by W.M., Outline Magazine
September 2002
This is the second teaming of the trance soundscape artist Roach and the inspired, urban shaman drumming of Fayman. This disc has the addition of drum master Momadou Kah and guitarist Robert Fripp (of King Crimson, Brian Eno and David Bowie fame). For all of the brilliance of their first release, this surpasses it as a musical experience. The teaming of Fripp, who developed ambient music with Eno in the early 1970's and is one of the most innovative electric guitarists in rock history, with Roach, the modern trance master who developed his craft in the microprocessor era, is alone worth the price of admission. Their duet, "Year of the Horse," is primarily a brilliant Fripp solo with reverb, sustain and pulse on the guitar that makes it sound like an orchestra. However, when joined by one or both of the drummers on the CD, Roach and Fripp blend together so perfectly that you have to listen very closely to figure out who is playing which part. While both Fripp and Roach have put out fine solo albums, they seem to flourish when they work in collaboration with other musicians. This trance/tribal drumming disc is a brilliant showcase for both artists. Musically, this is as demanding as anything these artists have put out, but the changes come faster. The listener can hear and appreciate the structure of the music, as opposed to having to stay awake through a half-hour of gradual metamorphosis. New age fans might find this disc more disruptive than meditative, but as music it is pure brilliance.
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Steve Roach, Jeffrey Fayman, Robert Fripp, Momodou Kah 2002 Projekt PRO135 (CD) Reviewed by Hannah M.G. Shapero, Bret Miller, Earwaves Media, Electroambient Space, e|i magazine, MusicTAP, New Age Voice, Outline Magazine, Sonic Curiosity, Under the Volcano TRANCE SPIRITS by Steve Roach, Jeffrey Fayman, Robert Fripp and Momodou Kah represents the next step in genuine tribal ambient soundscapes. This amazing gathering of artists makes a magnificent leap into the future of acoustically-fused electronic music. Five of the seven pieces are driven by a complex juggernaut of authentic African percussion, performed as long-form groove trance pieces by Fayman and Kah. As opposed to just using loops to conjure the desired mood, TRANCE SPIRITS is a real continuum of time, with subtle evolution within the tracks. Entwined with the shamanic / trance-inducing soundworlds created by Roach, and augmented by Fripp on three tracks, the combined effect unleashes the primal forces of nature with a boiling undercurrent of rich, transporting textures.
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