Jim O'Rourke

Jim O'Rourke (born 1969) is an American musician, producer, and sound artist based in Japan. One of the most versatile and influential figures in American experimental music since the 1990s, he has worked as a guitarist, producer, composer, and performer across free improvisation, noise, rock, and electronic music. His records Bad Timing (1997) and Eureka (1999) on Drag City are landmark works of avant-folk; he has also produced Wilco and Sonic Youth records, collaborated with Merzbow, Derek Bailey, and Günter Müller, and composed electroacoustic works on Tzadik. He left the US for Tokyo in the mid-2000s and has continued there in an extensive and varied practice.