Steve Roach – Eric Morello

Ambient Music Releases of the Week: March 21, 2025

Gift Songs – Jefre Cantu-Ledesma

Shakers came to America 250 years ago and instruments (female acolytes) of the religion would create “gift drawings” based on reported visions of the spirit realm–gifts from God. Cantu-Ledesma’s anticipated release comes from a similar place, in that the artist believes music is a gift, but also the influence of practicing as a Zen priest and a hospice worker.

Banshee / Basse Brevis – François J. Bonnet / Sarah Davachi

This isn’t a collaboration but a combined release by Portraits GRM. Banshee is composed from materials collected on the Isles of Mull, Staffa and Skye, Inner Hebrides, and feels like you are traveling to and from, and to and fro, these seaside locations. It’s orchestral, and evokes the natural and foreign simultaneously.

The Reverent Sky – Steve Roach

It’s not the sheer volume of Steve Roach’s output that amazes me, it’s that all that output is always of such a high quality.

Siamo tutti in pericolo – Golem Mecanique

Drones layered with chants give this Golem Mecanique release a liturgical feel.

Ambient Music Releases of the Week: April 5, 2024

Sky Within Us – Various Artists

For its 75th and final release, Toronto-based ambient label Polar Seas has put out a digital compilation album featuring the label’s friends and collaborators. All proceeds will be donated to FLAP Canada, for the protection of birds against collisions with buildings.

Reflections In Repose –Steve Roach

Steve Roach’s latest release, Reflections In Response, was created over two evenings at the Timehouse, Baja Arizona, the eve of Christmas 2023, and was recorded in the same sequence as presented on the two discs’ 116 minutes. The five long-form tracks were performed on a single instrument — the Oberheim OB-X8 — the modern spiritual successor of the iconic Oberheim OB-8 which Steve used 40 years ago in the making of his classic piece Structures from Silence.