt01 originally released in 2000 as a limited vinyl only album, 'stacte.3' is now available on cd for the first time. described by wire scribe jon dale as "alvin lucier and cluster collaborating for mego", the concept of oren ambarchi's 'stacte' lp series - now comprising of five volumes - began in 1998. the first few 'stacte' lps were self-released by ambarchi and featured his earliest explorations of the guitar and its sonic possibilities after a period known as a drummer in post-punk, noise and free jazz outfits. an idea was explored and investigated at length using a spontaneous approach, with ambarchi treating each side of the vinyl like a canvas, slowly capturing a moment, patiently teasing every nuance and implication from each texture. his method allowed the listener to sink their teeth into something substantial over the course of the lp side's entire duration, resulting in an otherworldly, cumulative impact of patiently unfolding compositions. the 'stacte.3' release (especially the lp's second side) was a breakthrough for ambarchi and it defined the parameters for his subsequent projects such as 2001's 'suspension' and 'grapes from the estate' from 2004, both released on the legendary uk label touch. 'stacte.3' is an early glimpse of ambarchi at his most raw and minimal and it's a fascinating, integral listen in his catalogue of sound works. remastered in december 2008 and with artwork designed by stephen o'malley.