Date: Fri, 11 Nov 1994 16:38:59 -0800 (PST)
Subject: Press Release: STEVE ROACH Artifacts
Really-From: ctuel@netcom.com (Cliff Tuel)

celestial harmonies
ARTIFACTS
Steve Roach

File Classification(s): World/Ambient
FORTUNA 17082 CD 
UPC# 1371-17082-2

The Music

On his 1993 recording, ORIGINS (17081), Steve Roach explored the cracks
between conscious and unconscious awareness, weaving a tale of primal
mystery and musical sorcery through a compelling synthesis of ancient and
modern aesthetics.  As Darren Bergstein of i/e magazine observed, "Never
before has Roach's electronic surface felt so earthen and weathered; all of
the assertive ambience and environmental dissonance he's pressured up to
now has reached its critical mass in ORIGINS' molten core."

With ARTIFACTS, Roach delves deeper into his own sonic mythology expanding
his skils on acoustic instruments and realizing a profound level of
artistry on electronics.  Roach's obsession with the shifting of time finds
form in his gift for creating trance-inducing rhythms that sound both
primordial and futuristic.

His rich, eternally swirling textures seem to rise up from the darkness of
the unconscious, bringing shards of long forgotten musical impulses to
light once more.  It's as if he's sifting through the soil of an ancient
site, gathering fragments and piecing them together to reveal a new story
that casts its shadow far beyond the present.  Through it all, Roach
reminds us that one day we, too, will be the artifacts in the minds of some
future civilization.

The Artist

For 15 years, Steve Roach has been pushing the boundaries of musical
expression with a continually evolging style that has always existed
outside current trends and defied genre labeling.  Over the years,
progressive electronic, new age, world, techno-tribal and ambient have all
been fleeting monikers for Roach's sonic shape shifting.

With 24 solo and group releases to his credit, Roach has already manifested
a staggering body of work, from his explosive, adrenaline-driven electronic
compositions on EMPETUS (17036) to his time-suspending classic, STRUCTURES
FROM SILENCE (17024), from his haunting evocations of the American
Southwest on DESERT SOLITAIRE (17070) to his multi-faceted explorations of
the indigenous Australian culture DREAMTIME RETURN (18055) and AUSTRALIA:
SOUND OF THE EARTH (17071).  He has also toured internationally as a solo
artist and with his trio, Suspended Memories.  In recent years, Roach has
become a respected producer with artsits from Australia, Belgium, Germany,
Canada, Mexico, and Africa enlisting his expertise for their own projects.