Released
1998
Label
Projekt Records
Reviewed by
Ben
Didier
Contact
PO Box 166155
Chicago, IL
60616 USA
Visit
SteveRoach
Last Edit/Update
4 Nov, 1998
Steve Roach and Roger King
Dust to Dust
Track Listing
1. Gone West
2. A Daze Wage
3. A Bigger Sky
4. The Ribbon Rails of Promise
5. First Sunrise
6. Lost and Forgotten
7. Snake Eyes
8. Rain and Creosote
9. Ghost Train
A western album that escapes the dreaded
"country" tag is quite the feat, and this CD is just that. Raspy slide, beer
bottles, acoustic guitar, and harmonica all contribute to the arsenry of traditional
western instruments Roach and King have put to use. Add the electronics and processing and
you get a good idea of the sound they have created here. It's a hybrid of sorts, a fusion
of old and new.
This is the latest release in a
long line of collaborative works from Steve Roach. His idea of collaborations is that they
are a mutual exchange of ideas, bringing out the best in each artist. This CD is no
exception, and Roger King is obviously responsible for provoking the western side in
Roach.
Aside from King's occasional
distant, ghostly vocals this disk is entirely instrumental. Long drawn out guitar chords
that fade into atmospherics, characterized by the unmistakable harmonica and slide guitar.
All of which are held together by subtle, yet powerful down-tempo electronic soundscapes
that make up the majority of this work. "Dust to Dust" reminds me of the
soundtrack to a psycho western film I once saw, which is a testament to Roach's claim that
sounds unlock memories. This is the kind of music your mind puts images to, and you don't
need the album's photography to come up with vivid scenes of dusty western landscapes.
