As of late, I've needed focus and calm. With Mystic Chords & Sacred Spaces, I've found that, a spiritual soothing far from hurried. In search of temporal meditations to aid the mind, Steve Roach's daunting discography has gems to be unearthed. Its knowing where to look that's tricky. With apt research into online discussion, the record popped up alongside his classics on occasion. As a massive 150 minute experience, it serves as a majestic ethereal tone setter, devoid of any sense of structure.
Each track dissolves into the next as its array of dense soundscapes are explored, carved apart with the notable aesthetic shifts. Melody and rhythm are absent, this is all about texture explored through temporal organics as its existence sways to the whims of winds, the invisible hand. Every moment is singular and unmovable, yet in a constant state of shimmering change. Sure, a few eventful transitions and animated passages are wedged in sporadically but for the most part, its mesmerizing demeanor hinges on the deep reverberations that birth these shapeless musical forms.
Its first half is superior, a select cut of lengthy sessions, each reveling in their particular flavor. The second half plays more like a jam session, split into parts as tones are transformed on the fly. Its leads to shorter cuts that don't quite fit the meditative format. Whats remarkable is how masterfully Steve constructs these sounds. Despite being somewhat predictable in nature, they still conjure and evoke a stillness in the mind of this listener. Oracle was the track that did that best for me.
Rating: 6/10