| Artist: Steve Roach Album: Live at Grace Cathedral Released: 1 January 2010 |   |
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Grace Cathedral is known as a house of prayer for all people, without exception. From those seeking the divine to others simply looking for a quiet place, this enormous sanctuary in San Francisco welcomes all. Filling this sacred space with sound is a delicate task, as evidenced on the double CD Live at Grace Cathedral by Steve Roach. A recording of his concert performance, Live at Grace Cathedral manages to retain the beautiful power and atmosphere of this unique event. Exploring the reverberant nature of the sanctum, Roach employs less any rhythmic form and more the imaginative and expressive shifting textures and timbres of his highly original synthesized tones. In measured breaths, deep electronic sighs are gradually introduced as Roach plays his instruments into the fascinating acoustics of the massive hall. Layers of distinctive sounds occupy the air, rolling out then slowly folding back in on themselves - sometimes all the way back down to silence. From smooth and swirling to tempestuous and dark, the condition achieved seems to be that of sustained calm and wonder. The two CDs are harmonic journeys without the usual conclusion. Roach realizes that the essence of Spacemusic is not to provide a solid narrative or sharp focus but to stimulate the mind of the listener into inevitably contemplating the mysteries of the cosmos.
- Chuck van Zyl/STAR'S END 11 March 2010 | |
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