by John Shanahan
September 2003
If you're a fan of Steve Roach, listening to his latest release, the sampler SPACE AND TIME: AN INTRODUCTION TO THE SOUNDWORLDS OF STEVE ROACH is like getting together with friends you haven't seen in a while. It's good to see them, good memories come flooding back, and some of them look better than you remember. And if you don't happen to own everything this prolific artist has put out, those friends bring some of their friends; good-looking acquaintances who you immediately get along with and want to find out more about.
Pulling pieces from 13 different albums and seamlessly melding them into a 74-minute whole, SPACE AND TIME makes either a perfect introduction, as the subtitle suggests, or a delicious retrospective for seasoned listeners. Drawing a continuous line through rhythmic tribal works such as "Early Dawn" from EARLY MAN and "The Calling" from TRANCE SPIRITS to soft atmospheric swells such as "Almost Touching" from STREAMS & CURRENTS and the closing track "Nameless" from 2003's MYSTIC CHORDS & SACRED SPACES, the CD is less of a listen than a journey -- and one that bears going on again and again. Given the range of styles and impressions presented, I can't see how this wouldn't readily hook the curious newcomer.
For the seasoned Roachian traveler, however, the brevity of the individual pieces can be a touch maddening. Outside of the 12-minute slice from STRUCTURES FROM SILENCE and the 7-minute peek at the upcoming FEVER DREAMS (more on that in a moment), four and a half minutes is the most we get of any single track. That's tough to take if, like me, you've got a personal favorite listed here -- "A Circular Ceremony" from DREAMTIME RETURN -- and just as you're sliding into it, it fades out. But the blending is so smooth, and each piece moves so gently and organically one to the next, the irritation quickly fades and we're back on the journey.
The real draw for the veteran is "Fever Glimpse," the sneak preview of FEVER DREAMS. By itself well worth the $4.98 sticker price on this CD, "Glimpse" pulls the drum-based intensity of TRANCE SPIRITS into the dark swirls of INNERZONE intermittently laced with an insistent bass riff (on guitar at some points?). Call it deep funk, tribal groove... whatever you call it, it does exactly what Roach intends -- whets the slavering appetite for this upcoming full-length release.
Whether you buy this for yourself to add an interesting blended work to your collection, or for a friend who hasn't quite figured out what the big deal about Steve Roach is, SPACE AND TIME is an offer you shouldn't pass up.
 | An Introduction to the Soundworlds of Steve Roach Steve Roach 2003 Projekt PRO151 (CD) Reviewed by John Shanahan, Bert Strolenberg, Sonic Curiosity SPACE AND TIME offers a unique overview of the nearly 20 years of groundbreaking recordings from noted ambient pioneer Steve Roach. Excerpting tracks from his 13 Projekt CD's, Roach hand-selected and mixed these pieces into a perfect flow which serves as an ideal insight into his vast recorded history. "Space" and "time" are two themes that run constant in all Roach's music. Rich with emotion and nuance, his sound creations evoke a strong sense of space and atmosphere while simultaneously altering the perception of time within that space. From the expansive, time-suspending landscapes reflected in releases such as 1984's STRUCTURES FROM SILENCE and 2003's MYSTIC CHORDS & SACRED SPACES to the fire breathing, rhythmic-shamanic expressions woven from all things electric and organic on 1989's DREAMTIME RETURN and 2000's THE SERPENT'S LAIR, Roach has earned his position in the international pantheon of major ambient-atmospheric-electronic artists. Fueled by his prolific nature and uncompromising approach, SPACE AND TIME invites the listener on a 74-minute journey into the extraordinary soundworlds of Steve Roach.
6. Mislabelled as "Shift the Dimension" on some Projekt editions; 17. from the upcoming release FEVER DREAMS. Licensed for distribution in Czech Republic by Nextera (ERA 2031) |