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The landscape of ambient music has long been objectively saturated. We are overwhelmed by products that are very similar to each other, often lacking the sacred fire of inspiration. In many cases, we are faced with poor imitations of artists of a much greater caliber. One of these is undoubtedly Steve Roach. Certainly, he can be criticized for being repetitive, also due to excessive production. However, the Californian musician has persistently continued to make his music with dedication and commitment, ignoring trends. Roach has always been balanced between ambient, new age, cosmic music, and tribal impulses: nevertheless, he has always had something to say and has always done so with great class. A demonstration of this comes from his new album titled What Remains. In the first track, “Currents Of Compassion” (about 26 minutes), we find Roach at his best: the synths guide us on this cosmic journey beyond time and space with subtle rhythmic elements in the background. It almost seemed as if I noticed a return to certain German influences of his very earliest productions. The following “Prometheus Passage” with its 7 minutes is the shortest track and is classically in his more ethereal ambient style. “The Gone Place” instead (about 21 minutes) is characterized by tribal-ambient sounds that bring to mind a classic like Artifacts. The closure is entrusted to the 15 minutes of the title track which, with its refined and spatial atmospheres, recreates the magic of a masterpiece like Dreamtime Return. “What Remains” confirms how Steve Roach continues to be the undisputed king of ambient, keeping the competition at a considerable distance. Available on Bandcamp: https://steveroach.bandcamp.com/album/what-remains.
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