The Sky Opens

Magnificent, majestic and voluminous truly describes the expansive sonic experience spanning this 140-minute 2-CD set. The Sky Opens represents a sublime moment in the evolution of Steve’s 40-year history within the ambient/electronic genre. His sound manifests through an artistic process of real-time engaged interaction where his vision is channeled through a blend of technology, composition and improvisation, all captured in the moment of creation. This transpires for Steve in the studio as well as in live settings where mostly hardware instruments bring his studio environment to the stage.

This album takes a unique approach to documenting live electronic music; the listener is fully immersed in an acoustic expanse that completely embraces the music. The Sky Opens presents his 2019 Ambient Church concert in its entirety experienced within the warm, reverberant sanctuary of the 95-year-old First United Methodist Church of Pasadena, California. Microphones in multiple locations throughout the church capture the emotional, breathing dynamic of the music combined with the acoustic influence of the 1200-capacity audience. Blending this with Steve’s live console mix, the album balances the magnificent natural ambience with subtle detail fine-tuned by mastering engineer Howard Givens.

Along with a disc’s worth of of all-new material, The Sky Opens includes the first-time live expression of the seminal minimalist-ambient “Structures from Silence” performed on the classic Oberheim OB-8. As the set evolves, five tracks from Steve’s epic ethno-atmospheric landmark Dreamtime Return are elevated to a new level by the influence of the sacred sonic space and mesmerized audience.

The Sky Opens is a pinnacle moment reaching towards places beyond. Ultimately the pure emotion, passion and vision of Steve’s work is elegantly brought forth in this dynamic performance; the sky opens indeed.