Product Description
2 Night Ascends 23:48
3 Cloud Of Knowing 11:54
Total Time 73:52
The digital edition’s 2nd track is extended, bringing the total album length to over 2 hours
“Three profound sonic environments born from deep intuition for the power of sound, refined by years of technical mastery.” – Stephen Hill, Hearts of Space
Within the 35 year orbit of Roach’s relentless dedication to sonic-art as a way of life, Shadow of Time marks a reconnection to the touchstone of Roach’s signature sound: deep breathing atmospherics, textural healings and zen-like immersion spaces. The inner stillness and sumptuous shimmering of warm analog synthesizers slow down time and enhance the moment in ways unique to Roach’s work.
Roach says, “If Structures From Silence is held in your right hand then the new music on Shadow of Time is held in the left hand. Created 34 years apart and connected by the emotional resonance and the mosaic of life lived in this time span and reflected in this return to a sonic home.”
In the style of classic releases Structures From Silence and Quiet Music, Shadow of Time’s spacious expansion blooms outward in subtle dynamic momentum, a reflection of emotion and reverie within its three long tracks. This sonic sanctuary is at once amorphous and engaging. The overall effect is the appearance of soft-edged architectural forms, arising melodies drifting upon illuminated tendrils, lush chords shapeshifting in harmonic interplay as if waves swell and gently touch upon a time-suspended shore.
“The long, beatless title track is an exquisite piece of tonal twilight music. The swelling, breathing synth-harmonies are cast across a wide, uncluttered landscape, and at the center is a sense of utter calm. Like all of Roach’s best meditative pieces, the silence between and around the chords is as important as the music itself.” – Mike G, Ambient Music Guide
Steve reflects, “Every day holds the phenomenon of contrasting light and dark. From first dawn to the last luminous strains of day casting the transition towards night, the shadow of time is on display for the receptive eye. In our environment this interplay of contrasts and form manifests in magnificent subtlety. This fleeting, intangible partner of illumination is a constant influence in my process, both in its evocation of emotion and activation of the mythic imagination. The music on Shadow of Time is a direct expression of this awareness I am at the service of.”
“This album inhabits a place I crave returning to, especially after long runs out into the world for concerts and travel. This release offers repose, a sanctuary away from today’s accelerating pace of life. Over the years I consistently shift between dynamic and pure textural non-rhythmic work. In that, it’s not so much a return to a specific sound as reconnecting to an elusive part of consciousness that always exists. Rather than nostalgia, it’s a living flow which I draw from. At certain points in my artistic orbit, I re-enter the deeper end of this current, coming back to these inner realms and structures, accessing a dimension that feels completely congruent with my being.”
“‘Shadow of Time’ is a metaphor for several things; one is our years here, however long that might be. My obsession with time is a core meditation that helps birth this music. As the years cast a long shadow into life, the desire to reach deeper towards these places in between remains central in my work, with what lies just beyond the outer edges of the known and unknown. The experience of responding to these moments in the studio is the grand adventure from which my work emerges.”
Release date: August 19 2016
Steve Roach: Spiral 2-pack (CD)
Steve Roach: Structures From Silence (30th Anniversary 3-CD Remastered Edition)
Reviews Editor –
From Hypnagogue
Two of my initial ports of entry into a lifelong appreciation of Steve Roach, and drifting ambient music in general, was the combination of Structures from Silence and Quiet Music. They were my first forays away from more energetic electronic music and the too-shiny-for-me charm of New Age. Here was music I could fall into and feel how it was affecting me. Roach notes that Shadow of Time is something of a spiritual successor to the same concepts behind Structures from Silence, and I hear that in the rise and fall cadence, but the pads and chords on this album feel much more present; authoritative and solid, rather than the more gossamer constructs of its predecessor. The 38-minute title track kicks off the album with a subtle sense of majesty. The pads are like a series of muted, slow-moving clarion calls woven with a rich low end, the two coming together in a strong, resonant blend. Roach infuses a time-stretched melody across this track. It constantly has a hands-on-keys feel, Roach picking the spots where the next chord needs to begin its swell and where it needs to ebb. Its voice is assured and forward, yet still soft and warm. “Night Ascends” distinctly—and appropriately—moves away from the gentler tones of Structures… to raise distinct echoes of more shadowy Roach work such as “A Piece of Infinity” from Mystic Chords and Sacred Spaces. It draws on the same general amorphous, beat-free lineage as the rest of the album, but its sense of anticipation and slightly eerie chord pairings distinguish it from the other two tracks. It offers occasional glimmers of bright tones, like moonlight coming through clouds. The final track, “Cloud of Knowing,” is a comparatively mere 12 minutes long, but it is the piece closest to the Structures… ideal. The pads stretch out to a vanishing point, whispering as they go, calming and warm. As the piece reaches its end, Roach almost imperceptibly extends the pauses between pads, and the piece dissolves to become part of your breath.
On the page for this album at his site, Roach notes that “At certain points in my artistic orbit, I re-enter the deeper end of this current…” I for one am glad, always very much so, to have the opportunity to go there with him. Slot this into your growing playlist of beatless masterworks from Roach, and simply float off into the shadow of time.
Roach’s other foray into the deep end, This Place to Be, arrives as a single long track that runs exceptionally deep. Of the two releases, this one cleaves more closely to the hushed, dream-ready rise and fall of Structures…, an hour-plus of turning inward and getting quiet. This is the whispered voice of the ether, the careful rendering of the sound between silences, the motion of sleeping breath turned to music. This is the stuff you put on a low-volume loop and just live within. As is always the case, Roach floats his lines through passages of light and shadow, but no shift in tone disrupts the smoothness and depth of the flow. An up-close listen reveals plenty of texture, interplay, and harmony. This piece is absolutely perfect for sleep or meditation—or just to exist alongside you as you go through wherever you happen to be.
Reviews Editor –
From Darkroom
Il 2016 oramai lasciato alle spalle consta di almeno nove lavori a nome Steve Roach, alcuni dei quali hanno trovato posto su queste pagine a suo tempo con largo consenso. Il trentacinquesimo anno di attività del pioniere californiano continua ad essere celebrato con uscite su uscite, che vanno ad accatastarsi sulla marea di quelle precedenti. Tra queste anche Shadow Of Time, ovviamente sempre prodotto dalla Projekt di Rosenthal, lavoro uscito ad agosto e composto da tre lunghe tracce crepuscolari e sospese, un ritorno al classico stilema di Roach fatto di synth allungati e creatori di mondi sonori astratti che elevano i sensi sino ad aprirci ogni porta di percezione possibile. In questo caso si tratta di un lavoro incentrato appunto sulla dicotomia luce-ombra vissuta ogni giorno dal nostro mondo, resa possibile nel suo rincorrersi e fondersi dall’onnipresente ombra del Tempo, vera ispirazione per i soundscapes inizialmente luminescenti ed ondeggianti della title-track che apre l’album, trasformati in seguito in più oscuri afflati dronici (“Night Ascends”) ed impalpabili sospensioni nel finale (“Cloud Of Knowing”). Mondi onirici ed evocativi, che astraggono il tempo dilatandolo e sondandolo – emblematica la versione per la release digitale della già citata “Night Ascends” che arriva ad estendersi a ben 78 minuti di durata, portando la totalità effettiva dell’album a più di due ore -, luoghi meditativi dove rifugiarsi ed estraniarsi quando si vuole fuggire dalla realtà quotidiana, architetture aliene e fluttuanti alle quali Roach torna spesso a lavorare con piacere sono la formula che sta dietro a questo lavoro, tra ossessione per ciò che scorre lento ed inesorabile e ciò che di misterioso e sconosciuto sta tra il palpabile e l’impalpabile. -Lorenzo Nobili
Richard Gurtler –
From Richard Gürtler
After two highly challenging joint efforts Biosonic and Second Nature with UK’s gifted spirit Robert Logan, Steve Roach has once again dove deeply into profoundly poignant atmospheric oasis. Released during August 2016 as a 4-panel digipak, renowned Polish visual master Michał Karcz got a call to participate and deliver another of his creative gems, you might remember his artwork on other three Steve Roach’s releases Dynamic Stillness, Afterlight and The Desert Inbetween (with Brian Parnham). Additional credits go to usual fellow travelers Sam Rosenthal (design) and Howard Givens (mastering). I should add together with this album was released at the same day also a long-form journey This Place To Be, which was originally released as a digital download only at the end of May 2016, but fortunately this stunningly embracing recording has found its way to a physical version few months later.
A 38-minute title epic composition “Shadow Of Time” ignites this exceptionally immersing ride with subtly meandering minimal layers, persistently rising, ebbing and overlapping. Distinctively reflective with clandestinely emerging warmly distant symphonious horizons and as usual for the Master’s contemplative milestones, meticulously magnified by utterly enfolding and exquisitely climaxing glimpses of silence. The listener is invited to experience an ultimately tranquil sanctum of delicate introspectiveness. Enter now into some of the most powerful quietudes ever sculpted by Steve Roach, a pure aural ambrosia is served here in gargantuan doses!!! The next piece, a nearly 24 minutes long “Night Ascends”, gently shifts into slightly more intenser, persistent and gliding paths, carefully augmented by sweeping solitudes, billowing consonances and ear-titillating meridians. Lithe and graceful deep nocturnal expansions at its most spellbinding! By the way, the digital version of this composition clocks to 78 and a half minutes! “Cloud Of Knowing”, which reaches almost 12-minute mark, delves deeply into tremendously voluminous zones, graced by soulfully emotive panoramic insignias, as always magnificently scenic with breathtakingly longing vistas and constantly bridged with spiraling awe-inspiring ephemeral stillness. Blissful beauty and monumental tranquilness of these sceneries are fully unfolded. Cruising with such eternal grace can only Steve Roach, this is a truly jaw-dropping conclusion!!!
Deeply focused full immersion is highly recommended!!! Yeah, to be honest, it took me longer time before I was able to explore all the hidden magic of this album. Trust me, it’s fully rewarding now! I still keep in mind one night, when falling asleep with beloved music in my ears. Usually, I am evanescing after few tracks (I mean of course the shorter ones…), but at that particular night I journeyed through the whole Shadow Of Time and it was a truly unforgettable night! That was the breaking point! Steve Roach is a man, who constantly enriches our lives with his essential soundcarvings and Shadow Of Time is certainly one of them showcasing the Master at the very top of his deepest sonic contemplations!!! And don’t forget, the New Year’s Eve has brought to us three new albums by Steve Roach, Spiral Revelation, Painting In The Dark and Fade To Gray. As always, collective dreams are shared… -Richard Gürtler (Jan 21, 2017, Bratislava, Slovakia)
Richard Gurtler –
After two highly challenging join efforts “Biosonic” and “Second Nature” with UK’s gifted spirit Robert Logan, Steve Roach has once again dove deeply into profoundly poignant atmospheric oasis. Released during August 2016 as a 4-panel digipak, renowned Polish visual master Michał Karcz got a call to participate and deliver another of his creative gems, you might remember his artwork on other three Steve Roach’s releases “Dynamic Stillness”, “Afterlight” and “The Desert Inbetween” (with Brian Parnham). Additional credits go to usual fellow travelers Sam Rosenthal (design) and Howard Givens (mastering). I should add together with this album was released at the same day also a long-form journey “This Place To Be”, which was originally released as a digital download only at the end of May 2016, but fortunately this stunningly embracing recording has found its way to a physical version few months later.
A 38-minute title epic composition “Shadow Of Time” ignites this exceptionally immersing ride with subtly meandering minimal layers, persistently rising, ebbing and overlapping. Distinctively reflective with clandestinely emerging warmly distant symphonious horizons and as usual for the Master’s contemplative milestones, meticulously magnified by utterly enfolding and exquisitely climaxing glimpses of silence. The listener is invited to experience an ultimately tranquil sanctum of delicate introspectiveness. Enter now into some of the most powerful quietudes ever sculpted by Steve Roach, a pure aural ambrosia is served here in gargantuan doses!!! The next piece, a nearly 24 minutes long “Night Ascends”, gently shifts into slightly more intenser, persistent and gliding paths, carefully augmented by sweeping solitudes, billowing consonances and ear-titillating meridians. Lithe and graceful deep nocturnal expansions at its most spellbinding! By the way, the digital version of this composition clocks to 78 and a half minutes! “Cloud Of Knowing”, which reaches almost 12-minute mark, delves deeply into tremendously voluminous zones, graced by soulfully emotive panoramic insignias, as always magnificently scenic with breathtakingly longing vistas and constantly bridged with spiraling awe-inspiring ephemeral stillness. Blissful beauty and monumental tranquilness of these sceneries are fully unfolded. Cruising with such eternal grace can only Steve Roach, this is a truly jaw-dropping conclusion!!!
Deeply focused full immersion is highly recommended!!! Yeah, to be honest, it took me longer time before I was able to explore all the hidden magic of this album. Trust me, it’s fully rewarding now! I still keep in mind one night, when falling asleep with beloved music in my ears. Usually, I am evanescing after few tracks (I mean of course the shorter ones…), but at that particular night I journeyed through the whole “Shadow Of Time” and it was a truly unforgettable night! That was the breaking point! Steve Roach is a man, who constantly enriches our lives with his essential soundcarvings and “Shadow Of Time” is certainly one of them showcasing the Master at the very top of his deepest sonic contemplations!!! And don’t forget, the New Year’s Eve has brought to us three new albums by Steve Roach, “Spiral Meditation”, “Painting In The Dark” and “Fade To Gray”. As always, collective dreams are shared…
Richard Gürtler (Jan 21, 2017, Bratislava, Slovakia)
Reviews Editor –
From The Celebrity Cafe
On Aug. 19, Steve Roach released his latest album entitled Shadow of Time. Roach debuted his first record in 1982. Since then, he created over 100 albums. Well known in the ambient and electronic scenes, Roach continues to push boundaries. Though his career has covered a multitude of subgenres – dark, rhythmic, tribal and avant-garde being among them – Shadow of Time delivers smooth and immersive soundscapes.
Shadow of Time opens with the title track. Gentle and ethereal, there is something astral about this piece. At times it evokes a silent walk through the woods amidst small patches of light. In other moments, it feels vast and floating. Roach manages to intertwine the abstract and purposeful to great effect. While clearly electronic, “Shadow of Time” stops short of inorganic. This track carefully drops listeners off with a long and smooth fade out.
The middle track on Shadow of Time is called “Night Ascends. ” This piece begins on an airy and solemn tone. The foundation for this track evokes wind blowing across mountains. Layered over this are otherworldly and soaring melodies. An interesting aspect to “Night Ascends” is the manner in with Steve Roach orchestrates subtle shifts and variations. Half way through, listeners suddenly realize the landscape changed. With an almost Tibetan sensibility, there is a warmth and guided feel to the piece.
In a tonally dense piece, “Cloud of Knowing” wraps up Shadow of Time. This track has a sweeping feel. However, it simultaneously contains an almost a palpable thickness. Listeners are easily drawn into “Cloud of Knowing.” Steve Roach’s music presents an interesting experience for audiences. On one hand, it oscillates between the forefront and back of listener consciousness. At the same time, it is difficult not to be consumed by the sounds altogether. This is not music to work – or work out – to. It is, however, sound by which to explore, meditate and wonder. Rating: 4 out of 5. -Erin Huestis
Reviews Editor –
From Musique Machine
Veteran ambient composer Steve Roach is a longtime personal favorite of mine, and I’ve drifted off to sleep to his sound countless times. He has continued to create vast quantities of music, at times producing gripping works of astonishing, undeniable genius, such as last year’s Berlin School homage, Skeleton Keys, a complex mesh of interlocking shifting analog synth arpeggiations. The newest album Shadow of Time forsakes percolating scalar blips in favor of fluidity, lush chords and long tones, employing a sound palette of smoothed over synthetic strings, brass chorales and round waves.
Emotive melody and lush textural beauty are immediately apparent, the prominent voice being the sort of majestic, gracefully gliding Oberheim pads that typified his 80’s music, such as Structures From Silence. The chord progressions move with a more rapid, decisive pace than the clouded mires found on most of his newer recordings, and a clear melodicism which indicates a return to the ambient genre’s classically derived Berlin School and soundtrack roots, albeit from a different angle than Skeleton Keys. For a second I think this must be an old recording, unearthed from the vault? I check the liner notes. which do state that it is new, but certainly it is classic in feel, a deliberate homage to his original sound, using the original gear.
For much of the album, a lone synthesizer resounds in a misty reverberant virtual room. Roach has returned to the simplicity and clarity of solo performance, sans overdub. The transients of notes and the pressing of piano keys are evident as they haven’t been in many years. The note choices speak for themselves, and no further layering is needed. Roach’s thoughtful and timeless consonances ease the mind into a gentle acqueous drift, easing slowly across the sky with clouds. The first track “Shadow of Time” could be scored for orchestra, and would sound breathtaking.
The albums centerpiece, 78 minute “Night Ascends”, has a fittingly haunting, darker tone than the bright upper atmosphere shimmer of the first track, exploring the deeper octaves, and exhibiting a reassuringly firm low end whenever a chord swells to full volume. It still sounds as if Roach is simply sitting at the keys and playing, and this directness and sparsitude is a defining feature of the whole recording.
If your idea of musical perfection is albums such as Structures From Silence or Quiet Music, I recommend this album highly. I wouldn’t compare it to Dreamtime Return, as it contains no flutes, drums, or tribal themes, instead centering solely around pads. Roach has proven his ability to create music outside of time, as this album so perfectly recaptures the feeling his most beloved works as to be placed among them without hesitance, providing a welcome extension of that universe. -Josh Landry
Reviews Editor –
From Exposé
Shadow of Time takes Steve Roach’s sound full circle to the mid-80s introspective atmospheric period highlighted by his Quiet Music series and Structures from Silence, and even some more recent revisits to that period like 2002’s Darkest Before Dawn. The inward-folding meditiative passages on the three long tracks herein flow effortlessly as textures and forms swell and ebb as if the sound is breathing, pulling the listener into a deep floating space field. The three cuts take a similar approach, the difference being the overall pace of the evolving drift, the contrast in the dynamics between shadow and light, and the textural interplay between the swells and voids. This is the music of dreams, highlighting the passage from consciousness and light through seemingly endless portals moving the listener into ever deeper subconscious levels where mystical images form around the cyclical interplay of waves on waves. Make no mistake, this is entirely free-form and floating, with no percussive sounds to be found anywhere within, but there is a structure to it all nonetheless, though the edges of the structures are soft like a pillow of clouds moving through a starfield in the night. Shadow of Time is the quintessential Steve Roach floating ambient form, one can put it on repeat and listen forever. The CD contains around 74 minutes of music, but those who want more can opt for the download where the second track “Night Ascends” is expanded from a mere 24 minutes to almost 80 minutes. Either way, the effect on the listener is the same. -Peter Thelen