Projekt Records
2002
Trance Spirits
About This Album
To say that Steve Roach is prolific is both understatement and to miss the point. Roach makes a ton of records because he can: He has the means and the talent to record cheaply and quickly. The other half is his talent and his ability to "say" something new each time out. For this listener, the answer is an unqualified "yes." Roach is one of the last big theme composers: He finds an area, subject matter, psychological or emotional state reflected in both the inner and outer worlds and goes for an obsessively impressionistic investigation of it, both solo and in collaboration. He does so far more successfully than most, and he seldom, if ever, fails. This setting, with percussionist Jeffrey Fayman and guests Momodou Kah, a master percussionist, and the guitarist Robert Fripp, digs deeply into the percussive landscape of shamanic ritual, memory, and journeying. Unlike his other recordings, with the exception of the artwork, there are no notes about the process or intent of the recording; it is simply for the listener to encounter. The set opens with "Taking Flight," a wild, heavily percussive groove that feels tribal, ecstatic, and full of a determined purpose. This is high ritual music: It is loud, insistent, full of repetitive rhythms and themes, and its articulation of the human body and its participation in the music-making process -- you cannot help but feel this track inside you -- is singular.
Track List (try tracks 1,2,3,4 and 5)

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