Steve Roach – Structures from Silence (Deluxe) (40th Anniversary Remaster) (1984/2024)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96 kHz | Time – 03:09:22 minutes | 3,35 GB | Genre: Electronic, Minimal, Ambient
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Projekt
Projekt celebrates the 40th anniversary of this ambient classic with a beautiful remastered limited edition LP, 1CD, & 3CD. Structures from Silence‘s breathing, suspended embrace of atmospheres and serene melodies instantly struck a chord with listeners in 1984; the album continues to reiterate its timeless resonations with new listeners today. On this landmark recording of gentle proportions, the three long-form tracks were the birth of something new: an original and pure statement striking a balance between diaphanous and understated, deep and reflective. The listening experience evokes a sense of silence within the music as well as the space between the chords. It expresses the breath of life and offers a meditation on delicate strands of subtle awareness.
Forty years later, Structures from Silence remains an iconic American release in the ambient and electronic genres. It’s a well-respected soundtrack for contemplation, relaxation, meditation, and creativity. Emotional, powerful, and enriching, it is a living example of the true healing quality that music can hold.
Steve reflects, “Structures from Silence remains a still point in suspended time for me when looking back over the span of my life immersed within the creative currents of sound and silence. Over 40 years ago the pieces on this album were created from my sole (soul’s) desire to live within a sonic space that would provide a sense of safety, soul nurturing comfort and time suspension. There was no original intention to make an album around these pieces. They were created purely as a sanctuary for my emerging personal journey as an artist. Once the three tracks were recorded it eventually became clear they belonged together in what would become the Structures from Silence album we have today and presented in this beautifully remastered 2024 edition. The response this music has reflected back to me over all these years is a humble reminder filled with gratitude, of the essential, pure need to listen deep into the moment, respond and create from this place without question.”
The 3CD deluxe edition includes two bonus discs created in 2013, and remastered for this edition. Steve says, “Over the years since the creation of Structures from Silence, certain pieces would emerge in the studio that instantly had the resonance of a direct relationship to the place that birthed this work back in 1984. Like the light slowing emerging in an early morning sunrise returning from a thirty year orbit – the desire to draw from this place of stillness, and deep inner quiet became the soul tone for these new pieces. Like the three original tracks, these were created in moments spent simply being present in the studio, tapping the flow state and guiding this sense into these recorded moments.”
Projekt gives listeners the chance to discover and rediscover this timeless classic. With a beautiful new mastering that reveals the stillness within, this release sets the tone for the next 40 years of silence.
credits
released February 16, 2024
Originally released in 1984, Structures from Silence turned out to be one of Roach’s most successful and acclaimed releases over time; widely considered his breakout album where he found his own voice, it even made a list of Top Ten releases published in a magazine dedicated to yoga. Whether a listener uses it for that purpose or not, it does have to be said that Structures from Silence is a lovely effort indeed. Its chief allure remains its transcendence of time — while one can surmise, based on the sound of the record, its early-’80s vintage, it is not an obviously dated album in and of itself. Though Roach’s approach changed and explored many new directions, there’s a core aesthetic still at work, that of contrasting a variety of loops and repeated motifs with subtle melodic exploration. The interweaving of the two approaches, to the point where it’s never quite clear what predominates at what point — especially on opening track “Reflections in Suspension” — makes for music both cyclic and open-ended. In the original liner notes, Roach himself spoke of hearing and working with the music for months before recording it; certainly, the depth of detail, from shimmering high notes and tones to semi-orchestral synth sweeps and low, purring drones, makes for lovely listening. All three tracks are equally worth hearing, but the longest is the title track itself; a tour de force. Spanning nearly half-an-hour’s length, it’s easily the most spacious of the compositions, with the exchange between structure and free-flow more pronounced but still making a fine, evocative listen. The influence of groups like Tangerine Dream -and Vangelis is still audible, but Structures from Silence is its own notable peak, the first of many astonishing highlights for Roach.
– Ned Raggett
Tracklist:
1-1. Steve Roach – Reflections in Suspension (40th Anniversary Remaster) (16:37)
1-2. Steve Roach – Quiet Friend (40th Anniversary Remaster) (13:17)
1-3. Steve Roach – Structures from Silence (40th Anniversary Remaster) (28:40)
2-1. Steve Roach – Suspension (40th Anniversary Remaster) (29:19)
2-2. Steve Roach – Reflection (40th Anniversary Remaster) (29:36)
3-1. Steve Roach – Beyond (40th Anniversary Remaster) (32:01)
3-2. Steve Roach – Below (40th Anniversary Remaster) (39:52)
