Steve Roach - Quiet Music: The Original 3-Hour Collection FLAC download

I remember "faxing" , Steve a note asking him to re-release the QM series on cd at the time only cassettes where available. He had mentioned a plan to release a compilation on Fortuna this later appeared but truncated so like they say a beggar can be choosy!Much later in the present the full deal came to fruition via the Projekt label with all three masterpiece works in one 3 disc set.I have to admit this is some of the most timeless and personal of releases I've heard Roach compose aside from Structures from Silence. The music is utterly serene and believe this or not varied from each release in the series, albeit ambient all three cd's sound different and un-cloistered of percussive dialog. All the music was pre-sampler era of the 1990s so the instrumentation is 100% hardware analog synthesizer with the exception of the DX-7 which was used minimally and buried into the mix in a masterful way. The tones here are long, reflective, minimal and warm as the desert depicted on the artwork. A virtual oasis from the music I had been listening to in the 1980s and radio really had no commercial interest in playing this style of music on the then "new age" radio stations (where talking late 1980s here on the cusp of that particular format of radio). This is one of those releases one never exasperates of. Every listen brings a new perspective to the ephemeral aesthetics of the music and its ability to quietly lull you to "that" special place.

Very beautiful, the fist CD and the last track of the third "Sleep and Dreaming" ( 30' 13'' ! ) are pure magic. Thanks for this discover.

Elegance in quietude. A classic!

My first time getting Quiet Music was this Forturna 2-CD version -> Steve Roach - Quiet Music. Some time later, The Original 3-Hour Collection was released on Projekt. Only a couple of differences I've noticed. The earlier Fortuna had the selected tracks in a different order and that it had "The Green Place, Part 1". The Projekt has both parts of "The Green Place" (part 2 was the only Quiet Music track that was not on the Fortuna release) and that the tracks are in original order. And since buying the Projekt release, I sold the Forturna. My only complaint is that listening to both parts of "The Green Place" is almost like listening to the same tune twice. Nevertheless, I could still listen to either part time and again, as well as the other 2 CDs in the set. On Fortuna or Projekt, it's always good for taking it easy.

Steve Roach "Quiet Music: The Original 3-Hour Collection" 3 x CD"Quiet Music" is one of the milestones in Steve Roach's huge discography as well as in the genre of ambient music. Recorded during the period of years 1983 to 1986 and firstly available on three cassettes, few years later, in 1988 released as CD album and in 1999 collected and remastered to a 2CD edition, all by Fortuna. Now, when Fortuna rights expired and 25 years passed since its creation, finally available via Projekt as "Quiet Music: The Original 3-Hour Collection" 3CD packaged in very decently and attractively looking 6-panel digipak. As indicated by its title, Steve presents here absolutely peaceful and minimal aerial washes, floating ambience at its most relaxing and meditative level. Several long form pieces are featured on this treasured set, for example both parts of "The Green Place" that complete disc one, each one clocking over 30-minute mark. This is most likely the most naturally sounding ambience in these series with strong organic feel enriched by captivating and relaxing field recordings that beautifully color Steve's serene soundscapes and Will Morris' flute (with the synthesizer help of Mike Christopher at the beginning of Part One). The music splendidly portrays the first part of the cover image. Disc two, consisting of five compositions, three of them are shorter, while the last two pieces, "A Few More Moments" and "Air And Light", are longer (13 and 32 minutes), is full of minimal and simple palettes, yet slowly and gently evolving, hauntingly beautiful and evoking vast landscape panoramas, where all these sonic textures capture pure magic of brightness, peace, serenity and silence. This truly fascinating journey, transporting each listener to another time and space, proceeds also on disc three. Two longer floaters include "Dreaming And Sleep" and "Sleep And Dreaming"(again featuring Will Morris on flute), while "Quiet Canon" clocks to 8 minutes, but all these three compositions will navigate you to beautifully magical and subconscious night sky trip. Usually I like to mention the most highlighting moments on each CD I review, but there is no need to do it with "Quiet Music", where each composition has its significant role and all of them are masterfully blended into one incredibly tranquilized continuous sonic environment. Speaking about the artwork, all three front cover images magnificently display not only the beauty and power of Mother Nature, but also the beauty and power of Steve Roach's groundbreaking sound painting and visionary. "Quiet Music" 3CD set is definitely a true collector's item, no matter if you own above mentioned first two CD editions or the original cassettes, this is another must have and ultimate classic from The Master!!!Richard Gürtler (Sep 04, 2011, Bratislava, Slovakia)