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Oren Ambarchi

Oren Ambarchi

area: E-Music

© Oren Ambarchi

© Oren Ambarchi

© Oren Ambarchi

Key Facts

nationality

Australia

area

E-Music

residence

Melbourne

recommending institution

institut5haus

time period

May 2003 - May 2003

OREN AMBARCHI

Oren Ambarchi is an electronic guitarist and percussionist with longstanding interests in transcending conventional instrumental approaches. Born in Sydney in 1969, he has been performing live since 1986. 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).
His recent solo releases Suspension and Insulation (Touch, UK), have transcended the guitar into a zone of alien beauty and sonic impossibilities to critical acclaim. In 2002 alone he has made 7 extensive international solo guitar tours.

He has performed and recorded with Martin Ng (Australia), Christian Fennesz (Austria), Otomo Yoshihide (Japan), Pimmon (Australia), John Zorn (USA), Voice Crack (Switzerland), Sachiko M (Japan), Keith Rowe (UK), Phill Niblock (USA), Gunter Muller (Switzerland), Evan Parker (UK), Toshimaru Nakamura (Japan) and many more.

Ambarchi is also co-organiser of the What Is Music? Festival, Australia's premier annual showcase of local and international experimental music. The What Is Music? festival has hosted over 200 local and international performers and is now in its eighth year.

Grants, Awards and Distinctions 2002: Australia Council for the Arts: Grant for duo recording project with Sydney artist Martin Ng
2001: Australia Council for the Arts: Grant for presentation of Sydney/Melbourne What Is Music? Festival 2002
2000: Australia Council for the Arts: Grant for presentation of Sydney/Melbourne What Is Music? Festival 2001
2000: Drum Media magazine listed Insulation as one of the 10 best records of the year.
2000: ABC Classic FM New Music Australia: Winner of Australian Improvisatory Music Festival Award together with Rob Avenaim.
1999: Australia Council for the Arts: Development grant for study and performance in USA with composer John Zorn
1999: Australia Council for the Arts: Grant for presentation of Sydney/Melbourne What Is Music? Festival 2000
1997: Australia Council for the Arts: Development grant for study and performance in USA with composer John Zorn

Lectures 2002: Hautz, Helsinki, Finland: Lecture and workshop with Keith Rowe
2002: Contemporary Centre for the Arts, CCA, Kita Kyushu, Japan: Guest international lecturer and workshop July 2002
2002: UWS, Nepean, Sydney:Lecturer in New Musics course and Free Improvisation course
2001: UWS, Nepean, Sydney:Lecturer in Contemporary Arts 2 course and Free Improvisation course
2000: UWS, Nepean, Sydney:Lecturer in Free Improvisation course
1996: Artrage Festival, Perth: Lecture and workshop on John Zorn's composition COBRA


Performances (selection)
2003
Solo February 2003
Transmediale Festival, Podewil, Berlin, Germany
Nest Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan

March 2003
Live Music for Japanese Dance Troupe Gekidan Kaitaisha's
'The Drifting View X' 3 performances at
Australian Embassy Japan, Azabu-Juban, Tokyo, Japan


2002

Solo Tour March 2002
Kraak 3 festival, Hasselt, Belgium
Kontor, Cologne, Germany
CUBA, Munster, Germany
Zakk, Bremen, Germany
Bragagild, Copenhagen, Denmark
Fylkingen, Stockholm, Sweden

Collaborations March 2002
The Loft, Cologne, Germany, Duo with Keith Rowe (UK)
Lava, Kulterhuset, Stockholm, Sweden with Hazard (Sweden) and Trad Gras Och Stenar (Sweden)

April 2002
Solo performance at REV Festival, Powerhouse, Brisbane
Trio with Brendan Walls and Peter Blamey at Brett Whiteley Gallery
Trio with Martin Ng and Brendan Walls at Sydney University

May 2002
Trio with Martin Ng and Brendan Walls at Sydney University
Duo with Scott Horscroft at Electronic Festival, White Bay

Solo Tour June 2002
Ertz 2002 Festival, Bera (Nafarroa), Spain
Sonar Festival, Barcelona, Spain
ZDB Gallery, Lisbon, Portugal
Maus Habitos, Porto, Portugal

Collaborations June 2002
London Musicians Collective Festival, LMC, Southbank Centre, London, UK with Keith Rowe (UK) & Kaffe Matthews (UK)
Errorclub, Bilbao, Spain with Mattin (Spain)
The Metro, Sydney with Chris Townend, Clare Cooper, Scott Horscroft
Revolver, Melbourne with Chris Townend, Clare Cooper, Scott Horscroft

Collaborations July 2002
Liquid Architecture Festival, Nth Melbourne Town Hall with Martin Ng
Corner Hotel, Melbourne with Gunter Muller (Switzerland) & Phillip Samartzis
Revolver, Melbourne with Michael Stronheim (Austria), Brendan Walls and Scott Horscroft
The Metro, Sydney with Michael Stronheim (Austria), Brendan Walls and Scott Horscroft, Toshimaru Nakamura (Japan) and Tetuzi Akiyama (Japan)
Opera House, Sydney with Chris Abrahams and Rob Avenaim
BJB, Sydney with Voice Crack (Switzerland) and Gunter Muller (Switzerland)

Solo Tour August 2002
Deluxe, Tokyo, Japan
Megahertz, Kita Kyushu, Japan

Collaborations August 2002
Megahertz, Kita Kyushu, Japan with Matthias Gmachl (Austria), Francisco Lopez (Spain), Zbigniew Karkowski (Poland) and ScottArford (USA)
Offsite, Tokyo, Japan with Toshimaru Nakamura (Japan) and Tetuzi Akiyama (Japan)
Performance Space, Sydney with Scott Horscroft

Solo Tour September 2002
Cite Des Ondes, Video Et Art Electronique Festival Montreal, Canada

Collaborations September 2002
Cite Des Ondes, Video Et Art Electronique Festival Montreal, Canada with Masami Akita/Merzbow (Japan), Francisco Lopez (Spain), Shun Okada (Japan), Daniel Menche (USA) and Michael Northam (USA)

Solo Tour October 2002
POL Festival, Frankfurt, Germany
Touch Festival, Rote Fabrik Kulturzentrum, Zurich, Switzerland
Happy New Ears Festival, Kortrijk, Belgium
Blumenladen, Berlin, Germany
Jumo Jazz Club, Helsinki, Finland
Blockhouse, Nantes, France
Bip Hop Festival, Avignon, France

Collaborations October 2002
Mental Alaska, Tampere, Finland duo with Keith Rowe (UK)

The WIRE 20TH Anniversary Festival, Instants Chavires, Paris, France with Keith Rowe (UK) and Evan Parker (UK)

The Guitar, Tokyo, Japan with Keith Rowe (UK), Toshimaru Nakamura (Japan), Otomo Yoshihide (Japan), Taku Sugimoto (Japan), Tetuzi Akiyama (Japan) and Burkhard Stangl (Austria)
(including a performance of Cornelius Cardew's 'TREATISE')

Kid Ailac Hall, Meidaimae, Tokyo with Keith Rowe and Toshimaru Nakamura

Offsite Gallery, Tokyo, with Absolute Antenna


2001

Solo tour May/June/July 2001
Touch 2001 Festival Queen Elizabeth Hall, London, UK BBC Radio 3 Live-to-air performance, London, UK
Global Café London, UK
Tramway Glasgow, Scotland
ZDB Gallery Lisbon, Portugal
OT 301 Amsterdam, Holland
VPRO Radio Live-to-air performance feature, Amsterdam, Holland Extrapool, Nijmegen, Holland
SSK Cologne, Germany
CUBA Munster, Germany
AZ Conni Dresden, Germany
Volker Kassel, Germany
Rhiz Vienna, Austria
Tonic, New York, USA
Parkside New York, USA
Diaposon New York, USA

Collaborations 2001

Musique Action Festival Nancy, France with Keith Rowe (UK), Rob Avenaim

Instant Chavires Paris, France with Keith Rowe (UK), Sachiko M (Japan), Otomo Yoshihide (Japan)

Pannonica Nante, France with Keith Rowe (UK), Rob Avenaim

American Institute Rennes, with Keith Rowe (UK), Rob Avenaim

Lugar Comum Lisbon, Portugal with Phill Niblock (USA)

OT 301 Amsterdam, Holland with Cor Fuhler (Holland)

Den Anden Opera Copenhagen, Denmark with Martin Klapper (Czech)

Tonic New York, USA with John Zorn (USA), Susie Ibarra (USA), Alan Licht (USA),  Ikue Mori (Japan), Cyro Baptista (Brazil), Annie Gosfield (USA)

CBGB New York, USA with Tim Barnes (USA)

Subtonic New York, USA with Toshio Kajiwara (Japan), Ras Mesinai (USA), DJ Olive (USA)

Harbourside Brasserie, Sydney with Ikue Mori (Japan), Jim Denley, Martin Ng, Rob Avenaim & Pimmon 

Revolver, Melbourne with Farmers Manual (Austria) and Ilpo Vasainen (Finland)


2000

Adelaide Festival, with Otomo Yoshihide (Japan), David Moss (USA), Cor Fuhler (Holland), Stevie Wishart, Jim Denley, Rik Rue

UWS, Nepean as member of Phill Niblock's (USA) ensemble

Artspace, Sydney as member of Phill Niblock's (USA) ensemble

Canberra University as member of Phill Niblock's (USA) ensemble
Revolver, Melbourne with Christian Fennesz (Austria), Peter Rehberg (Austria), Keith Rowe (UK) and Pimmon

Palladium, Sydney with Keith Rowe (UK), Jim Denley, Rob Avenaim
Side On, Sydney with Cor Fuhler (Holland), Amanda Stewart, Jim Denley

Big Day Out Festival Melbourne with Matthew Thomas and Pimmon

Side On, Sydney with Satsuki Odamura (Japan) and Stevie Wishart

Side On, Sydney with Joanne Hetu (Canada) and Jean Derome (Canada)


1999 -1998

Lansdowne, Sydney with Eyvind Kang (USA), Trey Spruance (USA), Mike Patton (USA) and Gregg Turkington (USA)

Punters Club, Melbourne with Shelley Hirsch (USA)

Spongehouse, Sydney with Martin Klapper (Czech), Greg Kingston

Tote, Melbourne with Rosy Parlane (NZ), Dion Workman (NZ)

Harbourside, Sydney John Zorn's COBRA with Mike Patton (USA), William Winant (USA) and MR.BUNGLE (USA)


1997

Palladium Sydney with Masonna (Japan), Solmania (Japan), Trey Spruance (USA)

Knitting Factory, New York, USA with John Zorn (USA), Anthony Coleman (USA), Jim Staley (USA), Chris Cochrane (USA), Eyvind Kang (USA)

Roulette, New York, USA with Rob Avenaim

66 New York, USA with Sabir Mateen (USA), Matt Heyner (USA), David Nuss (USA)

Downtown Music Gallery New York, USA with Kato Hideki (Japan), Michael Evans (USA), Sabir Mateen (USA)

The Cooler, New York, USA with Thurston Moore (USA), PeterBrotzmann (Germany), Nick Kamvissis

Fandango, Osaka, Japan with Solmania (Japan)
Bears, Osaka, Japan
Huck Finn, Nagoya, Japan
Mushroom, Himeji, Japan
Milk, Tokyo, Japan
Pepperland, Okayama, Japan
Mandala 2, Tokyo, Japan
20000 Volts, Tokyo, Japan


1995 - 1996

Artrage Festival, Perth

The Room, Sydney with Boredoms (Japan)

Harbourside Brasserie, Sydney with Jon Rose, Rik Rue

The Room, Sydney with Torben Tilly, Jasmine Guffond

Basement, Sydney with Wayne Horvitz (USA), Nik Kamvissis, Rob Avenaim


1993 - 94

Knitting Factory, New York, USA with John Zorn (USA), Ikue Mori (Japan), Fred Frith (UK), Arto Lindsay (USA), Kato Hideki (Japan), Cyro Baptista (Brazil), Dougie Bowne (USA)

Knitting Factory, New York, USA â?? Member of 21 piece international ensemble of John Zorn's COBRA

Hosei University, Tokyo, Japan with Tatsuya Yoshida (Japan), Hoppy Kamiyama (Japan), Hirose Junji (Japan)

Bears, Osaka, Japan with Seichi Yamamoto (Japan), Masonna (Japan), Tim Olive (Canada)

Showboat, Tokyo, Japan

Big Apple, Kobe, Japan



Installations/Sound/Productions

2003: Tokyo, Japan
Composer in residence for Japanese theatrical troupe
Gekidan Kaitaisha ('Theatre Of Deconstruction')

2002/2003: Co-producer and researcher for Subsonics, Experimental Music Television show for SBS Television, Australia

2000: Artspace, Sydney, 'Autonomous Audio' sound installation with Martin Ng

1999: Jewish Museum, Melbourne, 'Art and Kaballah' video and sound installation in collaboration with Janet Laurence


Solo Releases on Touch
Suspension
Released on Touch, UK T33.18 (CD 2001)

Insulation
Released on Touch, UK T33.16 (CD 2000)


Selected Discography
  
Solo Releases

Stacte.4
Released on En/Of, Holland in collaboration with visual artist Simon Starling (Art Edition LP 2002)

Triste
Complete live performance from Extrapool, Nijmegen, Holland
14/06/2001 with bonus 7' remix from Tom Recchion
Released on Idea, USA (LP + 7' 2003)

Suspension + Bonus Remixes from Jim O'Rourke, Tim Barnes, Phill Niblock (USA), Michael J Schumacher, Brendan Walls, Pimmon
Released on Staubgold, Germany (LP 2002)

Mort Aux Vaches Live recording from VPRO Radio Broadcast, Amsterdam, Holland
Released on Staalplaat, Holland (CD 2002)

Der Kleine Konig
Released on Tonschacht, Germany (7' 2002)

Persona Released on E.R.S. Netherlands (LP 2001)

Stacte.3
Released on Plate Lunch, Germany (LP 2000)

Stacte.2
Released on Jerker, Australia (LP 1999)

Stacte
Released on Jerker, Australia (LP 1998)


Collaborative Releases (selection)

Oren Ambarchi, Gunter Muller and Voice Crack â?? Oystered
Released on Audiosphere, Belgium (CD 2003)

Oren Ambarchi & Johan Berthling â??
My Days Are Darker Than Your Nights Released on Hapna, Sweden (CD 2003)

Keith Rowe/Oren Ambarchi/Sachiko M/Otomo Yoshihide/Rob Avenaim â?? Thumb
Released on Grob, Germany (CD 2003)

Keith Rowe & Oren Ambarchi â?? Flypaper
Released on Staubgold, Germany (CD 2002)

Oren Ambarchi & Chris Townend â?? Sun
Released on Preservation, Australia (CD 2001)

Oren Ambarchi & Martin Ng â?? Reconnaissance
Released on Staubgold, Germany (CD/LP 2001)

Oren Ambarchi, Christian Fennesz, Pimmon, Peter Rehberg, Keith Rowe - Afternoon Tea
Released on Ritornell, Germany (CD 2000)

Oren Ambarchi and Robbie Avenaim â?? Clockwork
Released on Jerker, Australia (3'CD 2000)

Oren Ambarchi and Robbie Avenaim â?? The Alter Rebbe's Nigun Released on Tzadik, USA (CD 1999)


Solo tracks on compilations (selection)


'Stacte.3b Edit' on Variable Resistance â?? Ten Hours of Sound From Australia
Released on 23five Inc/San Francisco Museum Of Modern Art USA (CD 2002)

'Reach For The Sky (Pluramon Remix)/Sun' on The Wire Tapper 09
Released by The Wire, UK (CD/Mag 2002)

'Soliel' on Sul â?? Dedicated to Chris Marker
Released on Sirr, Portugal (CD 2002)

'Excerpt from Krev kids celebration' on KREV 1992-2002
Released on Ash International, UK (CD 2002)

'Kozel' on Strewth! â?? Electronic Music From Australia and New Zealand
Released on Synaesthesia, Australia (CD 2002)

'Skadooor' on Ringtones
Released on Touch, UK (CD 2002)

'George' on Bananafish 16 USA
Released on Tedium House (Magazine & CD 2002)

'Alma' on Kraak 3 Festival Sampler
Released on Kraak, Belgium (CD 2002)

'My Melancholy Baby Parts 1 & 2' on Live & Direct
Released on Spunk, Australia (CD 2001)

'Ring King' on Communication Problem
Released on Vibragun, Australia (LP 2000)

3 x Locked Grooves on Lockers
Released on E.R.S. Holland (LP 2000)

'Strategem (distortus)' on Lowercase compilation
Released on Bremsstrahlung, USA (CD 2000)

'No Title' on Maschinelle Straegeme
With Christian Fennesz, Pimmon, Peter Rehberg and Keith Rowe
Released on Ritornell, Germany (CD 2000)

------------------------------------
Link:
www.orenambarchi.com

Projectinfo

Oren Ambarchi
Project Proposal for quartier21 Artist-in-Residence Program:

- To write & record a new extended duration composition for guitar.

- To collaborate and record with local Vienesse artists

Documentation

Oren Ambarchi

Documentation about Residency:

'Stacte 4.b Revisited' composition was completed and performed live at the Rhiz, Vienna on 20/5/03.
http://www.rhiz.org

This piece will be released on UK label Touch on CD later in 2003.
http://www.touchmusic.org.uk/bulletin.html

Recordings & live collaborations were also made with Viennese musicians:

Matthias Gmachl (of Farmers Manual)
http://web.fm/

Dieter Kern
http://www.mego.at/kern.html

Werner Dafeldecker
http://www.durian.at/

Martin Siewert
http://siewert.klingt.org/

Contacts were made for organisation of Viennese artists tour of Australia for What Is Muisc?
festival 2004. This Australian festival will feature Fennesz, Dafeldecker, Kurzmann, Stangl
http://www.whatismusic.com


Photos of Project:

live photos from solo show at the Rhiz, Vienna
20/5/03
http://rhiz.org/database/gallery/2003052001.JPG
http://rhiz.org/database/gallery/2003052002.JPG

www.orenambarchi.com

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