Mantram

Steve Roach (Artist), Byron Metcalf (Artist), Mark Seelig (Artist)

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 14, 2004)
• Original Release Date: September 14, 2004
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Projekt Records
• ASIN: B0002VGQO6
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #62,661 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Track Listings

1. Mantram, Pt. 1

2. Mantram, Pt. 2

3. Mantram, Pt. 3

4. Mantram, Pt. 4

5. Mantram, Pt. 5

6. Mantram, Pt. 6

7. Mantram, Pt. 7

8. Mantram, Pt. 8

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Steve Roach has spent the last two decades charting a pathway into the primordial. With every album, you have the feeling of stumbling upon some ancient and secret ceremonial ritual. On Mantram he forges a fellowship with two other musicians. Mark Seelig's reverb-drenched bansuri flute is a nice addition to Roach's sound, almost bringing him back to melody. The Indian flute and a tamboura strummed ominously in the background give Roach an Eastern feel for the first time, but Byron Metcalf's frame drums turn Mantram toward a Persian groove that dances in cycling rhythmic figures. Painted on a broad canvas, Steve Roach's world is writ large with earth-shuddering textures, Metcalf's thundering frame drum, and Seelig's flute gliding like an avenging angel seeking a target. The constantly interweaving synthesizer, didgeridoo, harmonic singing, and tamboura churn in a surreal, slow motion dervish, spiraling down a labyrinthian ziggurat. --John Diliberto

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Soothing and meditative, January 4, 2005

By	Michael Paulsen (Rancho Santa Margarita, CA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Steve Roach, along with Byron Metcalf and Mark Seelig, has created an exquisite album with middle eastern nuances, much in part due to Metcalf's percussion and Seelig's flute. In some respects, this album -- with its world music textures -- harkens back to Steve's 90's works with Robert Rich and his Suspended Memories project. This album has a pan-global devotional, monastic quality that is very hypnotic and soothing -- a pleasant aside from Roach's recent, more frenetic fractal grooves, while still showcasing his mastery of the sonic void.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Timeless ~ Evocative ~ Beautiful , August 28, 2008

By	a customer (earth) - See all my reviews

MANTRAM was among the first releases that I heard from Steve Roach and it has remained one of my favorites.

It's a long piece - about 73 minutes - and to get the full experience it seems necessary to listen from start to finish uninterruptedly.

The middle of the piece is where the real magic happens - it lures the listener in by a steady beat, ensnaring him/her in a world that seems timeless. This is where the mind will simply give itself over to the sound, not caring for where it has been or where it is going, simply enjoying the eternal now as it masterfully and effortlessly glides on.

This is a REAL listening experience. Worth every penny. Worth every minute spent in uninterrupted listening-awareness. You WILL love this album.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Music that will take you away to another place, July 8, 2006

By	Some Guy - See all my reviews

This is powerful stuff; this music will just take you away. This is probably one of the best collaborations between Steve Roach and Metcalf and Seelig. Mantram is a superb atmospheric soundscape that will take you back on a journey through deep time.

This is music of complete tranquility that will relax you and conjure up visions of deserts and the American Southwest. It is a wonderful CD to fall asleep listening to and also makes great background music for reading a book.

One of my favorite things to do while listening to this album is to look at high resolution images from NASA of things like nebulae, galaxies and pictures of our own solar system. It really is an incredible experience. If you're a fan of Steve Roche and this type of music you really can't go wrong with Mantram.