Jim O'Rourke

很多人都將Jim O'Rourke視為實驗音樂的奇才，到今天（1999年）他才29歲，但已發(fā)行了10張大碟，與其他藝術(shù)家們的合作更是不計其數(shù)，看看下面這個“恐怖”的“黑名單”吧（先深呼吸一下）：Henry Kaiser, Illusion of Safety, John Oswald, Christoph Heemann, John Duncan, Voice Crack, Eddie Prévost, Kazuyuki Null, Louis Moholo, Derek Bailey, Eugene Chadbourne, Hugh Davies, Keith Rowe以及David Jackman, 當然，這只是其中的一小部分。他的唱片所涉及的領域之廣也算一絕：guitar improvisation, musiqueconcréte, 甚至還有與傳統(tǒng)器樂樂隊的合作。
他可能是唯一一位既為諸如Extreme和Staalplaat這樣的廠牌錄制唱片又幫Kronos Quartet和the RovaSaxophone Quartet作曲的音樂家，但如果你知道他是怎樣的一個謙遜而雅致的家伙的話，這一切其實并不重要。Jim O'Rourke在DePaul University取得作曲系學士學位，這種背景與那些偶爾拿出來與他相比較的post-industrial團體們顯然很不一樣。他的表演生涯是從1987年于Chicago開始的，那時他是The Elvis Messiahs這個團體的成員之一，按照Please Join Us雜志的說法，這個團玩的是噪音式的戲劇風格的自由即興，經(jīng)常演出，并和Nicolas Collins及Jack Wright之類的怪物搞在一起。
1988年，O'Rourke從The Elvis Messiahs脫離，加入了Dan Burke的post-industrial打擊團體-- Illusion of Safety，并參與了樂隊數(shù)張唱片的錄制，在象是Probe和Historical這樣的唱片中，他的影響是很明顯的。這些只是此人的一些早期經(jīng)歷，其實只要是比較關(guān)心西方實驗音樂的朋友就不難發(fā)現(xiàn)，他幾乎是目前在各種實驗音樂媒體中上座率最高的一位。
“當我還是個孩子時，我就常強迫自己去發(fā)現(xiàn)新事物。所以我在學校所聽到的那些音樂就沒有我以前沒聽過的。我不是想吹牛，作曲系的教授們閉門造車到了這種程度：他們甚至不知道誰還活著，而誰，已經(jīng)死去了，對他們而言，音樂在Stockhausen那會兒就已經(jīng)死了，這就是他們所能走到的極限，也許是Steve Reich？‘那個minimalism的玩意’，抱歉，請看看我們的日歷吧，minimalism時代早就過去了，被埋葬了。”
JOR所受的教育看來對他的音樂沒有產(chǎn)生任何影響，他被教授的東西與后序列主義的傳統(tǒng)是緊密相連的，在這里，音樂嚴格的按照一套規(guī)則來寫，而學生們的習作則按它們與規(guī)則的緊密程度來打分（想想吧，同志們，序列主義在造完了古典樂的反之后會淪落到如此次第，比它推翻的“專制者”還專制！您的幽默細胞還不能讓您樂一下？）。“他們根本無需與口味什么的打交道，他們只是把你按一個模子造成一種叫‘教授’的玩意兒。這也是我一出學校就鉆到了Extreme這種廠牌去的原因，因為我在想：‘你們瘋了，但再也管不著我了’”。當然，他只是不與很小的一部分學術(shù)機構(gòu)打交道。
American post-classical composer Jim ORourke has been a key component in the increasing overlap of the American and European experimental music avant-garde, working in everything from jazz and rock to ambient and electro-acoustic and building many a bridge in between. A Chicago native, his work has found equal luck with experimental jazz and noise fanatics, chill room denizens, and bedroom experimentalists, and has had the resultant effect of cross-pollinating many otherwise isolated compositional communities. Dealing most often with prepared guitar in improvisational group settings, ORourke has also released a fair bit of material as a soloist, although more often in the electro-acoustic/musique concrète vein. Hes collaborated with such contemporary improv heroes as Derek Bailey, Henry Kaiser, Eddie Prevost and Keith Rowe (of English improv group AMM), KK Null, David Jackman (Organum), and early Krautrock experimentalists Faust. ORourke is also engaged in an ongoing exploration of experimental rock as a member of Gastr del Sol, whove released albums through the Teen Beat and Table of the Elements labels.
Beginning with guitar at the age of 6, it wasnt until his collegiate career at DePaul University that ORourkes interest in the less obvious possibilities of the instrument led him through the early catalogs of the post-classical and electro-acoustic traditions. While at DePaul, ORourke completed much of the work that would constitute his first few releases. He also had the opportunity to meet up with noted improvisational guitarist Derek Bailey, whose invitation to ORourke to play at the British improv festival Company Week led to further collaborative projects with Bailey, Henry Kaiser, Eddie Prevost, and David Jackman. ORourke began working with Dan Burkes Illusion of Safety project in the early 90s, releasing three albums through Staalplaat and Tesco, before moving on to form experimental rock group Gastr Del Sol with David Grubbs. Although focusing more on collaboration after a string of solo releases in the early 90s, ORourke has shifted back to solo work of late, releasing Terminal Pharmacy through John Zorns Tzadik label and completing commissioned pieces for the Kronos Quartet and the Rova Saxophone Quartet. In 1995, ORourke was invited by German experimental electronic label Mille Plateaux (Oval, Steel, Microstoria) to conduct an extended remix of their entire back catalog. He also produced and co-wrote a good portion of innovative German outfit Fausts Table of the Elements release, Rien. Subsequent releases include 1997s acclaimed Bad Timing and its equally brilliant follow-up, 1999s Eureka.