5 stars out of 5. Heralded by many as one of the finest Ambient works of all time Steve Roach's Structures from Silence is right up there with Brian Eno's Music for Airports and deservedly so. Originally released 1984, Structures from Silence was deemed a classic almost immediately, but the contrast grew greater as Roach's output did, and the sheer beauty and clarity of this recording became more clear with time; then Structures from Silence became a bit of a legend after it went out of print. Projekt has done Ambient and music enthusiasts in general a great service by putting this excellent and classic recording back into print. With this re-release at last Roach's early work can be listened to, enjoyed and made available to the buying public at large. Structures 2001 has also been remastered for better sound quality, thus creating an even more evocative atmospheric experience. This is an exciting recording from a wonderful era in electronic Ambient / Spacemusic. The 1980s saw the advent of so much electronic and synthesized music, but finally one of the finest recordings of the decade has become available again for a new generation and a new time.

Nov 2001 | Reissue of ambient classic that set the standard for everything that followed.
| 9 out of 10 | Back when ambient and deep-space music were called New Age, and amid so many now-forgotten releases from anyone with a synthesizer and an index finger, there appeared an instant classic by a rising star. Steve Roach had just begun to make a name for himself with a series of sequencer-oriented albums when he released Structures From Silence in 1984. Over three deceptively simple tracks, "Reflections in Suspension," "Quiet Friend" and the still unequaled title piece, Roach forged innovative sounds. Over the years, many listeners have praised the album's therapeutic and meditative qualitites, but Structures From Silence remains foremost a work of the heart, with tracks like "Quiet Friend" forever evoking an aura of melancholic solitude. Whatever Brian Eno may have set in motion with his landmark Ambient series, Roach took a step further by creating something with a resounding sense of humanity and emotion. - Mark Burbey

Oct 2002 | Voted #4 on The 25 Most Influential Ambient Albums Of All Time | One of the pioneers of the American spacemusic scene, initially inspired by German synthesists such as Klaus Schulze and Tangerine Dream, Roach has explored styles from quiet contemplation to raging sequencer storms, from organic tribal grooves to twitchy electronic rhythms, frequently pointing the way for others to follow. One of his most influential works is the 1984 release Structures from Silence. This recording is a soothing, enveloping soundscape, ideal for quieting the mind and calming the body. The gentle ebb and flow of warm synthesizer textures are based on the rhythm of breathing, and entrains the listeners' own respiration to its serene pace. It's useful: for setting a tone in a room, for aiding in meditation, for easing the transition to sleep, but it's also sensually pleasing.

Amazing is the concept of unlimited space, the idea that there is no physical boundary within the reach of anything at any given point that marks the edge of our universe. Brilliant is a being that can capture and understand such a marvelous concept on so many levels and express it by means of sound, specifically in musical form. Ambient and electronic musician Steve Roach is one of the rare few who have successfully been able to achieve this goal, proving his understanding of the notion in a number of ways. Metaphorically speaking, Steve Roach truly captures the true meaning of space with his music because over the years it has become obvious that his musical capacity knows no bounds. The musician has released one and a half solo albums on average per year since his 1982 debut Now, each one ranging somewhere between generally solid and utterly flawless. In a more literal sense, Roach’s music perfectly captures the essence of space and all of its wondrous aspects, portraying them through peaceful melodies and mysterious ambiance. When it comes to fulfilling such a task, however, nothing that Steve Roach or any other musician has ever done or very likely ever will do will come close to competing with his magnificent third record, Structures from Silence.

Structures from Silence is a monumental landmark in the area of ambient music. It didn’t take long after its release to become a widespread ambient favorite and be considered one of the greatest albums in the genre of all time. Up until the release of Structures from Silence, Roach’s music has been composed of far more energized pieces, being both fast-paced and occasionally calm and relaxing while including a wide variety of electronic beats and tribal rhythms. With his third album, Roach pushed aside the majority of his previous musical qualities and left behind the most simple and beautiful quality of his sound. This worked all for the best, as the final product is certainly one of the most special pieces of electronic music one can experience. The album itself is a journey waiting to happen that, once started, you will never want to end. “Reflections in Suspension” will see you taking off from Earth and traveling farther than anyone has ever dreamed possible, getting closer than ever to destinations barely visible through a telescope back home; with “Quiet Friend” you will continue your journey through space while becoming overwhelmed with all that you have experienced: the sights, the distances, the sizes, the endlessness; finally, the title track will find you coming closer to a true understanding of space and its lack of limits, countless undiscovered regions, and infinite questions that have yet to be asked and may never receive answers.

Structures from Silence is truly the soundtrack to a dream that has yet to take place. It is an album everybody should keep accessible at all times in case of a desperate need of relaxation, the impulsive desire to stargaze, or even just for pleasurable listening purposes. This is not the type of ambient record that will require time and patience to allow the music to sink in. Once the music kicks in, the last thing you will want is for it to end. Structures from Silence is just one of Steve Roach’s ambient masterpieces, though this is the one that will leave a mark on you and will stick with you for ages to come. Summary: Dream On. Rating: 5 out of 5 -Tim Bartolini

There seems to be an increase in alternative/complementary medicines at the moment, writes Stuart Moses. I have just started a yoga course, so imagine my delight when I discovered that this CD comes with glowing reviews from Yoga Journal, which isn't renowned for its musical endorsement. Consisting of three lengthy, electronic soundscapes this music is a perfect accompaniment to meditation, yoga, painting, drawing, walking, breathing or you could even just listen to it. It's the sort of relaxing feeling that you just know is going to sound great while you burn some incense and watch your water feature. Song titles like "Reflections In Suspension" and "Quiet Friend" give you an indication of the sort of vibe on offer here, which reminds me of the more ambient moments of Future Sound Of London. It's the sort of music that you can use to help relax the mind of all the stresses of the day. By listening to the gentle lapping of this synthesised score you can achieve a sense of calm similar to the hypnotic effect of staring at the sea, or the sky. I'm looking forward to listening to Steve Roach's music when I next do either of these activities. Perfect to wind down to in the evening, this CD is also good for gently starting your day. Just don't listen to it if you are in a hurry, because you are likely to forget the reason you were hurrying, though this might not be such a bad thing. - Stuart Moses

In December 2000, Yoga Journal voted Structures from Silence one of the top-10 all time CDs for yoga ---16 years after it was first released -- proving this CD to be one of the ultimate soundtracks for contemplation, relaxation, meditation, and focused creativity.

Mixed Media / Sounds of Silence ... in most yoga classes silence is golden, but these teachers think music can help you hear what you're missing.

In the same breath that they mentioned succumbing to a growing backlash against synthesizer music in favor of acoustic sounds, several teachers cited this purely electronic recording from 1984 as a classic soundtrack for yoga practice. "What I like about Steve Roach's music, particularly this CD," says Todd Norian (of Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health, Lenox, MA), "is the spaciousness, the gradual quality of transition from sound to sound. It's really seamless, and doesn't draw attention to itself. Roach has a mysterious way of being invisible yet richly present." Over the past 16 years, Roach has experimented with complicated electro-acoustic mixes, ambitious sampling, and thorny rhythms (as on his recent Light Fantastic). But here he sticks to purely synthesized computer sounds that slowly pulse in and out of the speakers like the most relaxed breathing you have ever heard. A close relative of ambient music, Structures From Silence makes good on its name, achieving more dynamic momentum that such ambient archetypes as Brian Eno's Music for Airports .

Although amorphous to the max, it nonethless creates the illusion of architectural shapes assembling themselves from basic cosmic elements. Elongated melodies stretch out like silver threads; lushly harmonized chords overlap one another like a series of gentle waves spilling onto the shore.

Trying to discern any intrinsic emotional content in the great swells of sound or calculate the mathematical relationships between notes would be like trying to psychoanalyze the sea or count its individual drops of water.

Roach's three meditative compositions -- "Quiet Friend." "Structures from Silence." and "Reflections in Suspension" --- transcend typical musical standards and set their own requirements for deep listening.