MANTRAM continues Steve Roach's intriguing excursions into electronic tribal-ambient fusion. Roach's music has always been a cut above the work of his peers, and the subtle, textured landscapes of MANTRAM is no exception. The album brings together cerebral space-synth frameworks with an earthy, primal feel that evokes Roach's Southwestern desert home.
Percussionist Byron Metcalf, vocalist Mark Seelig, and tamboura player Stefin Gordon join Roach, who plays guitar, synthesizer, and didgeridoo (which has been part of the instrumentalist's regular vocabulary since 1988's Outback-inspired DREAMTIME RETURNS). Arranged in eight parts, which interconnect like a suite, MANTRAM is lush, stirring music for the body and the heart, and the musicianship and execution is of the consistently high level Roach fans have come to expect.