On what is consistently classified as one of the greatest ambient records of all time (an increasingly impressive designation; as the amount of ambient albums in the world doubles roughly each week), Steve Roach sought to fill the void left by the synthesizers total independence from human touch – that is, the reverberation of the breath and the bodys interaction with an acoustic instrument that a synthesizer is indifferent to. Using the seemingly limitless capabilities of the then-new Oberheim OB-8 polyphonic synthesizer, Roach freed himself from the constraints of meter and tempo and instead allowed his breathing to direct the sustain lengths of the notes. Roach explains: My life at that time was purely focused on drawing out an inner voice that had been building over many years: a feeling born from my immersion in the quiet spaces of the desert environment. My connection to the profound atmosphere of the desert areas of Southern California – Joshua Tree, Anza-Borrego, Death Valley, The Mojave Desert – was essential. I finally had my hands on the tools with which I could channel this feeling, this expansive atmosphere and blooming inner awareness. I was uncovering and discovering a palpable sense of stillness emanating from a soundcurrent of silence. 40th anniversary edition on sea blue and ultra clear color-in-color vinyl with extensive notes from Roach on the album’s creation, limited to 500 copies. Recommended.

• 40th anniversary edition
• sea blue-in-ultra clear colored vinyl
• 1st time on vinyl since 1984
• includes 4 page insert w/ photos + extensive liner notes
• limited edition of 500
• original release year: 1984
• music label: Projekt Records 2024

reviewed by hannibal chew 11/2017