Magnificent Void

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com essential recording
Departing from the tribal themes that occupied him through most of the 1990s, Roach takes a philosophical leap into Void, directing his endless reverbs and glowering synth programs toward the speck at the center of the universe. Eschewing the indigenous drums and didgeridoos of his Dreamtime Return-era work, pieces like "Between the Gray and the Purple" could as easily be the soundtrack to a psychological thriller as a rumination on infinity. "Void Memory One" refracts sheets of pure frequency across a pitch-black galaxy; "Cloud of Unknowing" taps the elements in a maelstrom of cosmic wind and solar fire. What--too much imagistic hyperbole for you? Roach invites such musings, if only because he carries you down those dark corridors so convincingly. Sequenced as one continuous piece, Void is an astral-gothic collage of fear, transcendence, and weightlessness; a high-water mark of space music; and one of Roach's finest hours. --James Rotondi

Magnificent Void,Steve Roach,Hearts of Space,New Age,New Age / Meditation,Pop,World Music

Magnificent Void

Tracks:

Between The Gray And The Purple
Void Memory One
Infinite Shore
Cloud Of Unknowing
Void Memory Two
Void Memory Three
The Magnificent Void
Altus

Product Description

1. Between The Gray And The Purple
2. Void Memory One
3. Infinite Shore
4. Cloud Of Unknowing
5. Void Memory Two
6. Void Memory Three
7. Magnificent Void, The
8. Altus

Format: CD

Amazon.com essential recording

Departing from the tribal themes that occupied him through most of the 1990s, Roach takes a philosophical leap into Void, directing his endless reverbs and glowering synth programs toward the speck at the center of the universe. Eschewing the indigenous drums and didgeridoos of his Dreamtime Return-era work, pieces like "Between the Gray and the Purple" could as easily be the soundtrack to a psychological thriller as a rumination on infinity. "Void Memory One" refracts sheets of pure frequency across a pitch-black galaxy; "Cloud of Unknowing" taps the elements in a maelstrom of cosmic wind and solar fire. What--too much imagistic hyperbole for you? Roach invites such musings, if only because he carries you down those dark corridors so convincingly. Sequenced as one continuous piece, Void is an astral-gothic collage of fear, transcendence, and weightlessness; a high-water mark of space music; and one of Roach's finest hours. --James Rotondi

Customer Reviews:

One of the best.......2007-07-14

If you enjoyed the star ride in "2001" A Space Odyssey," you are going to love this one. This is very dramatic, dark, ambient. Think of it as an hour long ride through a black hole, put on your headphones, and buckle your seat belts. Not for relaxing. This is for active listening. Sci-fi ambient journey. Excellent.

The Sounds of Innerspace and Beyond.......2006-06-11

I experienced this disc in a dark house with some incense burning and my stereo at just the right volume.Being perfectly relaxed I on went on the 70+ minute journey of sound with an open mind and at least a little excitement building inside of me.I felt an incredible loosening inside of me thats hard for me to express or describe....it really shook me mentally,spiritually and musically and has since become a true favorite.There is nothing to compare this music to....dark yet textured,effortless yet so full of tones and sounds that can indeed carry you to places you have never(or don`t want)to go.
Haunting but beautiful,Steve Roach with this disc has made his mark on recorded music.A sonic journey to the true depths of inner space and beyond that flows through you,making you not a passive listener but part of the music.
I never expect to have the same experince again but one thing is for sure....I`ll never forget it.A worthy addition to anyones collection.

unreal.......2005-03-09

there was a time when i hated this album, then there came a time when i thought it was okay, but nothing special, now a i love it. i've never had an album take this long to grow on me.

Steve creates a huge sound scape on this recording, lush synths work by contrasting smooth sounds with slightley rougher whispery sounds. some portions are more more melodic than others, but over all the album flows like a single work.

Cloud of Unknowing is probably the coolest part, a very epic melody over massive synths. the final track Atlus moves with a more repetative minmal melody than most the album, and makes it a dynamic closing section.

i have to stress that if you bought this and didn't like it, clear your mind and when you're in the right mood play it through. i'm not sure what i was missing, maybe it was the scope of this thing, its huge.

Deep and eternal.......2005-02-11

Like an earlier reviewer, I also bought Roach's Void at the same time as Lustmord and Rich's Stalker. I agree with the previous reviewer that Stalker is unbelievably moving, but unlike him I resonated very strongly with Magnificent Void. It is rich with subtlety and fullness--as if the universe were belching forth from the void in super-slow-mo. Not as image-inducing as Stalker was, it is rather a deep unfolding of the mystery in its own time. I can understand where the detractors might come from based on its slow progression, but it really works for me.

A Steve Roach Masterpiece!.......2005-01-26

The Magnificent Void is a modern ambient classic by the master of the genre,the very talented and prolific Steve Roach.The album can be viewed as a dark ambient/space music album.The Magnificent Void in my opinion is what Tangerine Dream's 1972 album Zeit would sound like today if it had been released in 1996.Anyhow,regardless of comparisons,The Magnificent Void manages to exert a sound of its own,much like all of Roach's albums,which is a very good quality if I do say so myself.The album opens with the wonderfully titled,"Between The Gray & The Purple",where you can immediately feel the overall ambience of the album,relaxing yet haunting enough to keep you interested from beginning to end.This continues on track 2,"Void Memory One",the first of three brief interludes,and immediately spills over into track 3,"Infinite Shore",my personal favorite on the album.It is on this track that the strongest,most vivid washes of "Void" induced ambience engulfs you,evoking vivid images of a literal,"Infinite Shore",a shore that you don't want to leave,but of course,the music moves on,taking you to track 4,the "Cloud Of Unknowing",where you float for a seemingly eternal amount of time,when realistically,it has only been around 10 and a half minutes,10 and a half minutes of pure,uninterrupted bliss.After leaving the "cloud",another "void" memory is induced on track 5,"Void Memory Two",followed by yet another one,this time,the final,on track 6,"Void Memory Three",which leads you over to "The Magnificent Void" itself,(track 7),escorting you through the darkest regions of the "Void",where the sounds of shimmering bells,most likely synthesized,entrance you as the rising and falling synth guides you along to the final piece,track 8,"Atlus",which is the most quiet sounding and relaxing on the entire album,while also ranking as the longest track on the album,clocking in at 20 minutes,which is a good thing,the longer,the better,as is the case with Steve Roach's recordings.It is a perfect way to end a masterpiece of an ambient album.This is one that you will not want to end.My personal advice is to listen to this album at night,in an enclosed room with the light off.This is a perfect place to start if you are new to Steve Roach's music.If you like this album,I strongly recommend you try Tangerine Dream's Zeit album,you will enjoy it,I promise.I highly recommend "The Magnificent Void" for all ambient/space music fans.Enjoy!

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