by Phil Derby, Synth Music Direct
August 2003
This five-hour set is an amazing collection of all-new material showing master ambient musician Steve Roach at the top of his craft. This epic anthology is one giant mind trip into deep sonic worlds of imagination.
The first disc is classic Steve Roach, if one can use such a term given his varied and extensive output. These five tracks are quintessential organic ambience of the highest order, my favourite disc of the set, thus making it an ideal starter. Dark drones, deep shimmering echoes, roaring undercurrents, all characterize the "Palace of Nectar". "Oracle" is a richly layered intense piece of swirling drone music. "Within the Mystic" is brighter in tone, though it still has a dramatic feel to it. A guest cellist enhances the mood on this number.
Disc two lives up to its name, going deep within a "Labyrinth" of sound, easily the darkest of the four discs. Disc three is a feast for the ears, with no less than thirteen bite-sized delectable morsels. "This Moment Is A Memory" is perhaps a reference to the "Void Memory" tracks from THE MAGNIFICENT VOID, as there is a similar feel, although "This Moment Is Another Memory" (yes, it is the next track) sounds more like something from MIDNIGHT MOON or STREAMS & CURRENTS, given the inclusion of Roach's ambient guitar playing.
Finally, we come to disc four, appropriately titled "Piece of Infinity". This 74-minute track is perhaps Steve's most minimal long-form work yet, and does have a great expansive quality that lends itself perfectly to the title.
Besides the music itself, this is a beautifully packaged set, in duo Digipaks with very attractive artwork. It only enhances an already complete package. No ambient fan should be without this in their collection.
 
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Steve Roach 2003 Projekt PRO144 (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, 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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