http://www.orenambarchi.com/ Oren Ambarchi is an electronic guitarist and percussionist with longstanding interests in transcending conventional instrumental approaches. Born in Sydney in 1969, he has been performing live since 1986. His work focuses mainly on the exploration of the guitar, “re-routing the instrument into a zone of alien abstraction where it’s no longer easily identifiable as itself. Instead, it’s a laboratory for extended sonic investigation”. (The Wire, UK). en Copyright 2012 Thu, 02 Feb 2012 09:19:58 +0000 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/ http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss The Outer Church (blog): When someone tweeted earlier today that Oren Ambarchi had covered Ace Frehley's instrumental 'Fractured Mirror' - the closing track from his magnificent 1978 debut solo album - I had to investigate. I'm happy to confirm that Ambarchi's version is every bit as good as I'd hoped, retaining the bittersweet beauty of the original while making a case for its validity as work of non-canonical minimalism. 'Fractured Mirror' is a special track for me, for reasons I find very interesting and rather unusual. Thing is, the track reminds me of a very specific time in my life - in fact a very specific moment. So far, so nostalgic. But what I find curious is that at that particular point in time, I had not heard this piece of music. It took about a decade for me to discover that Frehley had recorded a composition that reached forward in time to that moment, distilled its essence with pinpoint accuracy, then lay in wait for me to stumble across it and find myself involuntarily transported back to that moment. Suffice to say, this raises some interesting questions concerning the less-than-straightforward relationship between music and nostalgia. http://www.orenambarchi.com/kiss_kiss.html http://www.orenambarchi.com/kiss_kiss.html left Thu, 02 Feb 2012 09:19:58 +0000 (A hi-res version can be downloaded here)]]> http://www.orenambarchi.com/new_publicity_shot_by_paul_gallagher.html http://www.orenambarchi.com/new_publicity_shot_by_paul_gallagher.html left Mon, 30 Jan 2012 00:14:10 +0000 Order in the TouchShop - this item will be shipped the week beginning January 30th 2012 Track listing: 1. Salt - 5:30 2. Knots - 33:23 3. Passage - 6:41 4. Fractured Mirror - 8:20 On "Audience of One", Oren Ambarchi presents a four-part suite which moves from throbbing minimalism to expansive song-craft to ecstatic free-rock. His previous solo albums for Touch exhibited a clear progression towards augmenting and embellishing his signature bass-heavy guitar tones with fragile acoustic instrumentation. Audience of One, while also existing in clear continuity with these recordings, opens the next chapter. Remarkable in its confidence and breadth, but also in the sensuous immediacy of its details, this is the first time a single record has come close to encapsulating Ambarchi’s musical personality in its full range and singularity. The techniques and strategies developed in his refined improvisational work with Keith Rowe and his explorations of the outer limits of rock with Sunn O))) and Keiji Haino are both in evidence, alongside the meticulous attention to detail and composition of his solo works. And on the cover of Ace Frehley’s ‘Fractured Mirror’ which closes the record, Ambarchi even points to his roots as a classic rock fanatic, in an epic yet faithful version which extends the shimmering guitar patters of the original into a rich field of phase patters reminiscent of the classic American minimalism of Reich and Riley. The album features a multitude of collaborators, who, far from appearing in incidental roles, are integral to the pieces on which they perform: on ‘Salt’, Ambarchi paints a hypnotic, chiming backdrop for Paul Duncan’s (Warm Ghost) vocals, and Joe Talia’s virtuoso drumming and driving cymbals are at the core of the epic ‘Knots’, in which Ambarchi, alongside a chamber arrangement by Eyvind Kang, weaves a net of frequencies and textures with the organic push and pull of a 70s psych jam, the bass response of a doom metal ritual and the psycho-acoustic precision of an Alvin Lucier composition. On his previous records, Ambarchi’s signature guitar tone was the ever-present bedrock over which other elements sounded. At moments on Audience of One, this disappears entirely, as on the beautiful ‘Passage’, which, recalling the 70’s Italian non-academic minimalism of Roberto Cacciapaglia and Giusto Pio, is composed of overlapping tones from Hammond organ and wine glasses, Jessika Kenney's voice, various acoustic instruments, and the delicate amplified textures of Canadian sound-artist Crys Cole. Rather than being provided by any particular sound, the unified feel of Audience to One stems simply from the unique, patient sensibility Ambarchi has developed over the last twenty years; abstracting musical forms into their barest forms, while somehow always managing to leave their emotive power intact. [Francis Plagne] Buy Oren Ambarchi "Audience of One" [CD] in the TouchShop www.orenambarchi.com]]> http://www.orenambarchi.com/to83_oren_ambarchi_audience_of_one.html http://www.orenambarchi.com/to83_oren_ambarchi_audience_of_one.html left Sat, 21 Jan 2012 15:09:47 +0000 http://eastbrunswickclub.com/ Wed Dec 14 Oren Ambarchi & Joe Talia duo + Botborg, Cat Hope, Amanda Stewart & more @ Now Now 2012 Festival Launch The Red Rattler Theatre 6 Faversham St. Marrickville Sydney Australia http://redrattler.org/event/379/The+NOW+now+2012+Festival+Program+Launch 2012 Thu Jan 19 Keiji Haino/Jim O'Rourke/Oren Ambarchi + Charlemagne Palestine @ The Playhouse Kitakyushu Performing Arts Centre River Walk 6F Kitakyushu Japan http://www.cca-kitakyushu.org/english/events/index.shtml Sun Jan 22 Jim O'Rourke & Oren Ambarchi duo + Crys Cole @ Urban Guild 3F Le New Kyoto Building, Kiyamachi, Sanjo-sagaru, Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto Japan http://www.urbanguild.net/ Thu Jan 26 Jim O'Rourke & Oren Ambarchi duo @ SuperDeluxe 3-1-25 NishiAzabu B1F Minato-ku, Tokyo Japan http://www.super-deluxe.com/ Mon Jan 30 Haino Keiji/Jim O'Rourke/Oren Ambarchi trio @ SuperDeluxe 3-1-25 NishiAzabu B1F Minato-ku, Tokyo Japan http://www.super-deluxe.com/ Thu Feb 16 Oren Ambarchi and James Rushford's "Wreckage" + Alvin Lucier's "Still Lives" @ Melbourne Recital Centre, 31 Sturt Street, Southbank Melbourne Australia http://www.melbournerecital.com.au/whatson/buytix?perfid=3672]]> http://www.orenambarchi.com/upcoming_shows_winter_201112.html http://www.orenambarchi.com/upcoming_shows_winter_201112.html left Mon, 05 Dec 2011 15:45:28 +0000 here]]> http://www.orenambarchi.com/interview_in_musiquemachine.html http://www.orenambarchi.com/interview_in_musiquemachine.html left Sun, 13 Nov 2011 15:31:00 +0000 http://www.supersonicfestival.com/ Mon Oct 24 Fire! with Oren Ambarchi @ CCA 5 Glasgow Scotland UK http://www.cca-glasgow.com/home Tue Oct 25 Fire! with Oren Ambarchi + John Wall & Mark Durgan @ Arnolfini 16 Narrow Quay Bristol UK http://www.arnolfini.org.uk/whatson/music/ Wed Oct 26 Fire! with Oren Ambarchi @ The Vortex 11 Gillett Sqaure London http://www.vortexjazz.co.uk/ Thu Oct 27 Fire! with Oren Ambarchi @ The Vortex 11 Gillett Sqaure London http://www.vortexjazz.co.uk/ Sat Oct 29 Fire! with Oren Ambarchi @ Soy Festival Château des Ducs de Bretagne - Grande Salle du Harnachement Nantes France http://www.myspace.com/festivalsoy Sun Oct 30 Oren Ambarchi solo @ Soy Festival Maison des Compagnons du Devoir - 48 quai Malakoff Nantes France http://www.myspace.com/festivalsoy Tue Nov 1 Oren Ambarchi solo + Alan Licht @ Batofar Paris France http://www.batofar.org/ Wed Nov 2 Oren Ambarchi solo @ Sonic Lyon 4 quai des Etroits Lyon France http://www.myspace.com/events/View/11553105/Sonic-Lyon/ Sat Nov 5 Oren Ambarchi solo + The Necks @ Kino Siska Trg prekomorskih brigad 3 1000 Ljubljana Slovenia http://www.kinosiska.si/ Sun Nov 6 Oren Ambarchi solo @ Jubez Kronenplatz 1 76133 Karlsruhe Germany http://www.jubez.de/ Mon Nov 7 Keiji Haino/Stephen O'Malley/Oren Ambarchi trio @ Hebbel am Ufer Hallesches Ufer 32 10963 Berlin Germany http://www.hebbel-am-ufer.de/ Tue Nov 8 Keiji Haino/Stephen O'Malley/Oren Ambarchi trio + Lasse Marhaug @ La Gaite Lyrique 3bis rue Papin 75003 Paris France http://www.gaite-lyrique.net/ Sat Nov 12 Oren Ambarchi solo @ Jolt Festival Gare du Nord Schwarzwaldallee 200 4058 Basel Switzerland http://www.garedunord.ch/]]> http://www.orenambarchi.com/upcoming_shows.html http://www.orenambarchi.com/upcoming_shows.html left Mon, 17 Oct 2011 11:37:51 +0000 Sat Aug 27 Husbands + Wunderlust @ Revolver 229 Chapel St, Prahran VIC, Australia www.revolverupstairs.com.au
Sun Aug 28 Husbands + Wunderlust, Marco Fusinato @ The Tote 71 Johnston St, Collingwood VIC, Australia www.thetotehotel.com
Sun Sept 4 Oren Ambarchi solo @ Scaniaparken Malmo, Sweden scaniaparkproject.blogspot.com
Sun Sept 11 Oren Ambarchi & James Rushford's "Wreckage" Performed by Oren Ambarchi & ensemble neoN, conducted by Jan Martin Smordal @ Ultima Festival Henie Onstad Art Centre Sonja Henie Vel 31, NO-1311 Høvikodden, Norway www.ultima.no]]> http://www.orenambarchi.com/august_september_live_shows.html http://www.orenambarchi.com/august_september_live_shows.html left Wed, 10 Aug 2011 15:01:56 +0000 Oren Ambarchi : Guitar, Synth, Percussion Jim O'Rourke : Strings, Synth, Percussion DEMEGO 021 Recorded & Mixed at Steamroom, Tokyo, Jan 2011 Cut at Dubplates & Mastering, Berlin, May 2011 Photographs by Shunichiro Okada Design by Takashi Site While Oren Ambarchi and Jim O’Rourke have collaborated in a number of forms, from remixes to their acclaimed trio with Keiji Haino, Indeed is their first duo album. One long electro-acoustic exploration (presented here as two side-long pieces), what Ambarchi and O’Rourke proffer up here is also melodic and approachable, bringing to mind the warm post-minimalism of composers like Alvin Curran, David Behrman and Luciano Cilio. Indeed, it sounds a bit like the collective textural and melodic personality of their respective solo albums filtered through the highpoints of the Lovely Music catalogue. Beginning with a sequence of analogue electro-acoustic crunch before settling into a warm synth glow highlighted by the occasional melodic or percussive detail, it sounds like the music that two guys who have honed their skills through years of composition, pop songwriting and rigorous improvisation make when they’re having fun in the studio. [Francis Plagne] Available from the TouchShop...]]> http://www.orenambarchi.com/oren_ambarchi_jim_orourke_indeed.html http://www.orenambarchi.com/oren_ambarchi_jim_orourke_indeed.html left Sun, 03 Jul 2011 10:32:43 +0000 Touch Recipe Book]]> http://www.orenambarchi.com/orens_recipes_in_the_touch_recipe_book.html http://www.orenambarchi.com/orens_recipes_in_the_touch_recipe_book.html left Thu, 30 Jun 2011 13:08:51 +0000 http://front.bc.ca/newmusic/events/3394 Fri July 15 Oren Ambarchi solo @ Substrata Chapel Performance Space 4649 Sunnyside Ave. N Seattle WA Seattle 98103 USA http://irisarri.org/SUBSTRATA/tickets.html]]> http://www.orenambarchi.com/live_dates_july_2011.html http://www.orenambarchi.com/live_dates_july_2011.html left Wed, 29 Jun 2011 12:32:37 +0000 Oren Ambarchi & Robin Fox have just completed the score for a new Chunky Move dance production called CONNECTED. Teaming up with Californian artist, Reuben Margolin, director Gideon Obarzanek animates both the body and the machine through physical connection between the dancers and Margolin’s purpose-built, kinetic sculpture. Reuben’s startlingly live sculptural works – constructed from wood, re-cycled plastic, paper and steel – transcend their concrete forms once set into motion, appearing as natural waveforms in a weightless kinetic flow. Suspended by hundreds of fine strings receiving information from multiple camshafts and wheels, his sculptures reveal in articulate detail the impulses of what they are coupled to. In this world premiere of connected, it is people – athletic and agile dancers’ bodies twisting and hurtling through space, as well as people in recognisable situations. Beginning with simple movements and hundreds of tiny pieces, the dancers build their performance while they construct the sculpture in real time. During the performance, these basic elements and simple physical connections quickly evolve into complex structures and relationships. The show has just completed it's premiere run in Melbourne, with upcoming shows in Sydney, Seoul and the USA thru 2010-2011 short film here]]> http://www.orenambarchi.com/oren_ambarchi_robin_fox.html http://www.orenambarchi.com/oren_ambarchi_robin_fox.html left Mon, 21 Mar 2011 11:47:12 +0000 www.thetoffintown.com/
Tue April 12 Oren Ambarchi solo + Quentin Sirjacq, Steve Argüelles @ Les College De Bernardins 18 - 24 rue de Poissy 75005 Paris France www.collegedesbernardins.fr/
Wed April 13 Keiji Haino/Stephen O'Malley/Oren Ambarchi trio @ OCCII Amstelveenseweg 134 1075 XL Amsterdam Netherlands http://occii.org/
Thu April 14 Oren Ambarchi & Joe Talia duo + Christoph Heemann + Maya Dunietz performing Alvin Lucier @ Cafe Oto 18-22 Ashwin St London E8 3DL, United Kingdom www.cafeoto.co.uk/
Sat April 16 Oren Ambarchi solo + Genevieve Lacey solo + cr0w @ Sligo New Music Festival The Model The Mall, Sligo, Co. Sligo, Ireland http://themodel.ie/music/sligo-new-music-festival
Sun April 17 Oren Ambarchi & Genevieve Lacey duo @ Sligo New Music Festival The Model The Mall, Sligo, Co. Sligo, Ireland http://themodel.ie/music/sligo-new-music-festival]]> http://www.orenambarchi.com/live_dates_april_2011.html http://www.orenambarchi.com/live_dates_april_2011.html left Mon, 21 Mar 2011 11:42:39 +0000 ...There Is No Need For A Subject Recorded one year after the international trio of Keiji Haino, Jim O'Rourke and Oren Ambarchi's first release (Tima Formosa [BT 004CD]), In A Flash Everything Comes Together As One There Is No Need For A Subject presents the entirety of a live performance that took place at SuperDeluxe, Tokyo on January 24th 2010. For their second performance together, the trio opted for an entirely different instrumental configuration. Here they form a classic power trio: Ambarchi on drums, O'Rourke on bass and Haino on guitar, vocals, electronics and, in one amazing passage, lap steel. While the instrumentation has changed, the mysterious atmosphere of their first collaboration remains: far from a rock genre exercise, this performance is steeped in the dark ritualistic mood that characterizes all of Haino's best work. Haino is in truly phenomenal form herein, foregoing the single-instrument explorations of much of his recent solo work and his more peripheral role on the trio's first release for a virtuosic and wide-ranging performance that takes in piercing leads, delicate strumming, jarring lap-steel interjections and his inimitable vocal caresses and howls. O'Rourke's bass sometimes merges with Haino's guitar to form crumbling walls of noise; at other times his dark ostinatos and runs add melodic weight. Ambarchi's drumming moves from delicate, propulsive cymbal work to endless thundering streams of free-pulse pounding. The title of the release is appropriate: from the spacious and unpredictable slow-mo interactions of the first piece (reminiscent of some of the greatest Fushitsusha moments) to the wild free-riffing that concludes the performance, the trio seems uncannily attuned to one-another's movements, and everything truly "comes together as one." Released as a limited edition double LP in a lavish gatefold with printed inner sleeves, designed by Stephen O'Malley with high quality live shots by Ujin Matsuo and a stunning cover-image by noise-guitar blaster and internationally renowned visual artist Marco Fusinato. Vinyl cut made by Rashad Becker at Dubplates & Mastering. This release can be obtained from Forced Exposure in the USA]]> http://www.orenambarchi.com/ambarchiorourkehaino_in_a_flash_everything_comes_together_as_one.html http://www.orenambarchi.com/ambarchiorourkehaino_in_a_flash_everything_comes_together_as_one.html left Wed, 02 Mar 2011 09:36:55 +0000 Jan 6 Keiji Haino/Jim O'Rourke/Oren Ambarchi trio @ Super Deluxe Tokyo Japan http://www.super-deluxe.com/2011/1/6/haino-o039rourke-ambarchi/ Jan 10 Thomas Brinkmann/Mika Vainio/Oren Ambarchi trio @ Playhouse Kitakyushu Performing Arts Center Kitakyushu Japan http://www.cca-kitakyushu.org/english/index.html Jan 24 & Jan 25 Oren Ambarchi solo performance to the film 'Earth' by Ho Tzu Nyen @ Sydney Festival Artspace Woolloomooloo Sydney Australia http://www.sydneyfestival.org.au/2011/Free/Earth-Ho-Tzu-Nyen/ Jan 30 Oren Ambarchi/Joe Talia duo + The Thing + Alan Courtis @ Northcote Social Club Northcote Melbourne Australia http://northcotesocialclub.com/]]> http://www.orenambarchi.com/live_dates_january_2011.html http://www.orenambarchi.com/live_dates_january_2011.html left Mon, 20 Dec 2010 10:22:09 +0000 Thu Nov 25 Oren Ambarchi solo @ Send + Receive Festival Winnipeg Art Gallery, Muriel Richardson Auditorium 300 Memorial Blvd Winnipeg Canada http://www.sendandreceive.org/ Sun Nov 28 Keith Rowe & Oren Ambarchi duo @ Send + Receive Festival Urban Shaman Gallery, 203 – 290 McDermot Ave. Winnipeg Canada http://www.sendandreceive.org/ Tue Nov 30 Keith Rowe/Oren Ambarchi/crys cole trio @ The Music Gallery 197 John Street Toronto Canada http://www.musicgallery.org/ Wed Dec 1 Keith Rowe/Oren Ambarchi/crys cole solos + trio @ Sala Rossa 4848 St.Laurent Montreal Quebec Canada http://www.casadelpopolo.com/contents/lasalarossa Thu Dec 2 Oren Ambarchi solo + Northhampton Wools (Thurston Moore & Bill Nace) + Carlos Giffoni @ Le Poisson Rouge 158 Bleecker St New York NYC USA http://lepoissonrouge.com/ Sat Dec 4 Keith Rowe/Oren Ambarchi/crys cole trio + Loren Connors @ Littlefield 622 Degraw Brooklyn New York USA http://www.littlefieldnyc.com/ Fri Dec 10 Oren Ambarchi/Pooya Mehman Pazir/Samira Karimi trio @ Arts Centre 100 St Kilda Rd Melbourne http://www.theartscentre.com.au http://www.orenambarchi.com/live_dates_winter_2010.html http://www.orenambarchi.com/live_dates_winter_2010.html left Wed, 10 Nov 2010 08:06:44 +0000