Review of "Stormwarning", a CD by Steve Roach Written by Rob Berry for the Ambient Survey Copyright (c) 1994 ********** VITAL STATISTICS: Steve Roach "Stormwarning" (C) 1989 Soundquest OXCD2165 # Name Time BPM ------------------------------------------------------------ 1. Day One (5/10/85) 21:29 n/a 2. Day Two (1/17/87) 30:51 n/a Total Running Time 52:29 All songs improvised and performed live by Steve Roach. The music on this recording was recorded completely live as you hear it. No studio overdubs or remixing were considered or performed. The use of backing tapes were *not* employed during the performance. ********** GENRE: Frenetic New Age RATING: 9 of 10 STRONGEST TRACKS: "Day Two" WEAKEST TRACKS: none BRIEF DESCRIPTION: On "Stormwarning", Steve Roach perfects the frenetic style of music heard on "Empetus", "Now" and "Traveler". "Stormwarning" is a live performance CD. The music was composed, performed, and mixed on the spot, with no overdubs or background tapes. While Roach's sound is as vibrant and driving as ever, the repetition that was evident in "Empetus" is completely gone. Here, the music is constantly evolving and exploring ever more fascinating directions. This is Roach at his best. ********** REVIEW: "Roach unlocks the synchronous perfection of sequencers, creating elaborate, interlocking patterns that weave into infinite, Escher-like designs, set against Roach's skyscraping synthesizer fury." Steve Roach has taken many different paths in his musical journeys. This path is the culmination of his high-energy compositions as heard on "Empetus", "Now" and "Traveller". On "Stormwarning", Roach composes, performs and mixes two furious pieces live. The repetition that marred earlier albums such as "Empetus" is gone; what remains is a constantly shifting collage of pure energy. "Day One" is the less interesting of the two, although it is by no means a shoddy piece of work. The song starts with mellow string chords drifting about peacefully. After a few minutes of bliss, darker synth sounds displace the happy strings, imparting a frightening mood to the song. Unfortunately, these sound collages go on a bit too long. It might have worked live, but as a recorded song, the too-long opening section hurts the song somewhat. Eventually, though, the dark sounds fade out and are replaced by a geometrical set of motifs. After establishing themselves, they start to shift keys, forming chord changes. New motifs join in, some frenetic, others more graceful. One of these starts as a bass motif which then starts to shift into higher octaves and back again. Meanwhile, furious drums start up as delicate string sounds provide contrast in the background. As the song unfolds, motifs appear, disappear, and mutate in subtle ways. Unlike "Day Two", "Day One" never really departs from its basic theme, which is why it is less interesting than "Day Two". But "Day One" still provides plenty of things to keep the listener's attention, including a pretty chime melody, some delightful analog timbres, and an acceleration in tempo towards the end of the song. As the song nears the end, the percussion becomes less furious. We are also treated to a wispy synth flute solo. The song ends by fading to silence. "Day Two" is the better of the two pieces. It was recorded in 1987, about a year and a half after "Day One". This gave Roach plenty of time to continue perfecting his style, and the results are evident on "Day Two", which remains my favorite Steve Roach song ever. "Day Two" opens with a collage of eerie metallic sounds and sweeps that meander about ominously for the first few minutes. A driving array of interacting motifs then fades in, setting the pace for the first half of the song. After these motifs establish themselves, they are joined by a liquid string sound that zips around the stereo field. A few minutes pass, and the motifs shift up an octave briefly. After returning to normal, a new motif enters the soundscape and bounces back and forth. A different motif switches octaves several times, and one of the other themes shifts slightly, adding a note of anxiety to the mood. The zipping strings then return for a few minutes until suddenly-- the mood switches as most of the old motifs drop out completely. In their place are a new set of soaring motifs that evoke images of flight. The effect is stunning, as though the listener had suddenly become airborne. These new motifs fly about the stratosphere, shifting and evolving as new motifs drift over the music. At last, the flying motifs drop out and the song returns to earth with a new sense of urgency. As the mood grows more anxious, the zipping strings return once again. The strings become faster and more furious, build- ing to a deafening roar. More percussion and synth motifs join in and the song moves to a maddening climax, as the strings scream and the whole soundscape is filled with frenetically mutating notes-- and the song changes character completely, dropping to less than half its former tempo. The change is shocking, catching the listener completely off guard. Almost nothing is as it was. The old motifs are gone, replaced by choir, gently echoing synth noises, new percussion, and the zipping strings, now transmuted into a soothing cushion of sound. Only the basic chord changes remain. New motifs, far slower than anything yet seen, gradually join the song; after a few minutes, we realize that they are the old motifs, altered by the change in pace into something less hurried, more spiritual. After gently building to a climax, the song begins to slowly fade. Bit by bit, the song falls apart. Note by note, motif by motif, the song begins to disappear, until nothing remains but silence. And the furious applause of the audience. ********** CONCLUSION: This is how electronic music should be done. Lots of variety, little repetition, beautiful timbres, and a healthy dose of passionate energy. Were it not for a few weak moments in "Day One", this CD would have earned a ten. If you're looking for high-energy electronic music, it doesn't get any better than "Stormwarning". ----- END ----- CUT HERE -----