Customer Reviews

Soma

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

While STRATA, the first collaboration between Steve Roach and Robert Rich, sought to peel away the substratum layers of the inner consciousness, SOMA attempts to reconcile those emotions with the outer world through a wondrous, gripping corpus of sound. Here, Roach and Rich perform a stunning series of lively, aural mosaics that are like musical puzzle boxes with hundreds of oddly colored pieces. It is as if they tore up the veneer of the desert itself and constructed these sounds out of the earth's very natural fiber. Like the best free jazz improvisers, Roach and Rich intuitively communicate their separate identities into one collective whole. Another brilliant collaboration from two higly prolific and accomplished artists.

Robert Rich and Steve Roach serve as an excellent choice for a collaboration. Each other's distinctive rythyms and sounds blend together into a cd of much intrigue and excellence. The two use, extensively, drums and other percussion instruments to give it a kind of Indian/jungle feeling to it, as well as rich and sweeping themes that are powerful and distinct. On a positive note, none of the songs are harsh or abrupt, just smooth and flowing. I fully reccomend this title for fans of the composers as well as people looking for that special cd to spice up their ears.

Steve Roach is one of my favorite ambient artists and for good reason. His sounds make me happy and relaxed and at peace all at the same time. Yet I find my artistic side stronger than ever and have to start producing that which my imagination is pouring forth.

To describe this cd as rich with the Earth or "coming from the ground" is very accurate. I purchased this cd over a year ago, but only recently discovered what an enjoyable release it is. I guess that goes to prove that timing is sometimes a factor in how much you like a particular cd. Soma is moderately tribal with nice Earthy textures.

Maybe my knowledge of music is limited, but I know what I don't like; this isn't it.

Fact is I'm gray; long in the tooth. I do a lot of pottering, and with this on I feel as if I'm not pottering alone. You get the feeling that mysterious stuff is going on in just the way it should.

....along with Robert Rich creates one great collaborations in ambient music. Wonderful, mystic, relaxing & peaceful. Nice music after a hectic day at work. To listen at dusk is best. Light a candle, pour yourself a glass of porter or wine & drift away..........

I admire both musicians in this colaboration album. Their individual styles have exerted an impact on the ambient genre. They both brought their distinct personal asthetic tone to this SoMa CD. And the project as a whole is satisfying. Yet the imaginativeness and charged expression lack luster. That Robert Rich sublime tension and mystery is not evident. And Roach's synthguitar sounds reduced. In short one would imagine a more fulfilling less overproduced offering from these two ambient masters.