Rhys Chatham

He'll do the same thing with gongs and trumpets he does with guitars.  Rhys Chatham just doesn't give a damn.

Drone with a capital "D", mesmerizing with a capital "M".

Ryhs Chatham - An Angel Moves Too Fast To See: Selected Works 1971-1989

Typically great commentary from the top-notch GLOWING RAW blog, so I'll leave the rest up to him, other than to say that Chatham, along with Branca, formed the baseline that Sonic Youth built from. On second thought, I won't say that . . . because, as much as I love Sonic Youth, such statements only diminish the music of Rhys Chatham.  So, do yourself a favor, check out the Glowing Raw blurb, and listen to this album.

Tim Hecker

I may be a bit late to this party, but I've really been getting into Tim Hecker lately.  The latest, Ravedeath 1972, is pretty damn dense and hypnotic.  People who seem to know what they're talking about say it's nearly as good as his masterwork, Harmony in Ultraviolet.  Also well worth a listen is a live show from Montreal earlier this month.

Hecker has talked about how this album is about "digital garbage", and there is a rough darkness in the raw materials that make up the music, so it seems strange that the final product has a depth that matches some of the best minimalist orchestral classical music: not that I'm putting him on that level, but Hecker's work at its best reminds me of Henryk Gorecki's Symphony No. 3 Op. 36 . . . which, if you haven't heard, you need to download and listen to right away.