Behold (Oren Ambarchi and Jim O'Rourke album)

Behold
Studio album by
Oren Ambarchi and Jim O'Rourke
Released3 March 2015 (2015-03-03)
Recorded2012–2013[1]
Studio
  • Steamroom (Tokyo)
  • SuperDeluxe (Tokyo)
  • Chinatown (Melbourne)[1]
Genre
Length42:06
LabelEditions Mego
Oren Ambarchi and Jim O'Rourke chronology
Indeed
(2011) 		Behold
(2015) 		Hence
(2018)

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.[4] It received universal acclaim from critics.[5]

Background

In the 1990s, Oren Ambarchi met Jim O'Rourke in New York, where O'Rourke spotted Ambarchi in a Merzbow T-shirt walking down the street.[6] In a 2024 interview, Ambarchi said, "We're the same age and we love a lot of the same things."[6]

Behold is the duo's first collaborative studio album since Indeed (2011).[7] It consists of two side-long tracks: "Behold A" and "Behold B".[7] On the album, Ambarchi plays guitar and drums, while O'Rourke plays synthesizer and piano.[8] 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."[9]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic83/100[5]
Review scores
SourceRating
Exclaim!5/10[3]
Pitchfork7.6/10[10]
Tiny Mix Tapes[11]
Uncut8/10[12]

According to the review aggregator Metacritic, Behold received "universal acclaim" based on a weighted average score of 83 out of 100 from 6 critic scores.[5]

Danny Riley of The Quietus 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."[13] Philip Sherburne of Pitchfork 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."[10] Marshall Gu of Bandcamp Daily stated, "As the rhythm is almost omnipresent through the album's 42 minutes, Behold is unique among O'Rourke's collaborative albums."[14]

Accolades

Year-end lists for Behold
Publication List Rank Ref.
Pitchfork The Best Experimental Albums of 2015
20
[2]
The Quietus The Quietus Albums of 2015
65
[15]

Track listing

Behold track listing
No.TitleLength
1."Behold A"18:43
2."Behold B"23:23
Total length:42:06

Personnel

Credits adapted from liner notes.[1]

  • 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

  1. ^ a b c Oren Ambarchi and Jim O'Rourke (2015). Behold (vinyl booklet). Editions Mego.
  2. ^ a b "The Best Experimental Albums of 2015". Pitchfork. 23 December 2015. Archived from the original on 9 May 2021. Retrieved 11 May 2025.
  3. ^ a b Murphy, Sarah (31 March 2015). "Oren Ambarchi and Jim O'Rourke". Exclaim!. Archived from the original on 25 June 2022. Retrieved 11 May 2025.
  4. ^ Tuffrey, Laurie (6 January 2015). "LISTEN: Jim O'Rourke & Oren Ambarchi". The Quietus. Archived from the original on 11 May 2025. Retrieved 11 May 2025.
  5. ^ a b c "Behold by Jim O'Rourke". Metacritic. Archived from the original on 16 October 2016. Retrieved 11 May 2025.
  6. ^ a b Richards, Sam (7 March 2024). "Oren Ambarchi: album by album". Uncut. Archived from the original on 16 April 2024. Retrieved 11 May 2025.
  7. ^ a b Hughes, Josiah (6 January 2015). "Oren Ambarchi and Jim O'Rourke Team Up for 'Behold' LP". Exclaim!. Archived from the original on 18 April 2015. Retrieved 11 May 2025.
  8. ^ Wray, Daniel Dylan (20 August 2024). "Oren Ambarchi Explores the Potential of "What If?"". Bandcamp Daily. Archived from the original on 26 November 2024. Retrieved 11 May 2025.
  9. ^ "Experimental pair Oren Ambarchi & Jim O'Rourke announce second collaborative album". Fact. 6 January 2015. Archived from the original on 20 January 2015. Retrieved 11 May 2025.
  10. ^ a b Sherburne, Philip (9 March 2015). "Oren Ambarchi / Jim O'Rourke: Behold". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on 28 May 2022. Retrieved 11 May 2025.
  11. ^ Scott, Jazz. "Oren Ambarchi & Jim O'Rourke - Behold". Tiny Mix Tapes. Archived from the original on 15 May 2015. Retrieved 11 May 2025.
  12. ^ Dale, Jon (April 2015). "New Albums". Uncut. p. 71.
  13. ^ Riley, Danny (3 March 2015). "Oren Ambarchi & Jim O'Rourke — Behold". The Quietus. Archived from the original on 24 December 2024. Retrieved 11 May 2025.
  14. ^ Gu, Marshall (8 May 2023). "A Non-Comprehensive Jim O'Rourke Comprehensive". Bandcamp Daily. Archived from the original on 19 November 2024. Retrieved 11 May 2025.
  15. ^ "The Quietus Albums Of 2015, In Association With Norman Records". The Quietus. 7 December 2015. Archived from the original on 11 August 2024. Retrieved 11 May 2025.
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