Jim O’Rourke By the early nineties, Jim O’Rourke was already collaborating with experimental Japanese musicians while based here in Chicago, so it wasn’t exactly a surprise when he ended up relocating there. What has been a surprise is the fruitful exchange he has fostered with artists worldwide as varied as Mats Gustafsson and Keiji Haino. Fresh off releasing eight albums of ambient music this year, O’Rourke remains as prolific as ever, stretching his multi-genre talents to embrace elements as disparate as acoustic folk and electronic drone. Even far from home, O’Rourke embodies the catch-all spirit that forms the foundation of our city.
