Sentient Being

Sentient Being seems like a fitting title for a Steve Roach album. The six pieces feel like living, breathing organisms rather than stiff, clinical compositions. Opener "Angels in Flight" is the most electronic-sounding of the set, with sparkling modular synth tones ebbing and flowing, creating the type of music that might be heard in a floating space cathedral. "I Feel You" is a Harold Budd-like piano-based piece, but with even more cavernous reverb. "Rapt in Solitude" is more orchestral-sounding, with slow movements rising and fading into an ethereal glow. The vast, expansive title track is a 20-minute bath of calmness and serenity, with the first half frequently graced by jets of ecstatic spirit. The final two tracks are similar, as they both have a soothing swirl to them, but "This Place of Splendor" seems to emit more shimmering rays of light. The entire album makes for an ideal accompaniment to a retreat away from an intensely busy, media-saturated lifestyle. Though it comes from a state of hyper-awareness, it functions as something one can use to escape from stress. Its incredibly comforting, magnificent music thats easy to get lost inside. ~ Paul Simpson