Jim O'Rourke

A re-release of Mego's out-of-print, influential I'm Happy, this double disc set contains some of the prodigiously eclectic O'Rourke's most affecting laptop creations, and is a much revered favourite amongst fans. The mesmerizing, motivic latticework of "I'm Happy" gradually morphs and transmogrifies. Stuttering, shuddering patterns are swallowed by industrial noise to emerge as singing dots of electronic resonances, kind of like Philip Glass with hiccups. "And I'm Singing" stays interesting by alternating repetition and variation through glitchy rhythms and an overall warm sound. The piece has a pleasantly simple harmonic framework that lets the various parts coexist without the need for the resolution of dissonances. "And A 1, 2, 3, 4" is less active than the previous pieces, using a limited number of swelling tones and their high frequency correlatives in a slow motion dance. The set's three bonus tracks include a sumptuously noisy "Let's Take It Again From The Top," with throbbing, gloopy drips and static-y poings colliding with sci-fi sounds, and the previously unreleased "Getting the Vapors," plus a track done for Herbert Brenon's silent film He Who Laughs. This is a must-have package for all O'Rourke-ophiles.