Oren Ambarchi - Intermission 2000-2008

Anthology of residual guitar autopsies

Ambarchi’s recent long-players for Touch have been holistic works, carefully designed to be devoured in their entirety. To isolate the individual components of his fabulous Grapes From The Estate (2004) and In The Pendulum’s Embrace (2005) would be to lose sight of the bigger picture; individual tracks acting as sonic signposts to grand sonic vistas. This systemic tactic would initially appear to render such a project as Intermission 2000- 2008 (a mopping-up of compilation contributions and limited edition vinyl releases) as problematic. That’s to vastly underestimate Ambarchi’s incremental evolution as an artist, though, as well as the attention to detail with which he imbues his work.

Take the opening Intimidator (originally released on the limited vinyl version of In The Pendulum’s Embrace on Southern Lord), with its chiming sine wave semaphores, broadcasting alien signals over the moth-eaten breath of a mortally wounded piano. Then there’s the live recording of A Final Kiss On Poisoned Cheeks, which pitches a caravan of chattering Ewoks against an unfurling ribbon of molten low-end flange. These monoliths need no further contextualisation; lone beacons as impressive studies in temporal suspension and minimalist liminality.

4 stars 4 stars 4 stars 4 stars

Touch # | TONE 40

Reviewed by Spencer Grady
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