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Steve Roach & Serena Gabriel again call forth the Electronic Spirit. Possessing a profound privacy Entering Elysium (74:09) conjures a rare space of aural drama, as well as an easy intimacy between the musicians and the listeners. In candlelit quiet these five tracks illuminate each a rich darkness of unknown depth. The confessional note of this music gives rise to a touching emblem of compassion, with this duo taking the entirety of the sound space to work their brilliance. Building on earlier work and collaborations, Entering Elysium manifests a quieter, closer to the soul version of Ambient Music. Ascending in charged invention synthesizers, lyre, harmonium, flute, voices and complementary detailed effects combine to produce a luxuriant atmosphere. Through darkly shaded thought zones, then on to inviting and reassuring textures, ideas activate from the assuring movement of the mind. As serenely sweet sonics move in measured motion, harmony sustains in slow burning brightness. Ruminating within the brilliance of some hidden stillness, then gently benighted, Entering Elysium invariably transcends to perfect resolutions of timbre and tone. Sound operates on two levels, out in the air in the audible realm, but also when it reaches the world within - which is where Steve Roach & Serena Gabriel mean to touch our sense of being alive.
- Chuck van Zyl/STAR'S END 16 April 2026 |
