{"product_id":"oren-ambarchi-cooked","title":"Oren Ambarchi - Cooked","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eCooked\u003c\/em\u003e comes a la - yet so far from - 2022’s \u003cem\u003eShebang\u003c\/em\u003e with transcendent and trenchant flow from \u003cstrong\u003eOren Ambarchi\u003c\/strong\u003e. Flying in international collaborators \u003cstrong\u003eJoe Talia\u003c\/strong\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003eJohan Berthling\u003c\/strong\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003eWill Guthrie\u003c\/strong\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003eEiko Ishibashi\u003c\/strong\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003eJim O’Rourke\u003c\/strong\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003eMichiko Ogawa\u003c\/strong\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003eMarcus Pal\u003c\/strong\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003eFredrik Rasten\u003c\/strong\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003eJames Rushford\u003c\/strong\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003eAndreas Werliin\u003c\/strong\u003e \u0026amp; \u003cstrong\u003eKonrad Sprenger\u003c\/strong\u003e into the mix, \u003cem\u003eCooked\u003c\/em\u003e sets foot tapping, mind boggling, heart quailing, earth turning. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKeen listeners who have dug below the surface of Oren Ambarchi’s triple-digit discography know that alongside hypnotic minimalism, veins of irreverent and joyously wayward exploration run deep. \u003cem\u003eCooked\u003c\/em\u003e is something of a landmark in Oren’s work, bringing this gloriously cuckoo sensibility right into the heart of his most high-profile solo work. Carrying on the grand Ambarchi tradition of meticulously constructed all-star studio jams (which reached new heights with \u003cem\u003eShebang\u003c\/em\u003e, his 2022 Drag City debut), \u003cem\u003eCooked\u003c\/em\u003e brings together collaborators from Australia, Germany, Japan and Sweden for two side-long epics where the foot keeps tapping even as the mind boggles.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBeginning with piano ripples from Eiko Ishibashi, after only a few seconds \u003cem\u003eHidden Tableau\u003c\/em\u003e takes an unexpected turn with the entrance of a groaning synthetic voice (created by Konrad Sprenger, production mastermind at the helm for \u003cem\u003eShebang\u003c\/em\u003e and this piece). The first half of the piece develops as an oddly moving concerto for this moaning and growling ghost in the machine and a delicate backdrop of piano, organ-like tones, and Oren’s signature shimmering Leslie guitar. As the beautifully flexible swing of Joe Talia’s drums enters, the harmonies fill out into woozy clouds and the synthetic voice seems to morph into something approaching a mutant trumpet. In a left turn that seems to come out of nowhere yet make an inexplicable kind of sense, the piece is then overtaken by patterns of intricate guitar and synthetic arpeggios. These might be Jim O’Rourke on synth, but who knows? If we learned anything from \u003cem\u003eSimian Angel\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eShebang\u003c\/em\u003e, it’s that almost anything we hear could come from Oren’s guitar.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eCooked\u003c\/em\u003e is a long way from the spacious, light-dappled grooves of \u003cstrong\u003eGhosted\u003c\/strong\u003e, but Oren’s Swedish bandmates play starring roles here, with Johan Berthling’s double bass anchoring both sides, and drummer Andreas Werliin lending his delicate touch to the second piece, \u003cem\u003eSleight of Hand\u003c\/em\u003e. Beginning with glistening layers of electric 12-string guitar, \u003cem\u003eSleight of Hand\u003c\/em\u003e takes some key cues from electric \u003cstrong\u003eMiles Davis\u003c\/strong\u003e touchstones like \u003cem\u003eFeio\u003c\/em\u003e or his epic take on \u003cstrong\u003eDavid Crosby\u003c\/strong\u003e’s \u003cem\u003eGuinnevere\u003c\/em\u003e, with Berthling’s sparse basslines punctuating an almost weightless cornucopia of shifting detail, glimmering with subtle contributions from Michiko Ogawa on sho and James Rushford on a panoply of acoustic keyboards. Suddenly, everything is overwhelmed by a knotty, hyper-complex ‘solo’ from Marcus Pal on digital synthesis, teleporting us to an alternate history where \u003cstrong\u003eAllan Holdsworth\u003c\/strong\u003e traded the SynthAxe for \u003cstrong\u003eIannis Xenakis\u003c\/strong\u003e’ UPIC. Building with additional drums and percussion from Will Guthrie to a peak of sizzling intensity, the music then goes sideways into a gently surreal coda, where some distinctly \u003cstrong\u003eJoe Zawinul\u003c\/strong\u003e-esque chords and Fredrik Rasten’s guitar float over a sprightly rhythm box, the avian inventions of Swedish virtuoso whistler \u003cstrong\u003eIsak Hedtjärn\u003c\/strong\u003e wafting atop the sunlit stew.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt’s certainly \u003cem\u003eCooked\u003c\/em\u003e, but not overcooked. Like 10cc in their prime, it layers a dizzying number of elements through intricate studio processes, yet somehow remains open, spontaneous, and intuitive, the whole thing suffused with an omnivorous love of music where everything is up for grabs. It’s a big call, but \u003cem\u003eCooked\u003c\/em\u003e might just be the wildest ride that Oren Ambarchi has taken us on yet.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRIYL: \u003cstrong\u003eEdgar Froese\u003c\/strong\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003eSteve Hillage\u003c\/strong\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003eGodley \u0026amp; Crème\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Drag City","offers":[{"title":"Black Vinyl LP","offer_id":58595695657305,"sku":"SDZ-48876","price":31.99,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true},{"title":"CD","offer_id":58595695690073,"sku":"SDZ-48877","price":13.99,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0588\/3455\/0945\/files\/INT_20260715_1345_125127_045_v_0781484099413_003.jpg?v=1784125970","url":"https:\/\/spindizzyrecords.com\/products\/oren-ambarchi-cooked","provider":"Spindizzy Dublin","version":"1.0","type":"link"}