A pivotal album from minimalist genius Steve Reich – a record that got him into living rooms across America – thanks to the album's higher concept, and key participation of the Kronos Quartet and guitarist Pat Metheny! Kronos perform on the long title track "Different Trains" – a piece that is both a meditation on train travel and its role in the Holocaust – performed by the quartet with additional sounds from Reich on tape! Metheny's guitar sounds fantastic on "Electric Counterpoint" – a work that's completely faithful to the amazing range of tones and colors he'd been bringing to his own albums for years, but which also reworks things with Reich's minimal modes. CD

Sublime sounds from the Italian modernist scene of the 70s – an album produced by Franco Battiato, and which shares a lot with his own classics from the time! Composer/performers Raul Lovisoni and Francesco Messina may have a few less dark corners than Battiato – and work here in a style that's surprisingly melodic at times, almost with that sense of natural minimalism that we love on releases from Brian Eno's Obscure Music label. Side one features the completely beautiful "Prati Bagnati Del Monte Analogo" – with Francesco Messina on vocoder moog, synth vocoder Roland, and synthi EMS – but all coming across with a warm sound that's much more analog, mixed with piano from Michele Fedrigotti. Side two begins with a harp solo titled "Hula Om" – played by Patti TAssini – and closes with the moody "Amon Ra", which has slight vocals from Juri Camisaca, and "glasspiel" from Raul Lovisoni – which sounds like a glass instrument being tuned slowly. LP, Vinyl record album