Epic Live Ambient Concert By Synthesist Steve Roach

Ambient/space music artist Steve Roach has been releasing recordings and doing live performances for nearly four decades.

But it wasn’t until recently – in response to the Coronavirus Pandemic – that he started experimenting with live streaming performance. Roach streamed his first live online event on Aug 22, 2020.

Last night, he streamed an epic 2+ hour live ambient performance, which is now available for on-demand streaming, via the embed above or on Youtube.

The concert draws on Roach’s deep history of work. It features Roach performing some of his classic pieces, like Structures From Silence; moving fluidly between space music and tribal ambient and soundscape styles; and exploring the sonic possibilities of a vast array of synthesizers and other instruments.

In addition to making the live performance available on demand, Roach has released his previous livestream performance. It’s available on Bandcamp, and you can preview it via the embed below:

“This is the mixing board recording from the first Timeroom live streaming concert recording 8 – 22 – 2020,” notes Roach. “Your purchase of this recording will support tonight‘s concert and more in the future.”

12 thoughts on “Epic Live Ambient Concert By Synthesist Steve Roach

  1. Been a SR fan for many years…it is really interesting watching him perform in his own studio…Though not nearly as stylish (I wish), I have a similar set up (with much less expensive and perhaps outdated equipment). I always marvel at the fact that he can run so much hardware without tripping circuit breakers…I fight this every time I try to “create” and it (many times) kills the mood when I come up with a great idea and it all blows up because a breaker trips. Well done Steve. Keep up the great work!

  2. That’s a welcome video.I first encountered Steve when “Dreamtime Return” was released, so I’m in the early-adopter fan-for-life group. He’s the premier non-German “Berlin sound” champ. He’s good at evolving sequences, layered ambient washes and to my ear, Oberheim Xpander mastery. He could write a book on wringing that thing out. Most of us have a stack of devices/toys, especially in software, but I’m always impressed when someone tackles the hardware route and makes it memorable.

  3. Am I missing something? I hear chords and textures, but he is not playing any keyboards. This is a playback of pre-recorded music, which is enjoyable, but not “live.”

    1. He plays “Structures From Silence” live starting around the 15 minute mark, and also plays multiple keyboards, sequencers, didgeridoo, ocarina, maracas throughout the rest of the performance.

    2. Clearly he’s using sequencers and maybe a looper at some point. None of that makes it less live in my book, this type of music has always been created and performed using sequencers.

  4. Does anyone know what pedal Steve Roach was using on the lefthand side of his mixing board? It looks like an Eventide but I couldn’t identify it and Steve seemed to be using it quite often in this video.

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