Throughout the 1990s, O'Rourke remained a central figure in Chicago's music scene, whether as a member of Illusion of Safety and Gastr Del Sol, or with his own acclaimed albums, such as Eureka, released by Drag City in 1999. He soon thereafter made the move to New York and joined Sonic Youth, playing guitar and other instruments in the band, as well as recording and mixing their records.

Since 2006, O’Rourke has been based in Tokyo, and meanwhile has widened his network of live and studio collaborators to include the likes of Merzbow and Keiji Haino, often in improvisational contexts. Over the years, the polymath has also produced and mixed dozens records by other acts including Faust, Stereolab, Wilco, Superchunk, Nurse with Wound, and Joanna Newsom. Although he's titled a tune »Halfway to a Threeway« and released an album of Burt Bacharach covers, Jim O'Rourke is an artist to be taken seriously – if his work for the Kronos Quartet, the Whitney Biennial, or Werner Herzog gives any indication. His most recent solo album arrived in 2020 via Editions GRM: Shutting Down Here is »a 34-minute piece that seamlessly melds noise and melody into one of his most personal recordings yet« (Pitchfork).

• Steamroom 51, by jim o'rourke

• Steamroom 51, by jim o'rourke