IDM Mailing Archive

quoted 3 lines What's the connection btw Illusion of Safety and Jim O' Rourke?

> What's the connection btw Illusion of Safety and Jim O' Rourke? > > Any?

Ummm, I saw both of them this weekend! -- Illusion of Safety opened up for KK Null (mmmmm....noise....) and O'Rourke opened for Tom Ze/Tortoise. But seriously, O'Rourke worked with Illusion of Safety five (?) or so years ago and appeared on "Probe" (Staalplaat), I think. As far as the shows go, Illusion of Safety crapped all over O'Rourke -- some serious metal machine mutations and beat carnage to rival any of yr IDM-ier groups. O'Rourke shuffled around the stage, looked sheepish, tuned his guitar, and did a couple of pop songs. Tom Ze on the other hand was out of this world -- jumping around the stage, taking his shirt off, etc. For the last song, he and the geeks from Tortoise dressed up in construction gear (helmets, goggles) and started hitting each other to create a miniature percussion ensemble. Then the lights went down, two table-saws were wheeled out (!), and Ze began sharpening knives to add to the percussion ensemble (and create some insane showers of sparks). Needless to say, it was one of the most entertaining shows I've been to in ages... Null was quite good too, with just a patch cord hooked in to about 20 boxes, pedals and what have you to create an ungodly racket. I think he's in Detroit tomorrow. .John.

quoted 2 lines guitar, and did a couple of pop songs. Tom Ze on the other hand was out of

> guitar, and did a couple of pop songs. Tom Ze on the other hand was out of > this world -- jumping around the stage, taking his shirt off, etc.

ok, i yield. the very idea of tom ze now has me hooked. looking for recommendations on an album or two to start with. thanks! r o b

Well, that's a tough question... If you're hardcore IDM and pretty much resistant to World/Brazilian music, then most everything he's done is going to sound a bit worldbeat-ish... But the latest album, "Fabrication Defect" is quite good in that vein; there are a lot of short, brilliant little hooks using tropical guitars, voices, percussion and other things. His lyrics are really bizarre (most in Portuguese, but translated in the liners). Most of the experimentation he's known for doesn't sound *too* extreme though (esp. compared to music on this list) but he's still a lot of fun. You can probably find some sound-clips on cdnow.com or somewhere similar. There are also two compilations (possibly out of print) on Luaka Bop of mid-'70s material (?) -- they're not bad, but surprisingly aren't as good as his newer records... If you want some real far-out shit, shoot for Os Mutantes (good collection just released on Luaka Bop/WB) and Gilberto Gil's third album "Cerebro Eletrico." Lots of fun with variable speed reel-to-reel tape, pitched-down turntables, feedback, etc. Must have been something in the water... .John.