What is your favorite steady-state record?

Any genre, any era, any format.

By "steady-state" I mean repetition, clockwork precision, absolutely unwavering tempo, lots of songs that sound exactly alike in every way. It doesn't build to a climax, it just keeps on driving. Loud-and-fast isn't what I'm after here, so I won't vote Ramones, but another piece of music written in 1976 (though issued on ECM two years later), Steve Reich's Music for 18 Musicians. The entire room opens up, grows twice as big, and it's the repetition-repetition-repetition.

What's yours?

Drive-By by The Necks, I think. Which does for me what you describe above. I've never heard 18 Musicians but it's been on my Amazon wishlist for years. I should get it.

Drive-By is fantastic, a great choice.

For me, the first thing that comes to mind is Sade's Love Deluxe. The arrangements are mostly static, post-"Unfinished Sympathy" bassline-driven groove music, but Sade wrings a lot of subtle tension out of them without over-emoting, often just barely more involved than the musical template. But that small difference is enough.

E2-E4 seems like it'd be a good one for this.

Burger/Ink's Las Vegas epitomises this for me. This kind of thing is my favourite sound I think. Bach's Well-Tempered Clavier is a prototype. Reich, obviously. Basinski's loops. A lot of Bossa does it in its own way. Plenty of Krautrock tracks but can't think of any albums as a whole. Motorik etc.

Of stuff I've just chanced upon 'Minimal Nation' by Robert Hood is a great example of this, I think - I don't know how ruthless one is sposed to be wrt to Matos' guidelines though

I've been listening to the Shamen's In Gorbachev We Trust and it kind of does this too, at the right volume.

LOL the Shamen! You're dating yerself, mate. Sorry. Buy you a drink, though?

Also reading the original post, Can immediately comes to mind.

Satie's "Vexations"!

most of the Ocean of Sound comp, actually, and all of Sugar and Poison

Insides - Clear Skin

probably doesn't fit the description, but in that kinda situation John Fahey - Red Cross is the one I boost constantly in the last year when I'm gettin' stuff done.

Velvet Cacoon - Genevieve

The Villain - Lt Pidgeon

Any album by Gas.

I also have to rep "Fizheuer Ziheuer".

The first one from Low, I Could Live in Hope, has some of this effect.

java: the jasmine isle on nonesuch

Am just listening to Monoton - Monotonprodukt07, which seems to fit this pretty exactly. (Not my favourite as such, but I'm not sure if my other possible choices stay crescendo-free throughout, and 18 Musicians is already taken...)

It's loud and fast but The Feelies: Crazy Rhythms

Many choices but since I just relistened to it the other day, Supercollider's Dual.