Steve Roach & Kelly David — The Long Night
The release conists of five tracks in all, and each comes in around the-ten-to-fourteen minute mark a piece. Though really the tracks work as chapters in the bigger sonic story, as the listener travels from dusk's last light into the depths of the night it self.
The releases creation went though three set stages- firstly a series of late night sessions at Kelly David’s studio, with the pair just utilizing analog modular synths. Next the pair moved to Mr Roach’s studio, were a selection of processed acoustic sounds such as flute and field recordings were mixed into the albums fabric, along with a large array of analog and digital synthesizers. Lastly the whole thing was given a final mix to enhance the clarity and detail to all the subtle shifting tones.
Each track really takes you deeper & deeper into the pair's subtly shifting, yet often sonically descriptive sound worlds. As you move from slow revolving washes of tonal ambience that suggest the last dying rays of sunlight. Through to mysterious weaving & whistling flute ‘n’ synth swirls, which bring to mind both nocturnal breezes & night-time bird calls. Onto winding ‘n’ creaking woozy electro textural drifts, which unfurling into wavering analog synth melodies & stripped back tribal beat-scapes. Through to slow moving & mind expanding drifts into muilt-layered & subtle detailed ambient tonal shift & textural ebb.
There’s nothing really dark, sinister or brooding about this album, as one might expect from a release themed around the nocturnal hours. But instead the release fully embraces the lush uncoiling & often hypnotic spirit of nighttime itself. All told it’s another very rewarding collaborative release from Mr Roach, and if you enjoy slow yet subtle detailed ambience with harmonic & soothing edges to it- this could well be for you.