Dreaming... Now, Then: A Retrospective 1982 - 1997
Insite: Atlanta's Entertainment Magazine
March 1999
The biggest problem I have with the techno scene is that too many of its artists are often swayed by musical trends, changing styles with the times rather than creating their own timeless sound. But even as ambient music came in and out of fashion in the early '80s and again in the early '90s, American composer Steve Roach has remained true to his singular vision, as is documented on this career retrospective spanning 15 years and nearly as many albums. Roach has made miraculous artistic progression over those years, to be sure, but there can be no doubt that the creative mind behind 1997's lushly atmospheric "Dreaming Now" is the same one responsible for 1982's minimalist, Eno-esque "The Ritual Continues". This 2-CD set is divided by styles – the electro-tribal side of his recordings make up disc one and the more alien atmospheric soundscapes make up disc two. The first CD, which is arranged chronologically, really defines Roach's progression through the years, with one world-music influenced track leading into the next as an aural documentation of his artistic growth. The ambient epics on the second CD, however, prove that the more things change, the more they stay the same, as Roach's timeless, transcendental sound resonates through the ether.
Insite: Atlanta's Entertainment Magazine
March 1999
The biggest problem I have with the techno scene is that too many of its artists are often swayed by musical trends, changing styles with the times rather than creating their own timeless sound. But even as ambient music came in and out of fashion in the early '80s and again in the early '90s, American composer Steve Roach has remained true to his singular vision, as is documented on this career retrospective spanning 15 years and nearly as many albums. Roach has made miraculous artistic progression over those years, to be sure, but there can be no doubt that the creative mind behind 1997's lushly atmospheric "Dreaming Now" is the same one responsible for 1982's minimalist, Eno-esque "The Ritual Continues". This 2-CD set is divided by styles – the electro-tribal side of his recordings make up disc one and the more alien atmospheric soundscapes make up disc two. The first CD, which is arranged chronologically, really defines Roach's progression through the years, with one world-music influenced track leading into the next as an aural documentation of his artistic growth. The ambient epics on the second CD, however, prove that the more things change, the more they stay the same, as Roach's timeless, transcendental sound resonates through the ether.
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Steve Roach 1999 Fortuna 14163 (CD) Reviewed by Eclectic Earwig Reviews, Exposé, Insite: Atlanta's Entertainment Magazine, Muze, Outsight This double CD presents selected pieces from Steve Roach's large body of work on the Fortuna Records label. Carefully selected and sequenced by the artist himself, and remasterd by Roger King, Disc 1 presents the rhythmic-electro-tribal-trance side of his work in nearly chronological order, starting with "The Ritual Continues" from 1982 and winding down with a previously unreleased live montage from 1997. Disc 2 presents an overview from the vast atmospheric soundworlds that only Steve can brew up. A stirring, spiraling, unreleased archive piece closes the second disk in a subtle yet profound way, illustrating why this influential artist continues to inspire listeners worldwide.
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