Oren Ambarchi

 
Oren Ambarchi (born 1969 in Australia) is a composer and multi-instrumentalist with longstanding interests in transcending conventional instrumental approaches. 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).
Oren Ambarchi's works are hesitant and tense extended songforms located in the cracks between several schools: modern electronics and processing; laminal improvisation and minimalism; hushed, pensive songwriting; the deceptive simplicity and temporal suspensions of composers such as Morton Feldman and Alvin Lucier; and the physicality of rock music, slowed down and stripped back to its bare bones, abstracted and replaced with pure signal.
From the late 90's his experiments in guitar abstraction and extended technique have led to a more personal and unique sound-world incorporating a broader palette of instruments and sensibilities. On releases such as Grapes From The Estate and In The Pendulum's Embrace Ambarchi has employed glass harmonica, strings, bells, piano, drums and percussion, creating fragile textures as light as air which tenuously coexist with the deep, wall-shaking bass tones derived from his guitar.
Ambarchi works with simple constructs and parameters; exploring one idea over an extended duration and patiently teasing every nuance and implication from each texture; the phenomena of sum and difference tones; carefully tended arrangements that unravel gently; unprepossessing melodies that slowly work their way through various permutations; resulting in an otherworldly, cumulative impact of patiently unfolding compositions.
Ambarchi has performed and recorded with a diverse array of artists such as Fennesz, Otomo Yoshihide, Pimmon, Keiji Haino, John Zorn, Rizili, Voice Crack, Jim O'Rourke, Keith Rowe, Phill Niblock, Dave Grohl, Gunter Muller, Evan Parker, z'ev, Toshimaru Nakamura, Peter Rehberg, Merzbow, Kassel Jaeger, Anthony Pateras, Crys Cole, Giuseppe Ielasi, Judith Hamann, Sunn 0))), James Rushford, Stephen O'Malley and many more.
For 10 years together with Robbie Avenaim, Ambarchi was the co-organiser of the What Is Music? festival, Australia's premier annual showcase of local and international experimental music. Ambarchi now curates the Maximum Arousal series at The Toff In Town in Melbourne and has recently co-produced an Australian television series on experimental music called Subsonics. Ambarchi co-curated the sound program for the 2008 Yokohama Triennale.
Ambarchi has released numerous recordings for international labels such as Touch, Southern Lord, Table Of The Elements and Tzadik. He is the founder of Black Truffle Records.

(external link : orenambarchi.com)
 
Oren Ambarchi - With pats on the head, just one too few is evil one too many is good that\'s all it is (3 vinyl LP)
2024
Black Truffle
The heavyweight trio of Keiji Haino, Jim O'Rourke and Oren Ambarchi return with their 12th and most epic release to date, a monumental triple LP.
Oren Ambarchi - Double Consciousness (vinyl LP)
2023
Matière Mémoire
Over the course of 40 minutes, the guitar treatments of composer, multi-instrumentalist and label head (Black Truffle) Oren Ambarchi (he also plays an audobon bird call) and the percussive work of Eric Thielemans perfectly merge in an outstanding improvisational session.
Oren Ambarchi - Grapes from the Estate (2 vinyl LP)
2023
Black Truffle
sold out
Remastered vinyl version of Oren Ambarchi's landmark release, one of his most beautiful records, at once dense, deep and luminous.
Oren Ambarchi - ਚੈਨਲKAANALचैनलRÁÐעָרוּץ - Godbear Series 004 (vinyl LP)
2022
Matière Mémoire
An original meeting, powerful and explosive, between Charlemagne Palestine, Eric Thielemans and Oren Ambarchi.
Oren Ambarchi - Sagittarian Domain (vinyl LP)
2022
Black Truffle
10th anniversary reissue of this rhythmically churning one-man-band monster of an album, a hypnotic post-/krautrock pulsation recorded in a single inspired studio session, originally released in 2012 on Editions Mego.
Oren Ambarchi - Sagittarian Domain (CD)
2022
Black Truffle
currently out of stock
10th anniversary reissue of this rhythmically churning one-man-band monster of an album, a hypnotic post-/krautrock pulsation recorded in a single inspired studio session, originally released in 2012 on Editions Mego.
Oren Ambarchi - MMXX-16 - Viscount Gort (vinyl EP)
2021
Matière Mémoire
A beautiful work that features piano, electronics, processing, and field recordings.
Oren Ambarchi - In the past only geniuses were capable of staging the perfect crime (also known as a revolution) - Today anybody can accomplish their aims with the push of the button (2 vinyl LP)
2019
Black Truffle
For its 50th release, Black Truffle presents the 9th album from one of the label's core ensembles, the power trio of Keiji Haino, Jim O'Rourke and Oren Ambarchi.


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