by Darren Bergstein, e|i magazine
October 2003
Delving as deep into the molecules of silicon diodes as he can, Steve Roach again does the impossible -- arm in arm, hand in hand, exorcising dormant ghosts out of his machines, he exposes the gaping spiritual core where impression and expression morph into pure, dazzling sensation. MYSTIC CHORDS & SACRED SPACES speaks of willing immersion into solipsism, of immense places brimming with unspeakable presence and spectacle, aural textures smited by an epoch-spanning hand dusted with the big bang's residual ash. Not since the likes of DREAMTIME RETURN has it seemed fit to brandish a Roach release truly 'epic', but spread out over four discs no other description is as apt. Mystic Chords takes Roach's previous exercises in minimalism (STRUCTURES FROM SILENCE and QUIET MUSIC) out of the sublime, into the darkened, embryonic territory first postulated on THE MAGNIFICENT VOID, and beyond.
This is electronic music organized into symphonic passages, each an independent entity but drawing their collective strength from the whole. In fact, physical 'descriptions' of this collection of stark, dramatic sounds simply don't do them justice -- fundamentally these are a series of orchestrated drones, but that is an oversimplification of the grandest sort. Roach knows his way around these patterns so well by now -- yawning sheets of white synth noise, shifting tableaux, the chirping of myriad fauna, digital loops stretched to the breaking point -- it's practically instinctual. In fact, his ability to conjure explicit images and feelings, to basically suspend time, ensure his formidable reputation on the electronic spectrum. Out of tentative eclipses, twisting and unfurling like jet contrails dissipating into a moist, blackening sky, this is music of brobdingnagian gestures, a cinematic tour de force for the ear.
In his grand, monastic nature, Roach scatters all notions of 'ambient' to the four winds, leaving in its wake what must be the sounds of the temporal void itself, escaping with profound abandon. It is to gape in awe.
 
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Steve Roach 2003 Projekt PRO142 (CD, Poster) Reviewed by Frank MacEowen, Gilles Bédard, Jim Brenholts, Hannah M.G. Shapero, Ambient Musings, Beneath the Icy Floe, Deep Listenings, Disquiet, Echoes, Eclectic Earwig Reviews, Electroambient Space, e|i magazine, Morpheus Music, Sonic Curiosity, Sputnik Music, Synth Music Direct, Wind and Wire MYSTIC CHORDS & SACRED SPACES is truly among the creme de la creme of Steve's distinct work. It is an astonishing series of recordings. At times I found myself facing the darkest of the dark in the collective unconscious. Just as I thought I had reached the edge of where I could go in my voyaging, a tonal shift would occur and carry me into a delicious and heart-achingly beautiful space of unparalleled hope and faith. These recordings are both initiatory, and a veritable soul-retrieval in this time of widespread soul loss. In essence, this is healing sound. Arranged as a collection of four discs, each is a stand-alone musicscape experience. Yet, as a full collection MYSTIC CHORDS & SACRED SPACES is nothing short of initiation, each disk building upon the energy of the previous one, opening out into vast domains and vistas, carrying us deep into subterranean realms of luminosity. MYSTIC CHORDS & SACRED SPACES is a vibrant topography, a map leading us to the dwelling places of sentient and divine energy." -- Frank MacEowen, author of From the Celtic Dreamtime, The Mist-Filled Path, and Chasing The Deer Note: The 4-Disc Set has an extra $3 shipping charge for deliveries outside the U.S. and Canada.
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Steve Roach 2003 Projekt PRO143 (CD, Poster) Reviewed by Sputnik Music MYSTIC CHORDS & SACRED SPACES is truly among the creme de la creme of Steve's distinct work. It is an astonishing series of recordings. At times I found myself facing the darkest of the dark in the collective unconscious. Just as I thought I had reached the edge of where I could go in my voyaging, a tonal shift would occur and carry me into a delicious and heart-achingly beautiful space of unparalleled hope and faith. These recordings are both initiatory, and a veritable soul-retrieval in this time of widespread soul loss. In essence, this is healing sound. Arranged as a collection of four discs, each is a stand-alone musicscape experience. Yet, as a full collection MYSTIC CHORDS & SACRED SPACES is nothing short of initiation, each disk building upon the energy of the previous one, opening out into vast domains and vistas, carrying us deep into subterranean realms of luminosity. MYSTIC CHORDS & SACRED SPACES is a vibrant topography, a map leading us to the dwelling places of sentient and divine energy." -- Frank MacEowen, author of From the Celtic Dreamtime, The Mist-Filled Path, and Chasing The Deer Note: The 4-Disc Set has an extra $3 shipping charge for deliveries outside the U.S. and Canada.
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