Steve Roach - Comeback

[ross adey]

Hey.

So, I've been listening to Steve Roach quite a lot lately, and while doing so, I've noticed a striking similarity between his and BOC's work. In fact, they've probably sampled him once or twice.
The most blatant example being 'Comeback' off his first album, Now from 1982.
I don't even need to tell you what track they sampled it for, just listen from 1:31 onwards -


There are also parts of his arpeggio-rich 1986 album Empetus which bear a close resemblance to a handful of songs on TH.

[Iced Cooly Beatnik]

Hey.

So, I've been listening to Steve Roach quite a lot lately, and while doing so, I've noticed a striking similarity between his and BOC's work. In fact, they've probably sampled him once or twice.
The most blatant example being 'Comeback' off his first album, Now from 1982.
I don't even need to tell you what track they sampled it for, just listen from 1:31 onwards -


There are also parts of his arpeggio-rich 1986 album Empetus which bear a close resemblance to a handful of songs on TH.

Now that's just spooky. That could possibly be an unconscious recollection of the melody in association with that sound, but it seems highly likely that BoC were influenced (or definitely aware of) Steve Roach's music, this track in particular having a potent influence on them.

[sevenELIXIR]

great find Ciaran. sounds just like the ending to 'open the light'

[Cupz]

wow this is STUNNING. *FULL STEVE ROACH IN MAH GOB*

[Negamuse]

Thing about that sound is its kind of buried... but its close enough to the end of Opening the Mouth your brain fills in the gap when you hear it. Its so close!

Great track too. Ive never heard of this guy.

[Mexicola]

Aye, cheers for sharing this. I've not checked him our before either, but I will be now, regardless of the BOC influence or not. Lovely stuff - great find!

[Rikkiebags]

I like Steve Roach a lot - there's a wild variety of styles going on in his work (heavy drone, ambient, electronica, trance etc), though admittedly he does veer perilously close to New Age pan-pipes at times. His 84 album Structure From Silence is pretty much an ambient masterpiece IMHO.

He's still going strong and did a really good live set on Soma's Drone Zone not that long ago.

[fujee]

Yeah most of the Steve Roach stuff I've got paints him as a New Age demigod. But I do have some more interesting stuff of his as well. Great find nonetheless

[Negamuse]

Definitely going to give that stuff a listen. There's a big hole in my knowledge of pre-acid electronic music that isn't the obvious (Tangerine Dream etc). Must've been some really good but less well known avant garde synth stuff in that time.

[fujee]

Have you ever listened to Popol Vuh? Definitely worth a go man.

[ross adey]

I was thinking Opening The Mouth, but how and ever.

[Negamuse]

I was thinking Opening The Mouth, but how and ever.

Shit, you're right. I'm so bad at track names

[ross adey]

admittedly he does veer perilously close to New Age pan-pipes at times.

It's funny you should mention that, because another thing that struck me was the similarity between Roach's Quiet Music 1 (Side A) and Turquoise Hexagon Sun. The melodies couldn't be any more different, and in QM1 there are lots of sprightly flute flourishes and bird sounds which couldn't really put it any other category than New Age but the organ you hear about 4:49 is pretty much the exact same patch as in THS. It's interesting if you compare the two.

[Rikkiebags]

admittedly he does veer perilously close to New Age pan-pipes at times.

It's funny you should mention that, because another thing that struck me was the similarity between Roach's Quiet Music 1 (Side A) and Turquoise Hexagon Sun. The melodies couldn't be any more different, and in QM1 there are lots of sprightly flute flourishes and bird sounds which couldn't really put it any other category than New Age but the organ you hear about 4:49 is pretty much the exact same patch as in THS. It's interesting if you compare the two.

Yeah, Quiet Music's a great album and one of my gotos for morning snoozes to have on in the background - it's great for drifting in and out of sleep. Oddly QM1 is the part I listen to least.

[deadfly]

Have you ever listened to Popol Vuh? Definitely worth a go man.

Yeah, definitely, especially In Den Garten Pharaos and Hosianna Mantra.

I hadn't heard of Steve Roach but I'll be checking out some of his stuff, based on this.

[Wildfire]

Steve Roach is fuckin awesome. Been a big fan for years, but never really connected them with BOC until now. Makes sense though.

Immersion Four is my 'go to' can't sleep album.

[747Music]

Steve Roach is fuckin awesome. Been a big fan for years, but never really connected them with BOC until now. Makes sense though.

^ This.

Also, Structures From Silence is an incredible song.

[i-the-wayside]

brilliant. great find. well done.

[Fireal420]

i like how during the first few minutes, it sounds like synthesizers are playing with a saxophone being recorded and played backwards. or maybe its the other way around. either way it sounds awesome.

[ross adey]

Have you ever listened to Popol Vuh? Definitely worth a go man.

Popol Vuh are great, yeah. I especially like the soundtrack they did for Herzog's version of Nosferatu.

4:40