Dreaming Now..Then

Amazon.co.uk Because Steve Roach releases so many recordings, it sometimes appears as if he's in the same groove, when actually we are seeing every microscopic evolutionary step of a vision that has remained unerringly true since his debut. This compilation, spanning the synthesist's career from 1982 to 1997, reveals the giant leaps he has taken in his first 15 years of recording. Dreaming ... Now, Then is divided into the two broad strokes of Roach's music, one active and one in the drone zone. You can hear his early influences on tracks from Now Traveler, and Empetus, with repeating sequencer patterns borrowed from German space music and overlapping melodic and rhythmic patterns taken from minimalism. In 1987 he began to reveal his textured soundscapes inspired by the desert Southwest where he lives. That evolved into his highly influential techno-tribal sound, initiated with Dreamtime Return. The second disc is culled from Roach's more ambient works, notably the spacious, sensual unfolding of Structures from Silence, and includes a previously unreleased piece. A misprint on the CD spine calls this an "Introspective," but I think that's an accurate take on music circumscribing an interior world. --John Diliberto Product Description Dreaming...Now, Then offers a fascinating perspective on Steve Roach's innovative sonic travels for new and seasoned listeners alike. A double CD, it features selected pieces from his large body of work on the Fortuna Records label which is distributed by Celestial Harmonies. Carefully selected and sequenced by Steve himself the process of choosing the music quickly took on a complex array of twists and turns. He wanted to create a sonic stream that was musically connected on an artistic level and emotionally significant on a personal level. At the same time, he found myself rediscovering the music through different ears, even as he felt the threads from those earlier releases weaving through his current work. With the final sequence in place, the pieces from the various releases seemed to cast a new light onto each other. Even though they represented different phases in his life and art, the selections Steve chose for Disk 1 flowed naturally, each piece fitting into the next like a puzzle revealing the organic creative process he has always felt at work. Disk 2, on the other hand, created its own continuum with complete disregard for chronological order. The atmospheric pieces instead called for a nonlinear sequence from different points across the 15 years of their creations, as if they always had and always will exist in a place that has little regard for the limitations of time. Disk 1 presents the rhythmicelectrotribal 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. Disk 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. About the Artist Steve Roach is recognized worldwide as one of the leading innovators in contemporary electronic music. His range of musical expression runs the gamut from the introspective soundscapes of Structures from Silence and Quiet Music (Complete Edition) to the explosive sequencer music of Empetus. Roach masterfully combined these two aspects of his style on the double album Dreamtime Return , considered by many critics to be a landmark in the new music genre.