''Behold'' is the second collaborative studio album by Australian musician
Oren Ambarchi and American musician
Jim O'Rourke. It was released on 3 March 2015 through
Editions Mego. It received universal acclaim from critics.
Background
In the 1990s, Oren Ambarchi met Jim O'Rourke in New York, where O'Rourke spotted Ambarchi in a
Merzbow
is a Japanese noise project started in 1979 by Masami Akita, best known for a style of harsh noise music. Since 1980, Akita has released over 500 recordings and collaborated with numerous artists.
The name Merzbow comes from the German dada a ...
T-shirt walking down the street.
In a 2024 interview, Ambarchi said, "We're the same age and we love a lot of the same things."
''Behold'' is the duo's first collaborative studio album since ''Indeed'' (2011).
It consists of two side-long songs: "Behold A" and "Behold B".
On the album, Ambarchi played guitar and drums, while O'Rourke played synthesizer and piano. The album is said to blend "field recordings, electronics, guitar, drums and other acoustic instruments into a subtle combination of krautrock, minimalism and classic free flowing electronics."
Critical reception
Danny Riley of ''
The Quietus
''The Quietus'' is a British online music and pop culture magazine founded by John Doran and Luke Turner. The site is an editorially independent publication led by Doran with a group of freelance journalists and critics.
Content
''The Quietu ...
'' stated, "Over the course of two lengthy tracks, experimental mainstays Ambarchi and O'Rourke present a masterful exposition in control; concealing and foregrounding different sounds, pitching moments of abstraction against the delayed revelation of tangible musical ideas, bringing different textural, tonal and rhythmic themes in and out of focus." Philip Sherburne of ''
Pitchfork
A pitchfork or hay fork is an agricultural tool used to pitch loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. It has a long handle and usually two to five thin tines designed to efficiently move such materials.
The term is also applie ...
'' commented that "What most separates ''Behold'' from ''Indeed'' is the new album's strong sense of groove, with Ambarchi carving deep patterns with ride cymbals and hi-hats and ultra-low, chest-caving kick drums."
Marshall Gu of ''
Bandcamp Daily
Bandcamp is an American online music distribution platform founded in 2008 by Oddpost co-founder Ethan Diamond and programmers Shawn Grunberger, Joe Holt and Neal Tucker, with an office and record store in Oakland, California. Acquired by Epi ...
'' stated, "As the rhythm is almost omnipresent through the album's 42 minutes, ''Behold'' is unique among O'Rourke's collaborative albums."
Accolades
Track listing
Personnel
Credits adapted from liner notes.
*
Oren Ambarchi – guitar, drums, etc.
*
Jim O'Rourke – synthesizer, piano, etc.
* Masahide Ando – additional recording
* Joe Talia – additional recording
* CGB – lacquer cut
*
Stephen O'Malley – sleeve/type design
* Shunichiro Okada – photography
References
External links
*
{{Jim O'Rourke
2015 collaborative albums
Oren Ambarchi albums
Jim O'Rourke (musician) albums