Stream of Thought

A review from All Music Guide: Steve Roach has never been one to turn away from collaborations, making this new partnership, with Norwegian musician Erik Wollo, both a familiar and a slightly different experiment. At this point in his now decades-long career Roach has not only established a general sonic approach but a wide range of variations within the general rubric of 'ambient' music as described, and much of Stream of Thought similarly finds itself balanced between these two extremes -- sweeping, gently cyclical swells of lush, gleaming electronic textures interweave with nervous understated rhythms, or chilled out musical flows that almost force the listener into contemplation. Split into 19 short, untitled tracks, Stream of Thought isn't mixed as a single track and might reward random resequencing on a listener's part, but as it stands it is perfectly enjoyable. Sequences such as what sounds like a cross between water dripping and the most understated glitch click track ever on the eighth song add quiet variety, though ultimately this is an album for dedicated fans of either artist rather than newcomers. The mind is a mystery of thoughts and fluidly shifting collected memories. There are many thoughts which form complete stories, while others are mere threads with no beginning or ending. The flow of ideas is energetic, pulsating and often in dramatic contrast. In the same manner, Stream of Thought escorts us with cinematic precision through the mind's uncountable destinations. Organic electronic and new ambient sonic boundaries effortlessly dissolve on Stream of Thought. With the combined experience of these two veteran electronic composers, this collaboration flows with an agility of emotion and intellect in fluid interplay; minimalist-inspired melodic tapestries, pulsing trance passages, deep drone drifts, and surreal soundscapes morph into cloud-like forms: a constant state of sonic evolution. The results stand apart from the extended immersive long-form tracks of Steve's recent releases. While Stream of Thought is presented as a continuous flow of 19 interconnected pieces, the metaphor of sitting on a stream's edge under full engagement with the present moment is the appropriate context to experience the fluid ebb and mercurial flow of this living, streaming soundworld. Roach and Wollo's similar age, musical inspirations and sonic inclinations - along with a mutual respect for each other's 25+ years of work - inform Stream of Thought. Starting on two continents with two very different atmospheric conditions (the vast desert of Steve's Arizona and the icy solitude of Erik's homebase in Norway) this release began to take form in early 2007, as the composers traded musical ideas back and forth across long distances. The most formative aspect of the collaboration occurred in the summer of 2008 with Erik's visit to Steve's Timeroom studio in Arizona. Their week yielded the final recording, arrangement and editing. The approach to the album's structure was more like that of film editing, where a sense of time and pacing was consciously developed to activate a powerful visual/auditory reaction, a visceral experience. Stream of Thought explores the nuance of shifts within our perception. Segments of illumination juxtaposed with amorphous interludes and moving, flowing rhythm culminate in an unforgettable, shifting, dynamic experience. Relax and float downstream. Tranquil drifts, passionate rapids, midnight star gazing and blazing sunsets await. This is a vivid soundtrack for the senses designed to take the listener to the outer reaches of the imagination.