Synthesist Steve Roach let us know that he’s released a new album, Live At SoundQuest Fest 2021, that captures his live performance from the three-day online ambient music event.
SoundQuest Fest 2021, held March 26-28th, featured performances from ambient electronic musicians from around the world. The performances ranged from ambient space music to Berlin School style jams to microtonal soundscapes, and featured a huge variety of electronic music gear and other instruments played in creative ways.
The live streamed event brought together ambient artists from around the world, including Robert Rich, Michael Stearns, Erik Wøllo, Ian Boddy, Jeff Greinke, Serena Gabriel, Chris Meyer (Alias Zone), Howard Givens, Craig Padilla, Bluetech, Matt Black and many others.
Roach’s performance, embedded above, features four movements, highlighting different aspects of his music, including ambient drones, interlocking modular sequences and combinations of ancient and modern instruments.
Here’s what his label has to say about the album:
“This empowered moment in time captures a performance that stands among one of the finest from Steve’s live history. Knowing that a worldwide audience would be joining in on this performance from Steve’s Baja, Arizona Timeroom studio added to the feelings infused within this extraordinary recording.
From the majestic opening performed on the Moog One, moving into the deep end of emotion and longing, a spiraling universe is woven in ways that transcend what might be considered possible in a live electronic performance.
The set captured much of how Steve works in the studio: a starting map is composed, and from that point the trajectory constantly evolves as the moment calls out. The constant carving, mixing and spontaneous composition merge into an entrancing slipstream presented on this recording, just as it occurred in four movements.”
Here’s what Roach shared about the technical details of his performance:
Performed live by Steve Roach at SoundQuest Fest March 28th, 2021
Instruments: Oberheim Xpander, Nordlead 2x, 3 and 4, Moog One, Eurorack Modular, Emu E4XT, Sequential Pro 3, Doepfer Maq 16, Korg Wavestation, Parker Fly guitar, Korg Electribe, Roland TR8S, TTSH Arp 2600 clone with sequencer, large Moog format – SynthDotCom Moon modular.
Live At SoundQuest Fest 2021 is available now via Bandcamp. You can preview the full album below:
