Label: ReR Megacorp – RēR 39 Format: Vinyl, LP, Album Country: UK Released: 1989 Genre: Electronic Style: Experimental
Varied, under-rated, esoteric genius from unpronounceable American producer C.W. Vrtacek.
A true personal favourite over here. Vrtacek didn’t leave too many records behind before his untimely death in 2018, transitioning from eccentric takes on avant-rock forms in his early career to an esoteric blend of minimalism, nostalgic vignettes and collaging in the later. When Heaven Comes To Town offers a string of stripped-down melancholic sketches on the A-side, paying homage to the ghost of Erik Satie. Equip with strong digital sampling proficiency, he’s able to sketch in a number of shades and tones, adding acoustic guitar and piano to give a human touch. The atmosphere thickens towards the end of the A-side with two dense ambient pieces that seem to grind time to a halt. Different still, the B-side houses the extended title piece offering a hallucinatory sound-collage of New York City - the clatter of a busy restaurant, Latin American radio stations playing in the distance, a boisterous Tango takes centre stage before melting into the sounds of New York Central Station. It’s a kaleidoscopic montage of deeply layered sound, like looking at a sepia-tinted photo of a townscape and trying to imagine what it sounds like. A record that never fails to bring joy. (NM)
Tracklist A1 Minus My Friend A2 History Of The Heart, Mystery Of The Mind A3 Part Of Me Here, Part Of Me With You, Always A4 Stone Steps A5 Preparing The Bridge (For Heaven) A6 Saying Goodbye To The Beauty And Complexity Of Life On Earth B When Heaven Comes To Town
