Tim Hecker- Ravedeath, 1972 (2011) MP3 & FLAC

Aside from having one the best album titles I've heard in awhile, Ravedeath, 1972 represents Tim Hecker's finest work in the minimalist Electronic vein. That eye-catching title reveals much about the music, in that it signifies, among other things, temporal displacement, the way past and future perpetually act upon and redefine each other. Recorded in a church, the album reverberates with the spaciousness of such a structure, but does so sounding both strangely organic and highly treated. As with much of Hecker's work, Ravedeath, 1972 is deceptively ambient. What I mean by this is that the compositions refuse any sense of linear progression or any trace of hierarchy among elements; however, they also insist on and reward one's close attention. "Cathedral Electronic," maybe, but Hecker's gift is to be both philosophical and visceral while never being aggressive about either.

Tim Hecker- Haunt Me Haunt Me, Do It Again (2001) MP3 & FLAC

Haunt Me Haunt Me Do It Again bears little resemblance to Tim Hecker's previous output as Jetone, a minimalist-leaning Techno-based project that is also well worth seeking out. Recording for the first time under his own name, Hecker makes a radical departure into minimalist ambient territory, but such a description does little justice to the cavernous depths and glacial beauty that characterize this recording from start to finish. While lacking any trace of traditional song structure, each track is shaded with many layers of textural detail that make the album surprisingly accessible and conducive to repeated listens. Every percussive effect, every glitch, every plunked piano key reveals the vast sense of space woven into the music. This gives the album a bottomless feel, pulling the listener in but never fully revealing its depths. Completely belying its laptop origins, this is Electronic music at its best.