Steve Roach & Michael Stearns
Beyond Earth & Sky

In 1995, Kiva was released, an album that was a collaboration between Steve Roach, Michael Stearns, and Ron Sunsinger. Roach and Stearns are two of the giants of American electronic music. For many at the time, Kiva represented a milestone in ambient music. I am not one of those admirers. The work seemed a bit predictable to me and too close to the uninspired new age genre that I detest.

Now the two join forces again in a new album titled Beyond, Earth & Sky released by the legendary Projekt of Sam Rosenthal. Let me say right away that the chemistry works perfectly here. These artists share, in addition to a common "musical vision," a similar life philosophy. Probably some critics will turn up their noses, highlighting how, for a long time now, Steve Roach hasn't invented anything new but has recycled himself into a sort of dignified but somewhat superfluous craftsmanship. I agree with this school of thought only to a certain extent. It is true that the ambient genre is now over-saturated, and it's difficult to find something original in much of the recent production by Steve Roach himself. Nevertheless, the artist has remained intact, and I believe that the help of his friend Michael Stearns was, in this case, very positive.

Beyond, Earth & Sky is indeed an inspired album that, in its best moments, manages to revive the magic of masterpieces such as Dreamtime Return by Roach and Encounter by Stearns. The instrumentation includes the use of the Beam (a gigantic 22-string instrument), digital and analog synths, various sequencers, and the didgeridoo. Tracks like the initial and ethereal "Horizon Is Home," the futuristic "The Long Road," the evanescent "Cloud Of New Promise," the cosmic and ceremonial "Primal Return," and the concluding and sidereal "Parable Of Understanding" testify how this album represents a significant moment in the careers of these two musicians. Highly recommended to ambient followers. Available on Bandcamp: https://steveroach.bandcamp.com/album/beyond-earth-sky.