Steve Roach - Structures From Silence (1984), 7/10

A beautifully crafted set of ambient tracks that rely on creative space and soothing hypnosis to move, yet they do so wonderfully. The entire record resembles the lengthy title track in ethos, particularly considering the months long composition process founded in repetition. Roach is claimed to have played the title track day and night, making minor adjustments, and it is certainly believable when listening to the final product. It is clearly a staple in ambient music and exemplary for its hyper focus on synths as a tool for creating broad yet intricate soundscapes, further as a piece that excels due to its practical, self-imposed limitations. Every track is remarkably engaging for its repetition. Perhaps more importantly it is somewhat of an emotional canvas that lives up to its name Structures From Silence, giving the album further significance as approaching visual art with synthetic sounds. Its simple beauty is immediately apparent but there is a surprising longevity, particularly in the title track, again largely stemming from its open-ended structures that resemble structural poetry along with impressionism. The subjectivity of the album is in its theory, that structures and considerable use of space can be a backdrop for a form of guided meditation while providing its own introspections along with its own inherent premise. Roach’s project excels so clearly in its aim that it is inarguably successful but will always have detractors due to its adaptability, gentle sounds, and its inherent demand on its listeners.