An Angel Moves Too Fast To See

This NY-born composer began as a classically-trained prodigy, but by 1975, Chatham was fusing the overtone-drenched minimalism of John Cale and Tony Conrad with the relentless, elemental fury of The Ramones. It was an inspired amalgamation; the textural intricacies of the avant-garde colliding with the visceral punch of electric guitar-slinging punk rock, and with it Rhys created a new type of urban music. Raucous and ecstatic, this sound energized the downtown NY scene throughout the late '70s and early '80s, prefiguring the No Wave movement, and casting a huge influence over the subsequent work of Glenn Branca and Sonic Youth. An Angel is one of the most extraordinary works in the minimalist canon, one that demonstrates the majesty inherent in Chatham's amplified imagination. This lavish CD presents this sonic revolution in all its glory, and cements Rhys' reputation as a monolithic figure astride both rock and classical music. "As An Angel Moves Too Fast To See unfolds, it develops an extended sense of grandeur that should be obvious to anyone. If some segments function very well as art rock, others really transcend all known genres - just huge wallows in oceans of sound" - Byron Coley, The Wire.