Jim O'Rourke

Originally released by Extreme in 1991, Tamper acts as an important part of Jim O'Rourke's discography, as it's one of the first of his electro-acoustic works. Surprisingly, it is also the most accessible of his pre-Bad Timing solo albums, although it is a bit challenging at the same time. For example, the first track on Tamper is a difficult, yet rewarding piece. It demands complete attention from the listener, as it starts with a barely audible oscillator, only later bringing the actual instruments slowly in. The bottom line of Tamper -- and the bottle-neck to understanding it -- is that the sounds of these instruments (apart from some occasional oboes) are manipulated so that they hardly can be recognized. This is an old and now-exhaustive trick in O'Rourke's field of work, but on Tamper he has found a very idiosyncratic way of defining traditional instruments. Tamper works well on so many different levels that it can be recommended to any open-minded listener at all -- no matter if you prefer rock or avant-garde. ~ Antti J. Ravelin, All Music Guide