Oren Ambarchi

Oren Ambarchi
Oren Ambarchi, Japan, 2007
Background information
Born1969 (age 56–57)
Sydney, Australia
Genres
OccupationMulti-instrumentalist
Instruments
  • Guitar
  • drums
Years active1986–present
Labels
Member of
Websitewww.orenambarchi.com

Oren Ambarchi (born 1969) is an Australian musician. He is a multi-instrumentalist who plays mainly electric guitar and percussion.[1]

Biography

Oren Ambarchi was born in Sydney to an Iraqi Jewish family.[1] Ambarchi has been performing live since 1986. In the late 1980s he played free jazz in Sydney, originally as a drummer.[2] In an interview with ABC Radio broadcaster, Jon Rose, Ambarchi described how he started playing guitar:

There happened to be one laying around in our rehearsal room. I picked it up and starting hitting it with drumsticks and using it in whatever way I wanted to use it in, and one thing led to another. I'm glad I wasn't trained. I've always loved rock music, I grew up listening to pop and rock, so that was in my mind, but I've also been interested in electronics. I never wanted to learn to play it properly, it was an object as much as an instrument. [2]

His work focuses mainly on the exploration of the guitar, though he also plays drums and percussion in some of his live performances.

Along with longtime collaborator, drummer Robbie Avenaim, he co-organised the 'What Is Music' Festival in various cities in Australia from 1994 to 2005. [3]

Ambarchi contributed to drone metal band Sunn O)))'s Black One album in 2005, and became a regular live performer with the band for the next several years, as well as contributing to the Oracle EP and Monoliths & Dimensions album.[4]

In 2009 Ambarchi begins a series of trio performances in Japan with multi-instrumentalist Jim O'Rourke and iconic Japanese musician/singer Keiji Haino. This meeting was recorded and released in 2010 under the title 'Tima Formosa' on Black Truffle records. This trio collaboration continues annually at the renowned Tokyo venue Super Deluxe. Each concert is documented and released on Ambarchi's Black Truffle label. the first one being the acclaimed 'Indeed' in 2011.[5]

In 2017 he began working with American composer Alvin Lucier, performing new compositions for electric guitar.[6]

Ambarchi has run the record label Black Truffle since 2009.

With Jim O'Rourke, Ambarchi has released three collaborative albums: Indeed (2011),[7] Behold (2015),[8] and Hence (2018).[9]

He also released solo albums Sagittarian Domain (2012), Quixotism (2014), Hubris (2016), and Simian Angel (2019), through Editions Mego.[10] He released Shebang (2022) through Drag City.[11]

With Johan Berthling and Andreas Werliin, he has released three collaborative albums: Ghosted (2022),[12] Ghosted II (2024),[13] and Ghosted III (2025).[14]

Selected discography

  • Stacte (Jerker Productions, 1998)
  • Stacte.2 (Jerker Productions, 1999)
  • The Alter Rebbe's Nigun (with Robbie Avenaim; Tzadik, 1999)
  • Insulation (Touch, 1999)
  • Persona (ERS, 2000)
  • Afternoon Tea (with Christian Fennesz, Paul Gough, Peter Rehberg, and Keith Rowe; Ritornell, 2000)
  • Reconnaissance (with Martin Ng; Staubgold, 2000)
  • Stacte.3 (Plate Lunch, 2000)
  • Suspension (Touch, 2001)
  • Honey Pie (with Robbie Avenaim and Keith Rowe; Grob, 2002)
  • Thumb (with Robbie Avenaim, Keith Rowe, Otomo Yoshihide, and Sachiko M; Grob, 2002)
  • Flypaper (with Keith Rowe; Staubgold, 2002)
  • Mort aux Vaches (Staalplaat, 2002)
  • Stacte.4 (En/Of, 2002)
  • Sun (with Chris Townend, as Sun; Preservation Records, 2003)
  • Triste (Idea Records/Southern Lord, 2003)
  • Vigil (with Martin Ng; Quecksilber, 2003)
  • My Days Are Darker than Your Nights (with Johan Berthling; Häpna, 2003)
  • Oystered (with Günter Müller and Voice Crack; Audiosphere, 2003)
  • Grapes from the Estate (Touch/Southern Lord, 2004)
  • Strange Love (with Günter Müller and Philip Samartzis; For4Ears, 2004)
  • Cloud (with Keith Rowe, Toshimaru Nakamura, and Christian Fennesz; Erstwhile, 2005)
  • Black One (with Sunn O))); Southern Lord, 2005)
  • Squire (with Keith Rowe; For4Ears, 2006)
  • Stacte Motors (Western Vinyl, 2006)
  • Willow Weep and Moan for Me (with Tetuzi Akiyama and Alan Licht; Antiopic, 2006)
  • In the Pendulum's Embrace (Touch, 2007)
  • Lost Like a Star (Bo'Weavil, 2007)
  • The Holy Down (with Stephen O'Malley and Attila Csihar, as Gravetemple; Southern Lord, 2007)
  • Burial Chamber Trio (with Greg Anderson and Attila Csihar, as Burial Chamber Trio; Southern Lord, 2007)
  • Spirit Transform Me (with Z'EV; Tzadik, 2008)
  • A Final Kiss on Poisoned Cheeks (Table of the Elements, 2008)
  • הופעה באוגנדה (Uganda, 2008)
  • Monoliths & Dimensions (with Sunn O))); Southern Lord, 2009)
  • Tima Formosa (with Keiji Haino and Jim O'Rourke; Black Truffle, 2010)[15]
  • Hit & Run (with Joe Talia; Touch, 2011)
  • Indeed (with Jim O'Rourke; Editions Mego, 2011)
  • In a Flash Everything Comes Together as One There Is No Need for a Subject (with Keiji Haino and Jim O'Rourke; Black Truffle/Medama, 2011)
  • Dream Request (with Robbie Avenaim; Bo'Weavil, 2011)
  • The Mortimer Trap (with Thomas Brinkmann; Black Truffle, 2012)
  • Audience of One (Touch, 2012)
  • Connected (with Robin Fox; Kranky, 2012)
  • In the Mouth – a Hand (with Fire!; Rune Grammofon, 2012)
  • Black Plume (with Keith Rowe and Crys Cole; Bocian, 2012)
  • Raga Ooty / The Nilgiri Plateau (Bo'Weavil, 2012)
  • Sagittarian Domain (Editions Mego, 2012)
  • Wreckage (with James Rushford; Prisma, 2012)
  • Nazoranai (with Keiji Haino and Stephen O'Malley; Editions Mego, 2012)
  • Cat's Squirrel (with Merzbow; Black Truffle/Hospital Hill, 2013)
  • Quixotism (Editions Mego, 2014)
  • Tikkun (with Richard Pinhas; Cuneiform Records, 2014)
  • Behold (with Jim O'Rourke; Editions Mego, 2015)
  • Hubris (Editions Mego, 2016)
  • Hotel Record (with Crys Cole; Black Truffle, 2017)
  • Face Time (with Kassel Jaeger and James Rushford; Black Truffle, 2018)
  • Hence (with Jim O'Rourke and U-zhaan; Editions Mego, 2018)
  • Simian Angel (Editions Mego, 2019)
  • Oglon Day (with Mark Fell, Will Guthrie, and Sam Shalabi; 33 33, 2019)
  • Dreamlet (ATTN:SPAN, 2020)
  • Live Hubris (Black Truffle, 2021)
  • Ghosted (with Andreas Werliin and Johan Berthling; Drag City, 2022)
  • Shebang (Drag City, 2022)
  • Ghosted II (with Andreas Werliin and Johan Berthling; Drag City, 2024)
  • With Pats on the Head, Just One Too Few Is Evil One Too Many Is Good That's All It Is (with Keiji Heino and Jim O'Rourke; Black Truffle/Medama Records, 2024)
  • Ghosted III (with Johan Berthling and Andreas Werliin; Drag City, 2025)
  • Kind Regards (with Eric Thielemans; AD 93, 2025)
  • Dragon's Return (with Fredrik Rasten; Viernulvier, 2025)

References

  1. ^ a b "Oren Ambarchi biography". Touch Music. 2002. Archived from the original on 5 October 2009. Retrieved 29 May 2011.
  2. ^ a b Rose, Jon (2003). "Re-wired Guitar – OREN AMBARCHI". Australia Adlib. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 29 May 2011.
  3. ^ caleb~k (2001). "OREN AMBARCHI INTERVIEW". Angbase. Retrieved 29 May 2011.
  4. ^ Stannard, Joseph (8 April 2009). "Sunn O))) Exclusive Interview Transcripts: Oren Ambarchi". The Wire (Issue 302). Wire Magazine. Retrieved 29 May 2011.
  5. ^ "Oren Ambarchi / Jim O'Rourke: Behold Album Review | Pitchfork". pitchfork.com. Retrieved 3 February 2018.
  6. ^ "Sold Out! Works by Alvin Lucier + Record/Book Release: Alvin Lucier, Oren Ambarchi & Gary Schmalzl, Ever Present Orchestra | ISSUE Project Room". issueprojectroom.org. 9 November 2017. Retrieved 24 January 2018.
  7. ^ Richards, Sam (7 March 2024). "Oren Ambarchi: album by album". Uncut. Retrieved 11 May 2025.
  8. ^ Sherburne, Philip (9 March 2015). "Oren Ambarchi / Jim O'Rourke: Behold". Pitchfork. Retrieved 11 May 2025.
  9. ^ Beta, Andy (8 December 2018). "Oren Ambarchi / Jim O'Rourke: Hence". Pitchfork. Retrieved 11 May 2025.
  10. ^ Otis, Erik (3 June 2019). "Oren Ambarchi Renews Focus on Electric Guitar on New Editions Mego Album". XLR8R. Archived from the original on 7 June 2019. Retrieved 2 August 2025.
  11. ^ Eede, Christian (12 July 2022). "Oren Ambarchi Reveals New Solo Album, 'Shebang'". The Quietus. Retrieved 2 August 2025.
  12. ^ "Ghosted by Oren Ambarchi". Metacritic. Retrieved 13 November 2025.
  13. ^ "Ghosted II by Oren Ambarchi". Metacritic. Retrieved 13 November 2025.
  14. ^ "Ghosted III by Oren Ambarchi / Johan Berthling / Andreas Werliin". Metacritic. Retrieved 13 November 2025.
  15. ^ Currin, Grayson (16 August 2010). "Album Review – Oren Ambarchi / Keiji Haino / Jim O'Rourke – Tima Formosa". Pitchfork. Retrieved 29 May 2011.
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