Prolific ambient composer Steve Roach has launched an ambitious endeavor: a YouTube channel that plays his works in a continuous, 24/7 mix. The Immersion Zone, as it’s called, hosts a playback of sustained tones from the soundscapes making up Roach’s nearly four-decade discography.
“The Immersion Zone is a 24/7 streaming sanctuary of deep sonic submersions and infinitely evolving visual apparitions,” according to the YouTube description. It was adapted from the Immersion Station apps, continuous ambient mix players which Roach released between 2010-2015 in collaboration with programmer Eric Freeman.
“The Immersion Zone will stream 24/7/365 ongoing and continue to evolve with extended sonic and visual zones unique to this site,” the description goes on. “Nourish your own realms as the space we are offering is created to inspire a deeper reconnection to the inner core and support meditations upon the edge forever…”
Steve Roach Revisited
Steve Roach’s involvement in early electronic music extends all the way back to the ’70s. Inspired by the likes of Tangerine Dream and Vangelis, he delivered his debut album, Now, in 1982. He followed it up by inaugurating the Quiet Music series in 1986 and perhaps his most celebrated work, Dreamtime Return in 1988.
By another metric, however, the high point of Roach’s career has arrived more recently. His almost entirely analogue synth-based 2017 album, Spiral Revelation, was nominated for a Grammy Award in the category of “Best New Age Album” the following year.
More information is available on the official Steve Roach website.
