Now/Traveler is a collection of pieces that find their origins in
Steve Roach's earliest recorded works. Tracks One through Five on Now/Traveler are taken from Now -- originally released in 1982 -- and Tracks Six through 14 were released a year later, under the title of Traveler. This Fortuna release finds these two excellent recordings together on one disc. The work on Now/Traveler is pre-MIDI, but you can almost never tell.
Steve Roach's crafty studio techniques make this recording sound like a rhythmically sequenced gala sound excursion. This is a very upbeat recording, and not unlike the works of
Klaus Schulze and
Tangerine Dream of the same period. This recording is not as glossy as
Steve Roach's later work, but for fans this is a great look into the vintage, pre-digital side of
Steve Roach's massive body of work. You really hear
Steve Roach working with very little technology, compared to his later works, and crafting quite a fascinating recording that was years ahead of it's time; as Now and Traveler were
Steve Roach's first recordings, this collection foreshadows the near-infinite creative energy that
Steve Roach would use to his benefit in later years. ~ Matt Borghil, All Music Guide
