by Candi Brammer, Ambient Musings
January 2004
Steve Roach rarely ceases to amaze me with his continued musical achievements that have spanned over two decades. While I appreciate his works on various levels depending on where exactly his soundworlds lead me to, there's no denying that with each work a new destination is fully explored, both sonically and visually; inwardly and outwardly.
MYSTIC CHORDS & SACRED SPACES (part 1), which comprises the first two CD's in a four-disc set, exemplifies some of Roach's finest moments in crafting longform, rhythmless ambience, as opposed to the more tribal-ambient explorations of past works such as ON THIS PLANET and THE SERPENT'S LAIR. Aerial yet substantial, expansive and highly three-dimensional with moderate shifts between chords, supernal tones and frequencies merge with ample drones and layers of mutable shapes of sound threaded in-between. The compositional whole emits profound esotericism, as Roach weaves a sonic labyrinth of contemplation and exploration that feels dark, but positively so.
Despite the lack of any known cultural or geographical inspiration for this album, imagery that comes to this listener's mind are inexplicably those of Amazonian wetlands and numinous tropic dwellings. Think of drifting surreally along a thick-forested river while lying in a reed boat or canoe, as the water's current flows in concordance with the hazy chord transgressions, carrying the traveler along to a destination unknown. Tonal mists begird the senses like thick, expanding fog, as the sparse calls of exotic birds and invisible creatures enhances the presence of this tenebrous abode of tranquility. In fact, the listener's brainwaves are likely to become so immersed in the surround-sound of the shifting chords and timbres that one is liable to forget that the sounds are coming from the stereo-system and not the universe itself -- something which Roach's soundworlds are so often capable of achieving. While on the surface this recording may seem to lack the variety of Roach's more rhythmic and perhaps "exciting" works, when listened to on a more subconscious level MYSTIC CHORDS & SACRED SPACES reveals a wonderfully ambiguous stirring beneath the stillness. Highly recommended for the mystic aspirant!
 
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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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