Behold is the second collaborative studio album by Australian musician Oren Ambarchi and American musician Jim O'Rourke. It was released on 3 March 2015 through Editions Mego. It received universal acclaim from critics.
Background.
In the 1990s, Oren Ambarchi met Jim O'Rourke in New York, where O'Rourke spotted Ambarchi in a Merzbow T-shirt walking down the street. In a 2024 interview, Ambarchi said, "We're the same age and we love a lot of the same things."
"Behold" is the duo's first collaborative studio album since "Indeed" (2011). It consists of two side-long songs: "Behold A" and "Behold B". On the album, Ambarchi played guitar and drums, while O'Rourke played synthesizer and piano. The album is said to blend "field recordings, electronics, guitar, drums and other acoustic instruments into a subtle combination of krautrock, minimalism and classic free flowing electronics."
Critical reception.
Danny Riley of "The Quietus" stated, "Over the course of two lengthy tracks, experimental mainstays Ambarchi and O'Rourke present a masterful exposition in control; concealing and foregrounding different sounds, pitching moments of abstraction against the delayed revelation of tangible musical ideas, bringing different textural, tonal and rhythmic themes in and out of focus." Philip Sherburne of "Pitchfork" commented that "What most separates "Behold" from "Indeed" is the new album's strong sense of groove, with Ambarchi carving deep patterns with ride cymbals and hi-hats and ultra-low, chest-caving kick drums." Marshall Gu of "Bandcamp Daily" stated, "As the rhythm is almost omnipresent through the album's 42 minutes, "Behold" is unique among O'Rourke's collaborative albums."
Personnel.
Credits adapted from liner notes.