Ambient/new age pioneer Steve Roach began constructing a large-form analog modular synthesizer/sequencer setup in early 2014, revisiting the technology that was used to create the electronic music that inspired him back in the '70s.
His 2015 album Skeleton Keys was created entirely using this system, and it's an immensely enjoyable work that nods to the past while still creating something fresh and futuristic.
The album is aptly titled, as the compositions all have minimal yet complex melodic patterns interlocking to create a strong, sturdy body of sound.
The percolating arpeggios bring to mind the expected Berlin-school luminaries, but the clicking beats on several of the selections bring the album a bit closer to early-'90s ambient techno releases on labels like Instinct.
Skeleton Keys is a far cry from Roach's tribal and ethnic fusion releases, as well as his ultra-minimalist dark ambient and drone albums.
It's energetic, bristling, and alive, and it's one of many highlights in his long, illustrious career.
| Title/Composers | Performer | Listen | Time | Size | Size | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Only Way In | Steve Roach | Play | 07:15 | 16 MB | 42 MB |
| 2 | The Function Inside the Form | Steve Roach | Play | 08:23 | 19 MB | 44 MB |
| 3 | It's All Connected | Steve Roach | Play | 09:28 | 21 MB | 49 MB |
| 4 | Outer Weave | Steve Roach | Play | 05:12 | 12 MB | 27 MB |
| 5 | Symmetry and Balance | Steve Roach | Play | 09:35 | 22 MB | 49 MB |
| 6 | Saturday Somewhere | Steve Roach | Play | 10:50 | 24 MB | 56 MB |
| 7 | Escher's Dream Is Dreaming | Steve Roach | Play | 09:48 | 22 MB | 49 MB |
| 8 | A Subtle Twist of Fate | Steve Roach | Play | 13:24 | 30 MB | 58 MB |
| 73 mins | 170 MB | |||||
| 73 mins | 377 MB | |||||
| Artist | Job | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Adam Fleishman | Photography |
| 2 | Howard Givens | Mastering |
| 3 | Steve Roach | Primary Artist |
| 4 | Sam Rosenthal | Graphic Design |
| 5 | Kyle Wright | Cover Image |
| Quality | Format | Encoding | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | MP3 | 320kps 44.1kHz | MP3 is an audio coding format which uses a form of lossy data compression. The highest bitrate of this format is 320kbps (kbit/s). MP3 Digital audio takes less amount of space (up to 90% reduction in size) and the quality is not as good as the original one. |
| CD Quality | FLAC | 16bit 44.1kHz | FLAC is an audio coding format which uses lossless compression. Digital audio in FLAC format has a smaller size and retains the same quality of the original Compact Disc (CD). |