Like your sweaty legs on a summer day in Queensland, Aussie pals stick together! Or at least, that’s been James Rushford’s inclination since before the Melbourne native completed his PhD in Music at the renowned CalArts, as he had already collaborated with a number of experimentally-minded, Australian musicians.
Rushford’s resume now includes work with such renowned artists/institutions as Michael Pisaro and the Krakow Sinfonietta, but when it comes to formal releases that have been propagated in physical or digital form, his Australian compatriots have tended to share the credits in some fashion. Joe Talia joined Rushford for his initial albums (including one on Graham Lambkin’s Kye imprint), while subsequent to the release of those, Rushford has worked with Crys Cole (as Ora Clementi), Frances Plagne, Oren Ambarchi, and Kassel Jaeger. Jaeger’s not actually Australian, but I hear the Parisian insists on a floor-to-ceiling cabinet dedicated to Tim Tams.
The point is: collaborations have been an admirable tendency for Rushford, which might explain his just-announced new album for Oren Ambarchi’s Black Truffle label. The Aussie connection persists, but The Body’s Night is otherwise the first release where Rushford took total control of the process — and where his name isn’t adjacent to someone else’s on the cover. Rushford composed, performed, and recorded by himself; and the roughly 30-minute release ultimately amounts to an electroacoustic effort in “claustrophobia.” Field recordings and a borderline ridiculous array of instruments all help to push the walls inward.
Listen to the album’s first side over at Rushford’s website, and pre-order The Body’s Night in full ahead of its April 26 release here.
The Body’s Night tracklisting:
01. The Body’s Night Side A
02. The Body’s Night Side B
More about: James Rushford
