Quixotism

Experimental composer/guitarist/percussionist Oren Ambarchi's massive discography has taken on many forms, from the summery ambience of 2004's stellar effort Grapes from the Estate to more droning, metallic fare or even sounds resembling pop. Quixotism is one of Ambarchi's more involved and dense compositions, seeing the composer boil down more than two years' worth of recordings with dozens of collaborators into a single album in five parts. Neatly ordered and precise in nature, the separate chapters of Quixotism are strung together by a steadfast pulse supplied by electronic minimalist Thomas Brinkmann. The digital kick drum sounds wander across the stereo field as Ambarchi deftly mixes in sounds ranging from his own haunted guitar harmonics to synth gurgling from Jim O'Rourke and even long stretches of heavily lingering string arrangements from the Iceland Symphony Orchestra. Tabla player U-Zhaan's tense playing makes an appearance on the fifth and most dynamic part of Quixotism, wrapping the album up without offering any real sense of conclusion or closure, but leaving the listener suspended in silence, missing the relentless but almost invisible heartbeat that's kept the album alive for nearly the last hour.