There are some musicians who don't feel bound by traditional musical concerns like harmony, melody, and rhythm. Usually when those concepts are ignored, the results are avant-garde abstraction or aimless New Age meander... more »ing masquerading as meditation music. With Steve Roach, however, something else happens. For more than a decade, he's been exploring ever-deeper layers, mixing high-tech and primitive instruments to reach a root sound, a primordial state of consciousness. Early Man was originally released in 2000 as a limited edition packaged between two slabs of gray slate, representing its antediluvian origins. Now it's been released in a conventional package with an additional disc of remix material. All the Roach signposts are there: swampy textures merging electronics with heavily processed acoustic sounds from rocks, bones, and shakers, and pulsing, almost subliminal rhythms, when there are any grooves at all. The second disc remixes material from the first, but being Steve Roach, don't expect any dance beats. Instead, he goes even deeper and slower, morphing his sound world in a somber psychedelic trance. --John Diliberto« less
There are some musicians who don't feel bound by traditional musical concerns like harmony, melody, and rhythm. Usually when those concepts are ignored, the results are avant-garde abstraction or aimless New Age meandering masquerading as meditation music. With Steve Roach, however, something else happens. For more than a decade, he's been exploring ever-deeper layers, mixing high-tech and primitive instruments to reach a root sound, a primordial state of consciousness. Early Man was originally released in 2000 as a limited edition packaged between two slabs of gray slate, representing its antediluvian origins. Now it's been released in a conventional package with an additional disc of remix material. All the Roach signposts are there: swampy textures merging electronics with heavily processed acoustic sounds from rocks, bones, and shakers, and pulsing, almost subliminal rhythms, when there are any grooves at all. The second disc remixes material from the first, but being Steve Roach, don't expect any dance beats. Instead, he goes even deeper and slower, morphing his sound world in a somber psychedelic trance. --John Diliberto
CD Reviews
AN AMBIENT MASTERPIECE
Larry L. Looney | Austin, Texas USA | 09/05/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Steve Roach is a master of ambient music constructions - a review of his catalogue will attest to the consistent quality of his work. EARLY MAN (here presented in a double-disc, extended format) is a great example of Roach at his most creative. Many artists and composers have ventured into this genre, with varying results - successful forays include many works by Brian Eno (considered by many to be the `father' of the form), Cluster, Holger Czukay, and modern practitioners such as Alio Die, Templegarden, and vidnaObmana. Roach stands easily with the most successful of his contemporaries and predecessors - his work is intelligent, forceful and gentle at the same time. The tracks here are multi-layered without being too `thick' - they invite and encourage the listener to different levels of absorption. This disc can be made the subject of rapt attention, or utilized as a background for other activities - relaxation, reading, writing, or even sleep - all to equally positive effect.Roach's sound constructions on these discs are extremely effective in evoking the earth itself - the history it has seen, ages past, watching as Man evolves, learning to cope with the world around him. One review likened the music here as the song of the rock itself - and that's a very apt description. This is the sort of `electronic' music that I can really enjoy - it's not jarring, it won't peel the paint off the walls (and yes, there's a place for that sort of composition as well), neither is it a saccharine-sweet roll of wallpaper compelling the listener to descend into mindless head-rocking (you definitely won't feel like you're riding on a 2 ½ hour elevator journey here). It's both thought provoking and meditative - it holds within it the possibilities of opening doors within the mind that have been closed for a long time.There's a lot of music here. The first disc contains EARLY MAN in its originally-released form, nearly 75 minutes worth of music. The second disc is entitled EARLY MAN DECOMPOSED - and is comprised of material from the original sessions that has been re-constructed by Roach in his studio. This second disc, over 70 minutes of material, does not come across as merely a set of `remixes' - it stands very well on its own. The price of the 2-disc set makes this quite a bargain. Roach has a lot of quality work available (as a matter of fact, I have yet to hear anything by him that I don't like) - this is a nice place for the uninitiated to begin, and it's a nice addition to the collection of someone who's already a fan."
WOW, what a superb great recording.....
mythtrip | Watertown, MA USA | 10/02/2001
(5 out of 5 stars)
"First of all, anyone with a system better than a boombox will be amazed at the great quality of this recording. It really comes alive. Ambient? You will know what this term means after hearing this CD. I am auditioning some hi fi components, and this is my reference recording for ambient music. Buy it, it will take you away and put you away......."
My Favorite Steve Roach Album!
G-Dexter | Lakewood, NY United States | 03/30/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Once again, Steve Roach transports us to an environment different from our own, but recognizable and even familiar through our collective primeval memory. He blends and weaves his textures to create wonderful ambient worlds in which the listener can become totally immersed. As with many of his other releases, the journey is simultaneously stimulating, peaceful and engrossing. The pictures and moods conjured while listening to EARLY MAN evoke in me a strong desire to explore and understand this aural landscape.
The landscape shifts subtly as the listener explores this primitive world. From hunting along the banks of a river meandering through a savannah landscape, to exploring the caves and caverns in which shelter is found, to traversing volcanic mountain peaks in search of new lands - the journey is remarkable. The sense of awe and wonder is perceptable and embedded within are textures of this lush, varied and sometimes dangerous world. Somehow, Roach was able to not only capture the ambiance of the primitive world, but to convey the almost mystic wonder and majesty felt by the inhabitants as they struggled to co-exist and survive in this harsh, beautiful world.
I personally consider this CD to be the best of Roach's many works, and one of his three masterpieces; The other two being DREAMTIME RETURN and WORLD'S EDGE. That being said, I would be remiss if I did not mention three other extraordinary works that could just as easily be classified as masterpieces: MYSTIC CHORDS AND SACRED SPACES, THE MAGNIFICENT VOID and MIDNIGHT MOON. If you are a fan of tribal, ambient or "space" music, any or all of these works will delight you to no end."
Excellent Roach
Jmark2001 | Florida | 05/17/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This is my favorite Steve Roach album after, "Mystic chords" and "Magniifient void." I go to Roach's music when I want to chill, nap, or be lulled into a meditative state or daydream. This album gives you 2.5 hours of Eno-like "On Land" audioscapes; drone like, subtly changing trancey pieces, etc. There is minimal beat on a few pieces and none on most. This is top notch Roach."
Track Listings (6) - Disc #1