Steve Roach - Landmass [Timeroom Editions - 2008]Landmass finds Roach building a compelling and varied ambient travel log for internal landscapes & alien worlds. Dropping down along it’s nearly 70 minute ark in beat bound, hypnotic and deep ambient sound worlds. Through out the albums 6 tracks Roach really mangers to capture the feeling of travelling both physically and mentally. The journey starts off with the first track transmigration which really brings to mind walking across a fabulous and strange sunlit montainscape; at first slowly then getting your walking pace up. With Roach conjuring up a building, hypnotic & subtle tribal beat ambient track built with guitar elements, synth textures and beats-having an almost hazy dub reggae feeling with out the bass line. Later on Monuments of Memory feels like you’ve drifting into yourself (possible on a rest stop) as Roach producers deeply soothing yet vertigo inducing deep ambience that gives the feeling of swirling down and down though a tunnel of clouds. The rest of the tracks flit nicely between the two sonic disciplines of beat bound or buoyant ambient texturing to deep/ lush ambient free falls or drifts. Another very rewarding and involving long form ambient trip from Mr Roach, which tochers down in all sides of his ambient mastery. Landmass will easily whisk your body and mind off to strange and wonderfully lands that you wont want to come back from. Roger Batty
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