Steve Roach suggestions?

[ScottAM]

For decades I've loved Steve Roach's classic "Dreamtime Return" from '88, but I haven't really explored much beyond that. The track "The Other Side" from that album is one of my favorite transcendent pieces ever.

I see that he's got a huge body of work released since that time. Any suggestions as to your favorites, especially given my tastes for Dreamtime Return?

Thanks!

[GuitarGeek]

Possible Planet is one of my favorites. So is Quiet Music.

[srtd4]

Visit his web site ( http://steveroach.com/ ). Samples are available for most all
his releases. I'm sure you will find what your looking for. It's extremely hard for
me to name my favorites, as he has many different styles of music, and I happen
to enjoy All his releases. ( I own his total discography including all his collaborations ).
Happy Space Traveling.

Scott
http://www.stillstream.com (24/7 All Ambient Internet Radio )
http://relaxedmachinery.com/earthmantra/

[NogbadTheBad]

I have Empetus, Arc Of Passion, Magnificent Void & Structures Of Silence, and like them all. Good hunting.

[ChrisXymphonia]

Coincidentally I am on a huge Steve Roach binge right now, playing all the album I have of his which is about 20 or so. Am also in the process of slowly getting his older work now. It all depend on what you really like within his output. His very early stuff (pre Dreamtime) is heavily influenced by the German synth artists (especially Klaus Schulze) but he takes that influence to a whole other level. Empetus (the 2 cd edition) is a big sequencer fest, especially the second cd with the huge (45 minute) Harmonia Mundi.

Then you have the slow, drifting soundworlds he creates Structures From Silence or The Dream Circle or the Immersion series. Especially the latter are meant to be lived in i.e. low level volume continuous playback. These work wonderfully if you want something to gently fall asleep to or have something on while studying / working. The Dream Circle and the Immersion have gotten me through some quite stressfull times the past few years.

Then there is the tribal ambient soundworlds he creates. There is already some of that on Dreamtime Return but especially on Origins that sound really started to become very interesting. It is a merger of tribal acoustic percussion (both pure acoustic and electronically treated), ancient flutes and his electronic soundscapes. This is a side of Roach's output that I need to investigate more as I really like Origins.

In recent years he has gone back to a more pure analog synth sound albeit with a very Roach like stamp on it. The live album Storm Surge (recorded at his NEARfest performance) is a great example of that and also the ambient meets gentle sequencer workout Arc Of Passion (a double cd) is one I particularly like.

[Azol]

If you enjoy Dreamtime Return, you should listen to these two albums from 1993/94: Origins and Artifacts, as they effectively continue the electronic/acoustic blending of styles Steve began on Dreamtime Return. Particularly Origins is that desert island CD for me without a doubt.
I have built a nice Roach collection over the years (60+ albums and collaborations) and several other albums that I can heartily recommend include KIVA, Suspended Memories (both albums), Light Fantastic (many of his recent projects draw on the material from this album, so it's a big influence!), The Magnificent Void, Journey Of One (live 2CD recording from 1996 and it's great!)

[battema]

FYI 'Structures from Silence' is gorgeous, probably one of my fave SR albums.

Also FYI....apparently in 2014 Project is releasing a 3 disc deluxe edition of Structures, although I haven't found too many other details at this point. Probably similar to the Dreamtime deluxe box a few years back, which had two discs of great additional material. So...might be worth waiting a few more months before checking that one out.

[ChrisXymphonia]

There was no 3 cd Dreamtime Return AFAIK but there was Dreamtime Box which had a 2cd remaster of the album plus two new aditional albums which are also available seperately:

http://www.steveroach.com/music/disc...hp?albumID=335

[battema]

There was no 3 cd Dreamtime Return AFAIK but there was Dreamtime Box which had a 2cd remaster of the album plus two new aditional albums which are also available seperately:

http://www.steveroach.com/music/disc...hp?albumID=335

Yes, that's what I was referring to. I probably could have worded it slightly better (called it a box, but mentioned additional discs instead of full separate albums). I blame the turkey.

[davef]

Some of my favs are also Dreamtime Return,Origins,Artifacts..in that order."On This Planet" is also a good one.....also..."Early Man"
..
Dave

[ScottAM]

Thanks so much for the suggestions, everyone. Cool to see a few of you are so into Steve Roach that you've got most of his catalog! I'll have endless hours exploring your suggestions -- much appreciated!

Peace,
Scott

[Yanks2014]

I've wanted to explore more of his catalog. I'm more into his energetic, pulsating variety of electronics, as opposed to the truely ambient work. But I admit I loved his set at Nearfest, and enjoy that live album quite a bit. It's sort of a combination of both those styles and worked for me, Does he have more music like that?

I have, and love Empetus (such a hypnotic sound throughout), Stormwarning (live set), Now/Traveler (comp of his first two albums) Storm Surge (live at Nearfest) and The Leaving Time (w/Michael Schrieve). I tried Dreamtime Return and Structures in Silence and was bored to tears.

[battema]

He has a few more recent ones that are more based on the analog sequencer style: Proof Positive springs to mind immediately.

His tribal/fracal groove albums are pretty interesting too: On This Planet is a great live disc, and his collabs with Vir Unis and Vidna Obmana are pretty consistently excellent.

Oh yeah, almost forgot...if you go to his website (steveroach.com), you can browse his releases based on style, which can help narrow down his (not inconsiderable) backlog of releases.

[Azol]

His more tribal/groove-infused releases include all collaborations with Vir Unis, Byron Metcalf and Jeffrey Fayman.

What I would recommend to you is: Trance Spirits (wonderfully, hypnotically intense!), Halcyon Days (more didjeridoo-oriented with some excellent percussion), Groove Immersion (gentle liquid grooves), The Serpent's Lair (tribal percussion), Body Electric, Light Fantastic (both 'fractal'-oriented grooves, sometimes pretty intense).

[battema]

Ah yeah, thanks Azol! I was trying to remember 'Body Electric' but couldn't remember the title to save my life. Really dig that one, some excellent groovy electronics.

[Yanks2014]

Oh yeah, almost forgot...if you go to his website (steveroach.com), you can browse his releases based on style, which can help narrow down his (not inconsiderable) backlog of releases.

I'll do just that!

[srtd4]

Steve just released two new CD's. A Live performance from E-Live in 2000, and a
release of New music called " Spiral Meditations "
There are sound samples of both releases at his web site.

Scott
http://www.stillstream.com
http://relaxedmachinery.com/earthmantra/

[Boceephus]

Threads like this keep me coming back to this forum... This thread cost me a bundle, but I now have a nice collection of Roach's material. Thank you all for the enlightenment.

[Dan Marsh]

I pretty much get anything he puts out.

[dropforge]

Good stuff.

Now; Traveler; Empetus — culminating in the sequencer tour-de-force Empetus, these three early/mid-1980s albums remain some of the very best music Steve ever recorded. The first two represent his emergence on the scene as part of the "California School" of electronic music along with Walter Holland, Richard Burmer, Kevin Braheny and Michael Stearns. Empetus got a recent reissue as a 2CD with lots more music.

Quiet Music — this was originally issued in three OOP volumes, and luckily there are a couple recent multi-disc editions that collect all the music that you can pick up.

Structures From Silence — this still remains his e-ambient masterpiece, IMO.

Western Spaces — this was a 1988 collaborative project/album by Roach, Burmer and Braheny and is an essential one if you enjoy the music of these guys.

Stormwarning — live album in the sequencer-driven Empetus style, so if you like what he did on that, you'll definitely enjoy this.

At the end of the '80s, Roach got into the Dreamtime Return ethno-ambient style that continued for a few years. Electronics were present but organic sounds and rhythms were emphasized much more greatly. If you dig what he did there, also get World's Edge, Artifacts and Origins, at the very least.

When Steve returned to creating purely electronic music, he made some more very good ambient albums, like The Magnificent Void, before he resumed the sequencer style he initially embraced in the 1980s. These include Blood Machine (with Vir Unis), Life Sequence, and the one I like best, Proof Positive.

[gpeccary]

I pretty much get anything he puts out.

Count me in on that too. I'm not super fond of all of his tribal work, I enjoy it in small doses, depending on who he's doing it with. I must have upwards to 70 albums by him, almost everything he's put out I dig. Hes done a lot of work with Vidna Obmana, and a nice piece with Robert Rich. Happy traveling, I hope you enjoy the trip!

[Yanks2014]

Empetus got a recent reissue as a 2CD with lots more music.

I guess I have to get this now, as Empetus is one of my very favorite electronic albums.

[NogbadTheBad]

I guess I have to get this now, as Empetus is one of my very favorite electronic albums.

Same here

[Yanks2014]

Same here

Good, we are agreeing on something again.

[rcarlberg]

Me too, I also enjoy almost everything he's done, he's very consistent whether he's doing the tribal thing, the droney thing or the syncopated electronica thing. Of the 40 or so albums I have (gave up trying to collect EVERYTHING) my stone cold favorite is maybe not too well known: THE MAGNIFICENT VOID.