Jim O'Rourke – Terminal Pharmacy

This is Jim O'Rourke's best avant-garde composition. Foremost, it should be mentioned that the musique concrète portions were created by actual, physical tape cutting, splicing and pasting (a method Jim practised often during the early 90s and of which he was quite fond). He also scored an orchestral portion to accompany this.

There is an undeniable tension-and-release formula intertwined throughout this work. The taught, tense parts are immaculately crafted and properly placed in terms of how they relate to their compositional compliments and contrasts. Silence is used masterfully here. Each sound has a purpose; the purpose is justified by the overarching affect of the entire piece as a cohesive, encompassing whole.

This is on par with many of the legendary works of 20th century avant-garde and academic electronic composition.