Structures Silence
Owing a healthy debt to European synthesists likeKlaus ShulzeandTangerine Dream,Structures from Silenceis perhaps the best of Roach's early outings. Though it lacks the organic feel of later albums likeDreamtime ReturnorWell of Souls, it exploits sounds and compositional techniques that Roach would continue to refine: flowing sheets of near-choral synth sound; long, slow melodies drawn out of overtones and partials; implied rhythms built from pulses of electronic tone. Made up of only three pieces, including the epic 29-minute title track,Silencefound an audience among meditators and musical therapists; no wonder, since its reflective properties echo what Roach has called the music's essence: "What [you feel] when it ends, a returning to the silence."--James Rotondi