Jazz Articles

Steve Roach and "Vir Unis": Blood Machine

by AAJ Staff
November 1, 2001

The long-awaited follow-up to Steve Roach and Vir Unis' explosive Body Electric is finally here. Blood Machine is inspired by the futuristic neurobiology and biotechnology which breaks into the news with almost daily reports of new discoveries. Here, two futuristic masters of electronica combine to bring us discoveries in sound and synapse, rhythm and bio-interface.

If you are expecting a slam-bang sequel to the noisy and boisterous Body Electric , you will be surprised, because though Blood Machine has plenty ...

Saul Stokes: Abstraction

by AAJ Staff
November 1, 2001

Saul Stokes usually shows up on Hypnos Records, but in this album (recorded “live") he is a “guest artist" on GreenHouseMusic, a label known for its lavish, psychedelic electronic drone and loop sound (such as “Vir Unis' Aeonian Glow). This guest appearance, in keeping with GreenHouse, is very much in the drone 'n' loop category. But Saul Stokes drones somewhat differently than GreenHouse's ethereal “Exuviae" or “Vir Unis." When Stokes lays down the layers, he adds in elements from industrial ...

Steve Roach and Vir Unis: Blood Machine

by AAJ Staff
July 1, 2001

The long-awaited follow-up to Steve Roach and Vir Unis' explosive Body Electric is finally here. Blood Machine is inspired by the futuristic neurobiology and biotechnology which breaks into the news with almost daily reports of new discoveries. Here, two futuristic masters of electronica combine to bring us discoveries in sound and synapse, rhythm and bio-interface.

If you are expecting a slam-bang sequel to the noisy and boisterous Body Electric , you will be surprised, because though Blood Machine has plenty ...

Various Artists: Convergent Evolution

by AAJ Staff
December 1, 2000

Ambient music has been around about 25 years now, and has become a recognized genre, which even has its own subgroups such as “dark ambient", “drones," and “techno-ambient." The basic requirements for the “core" ambient style haven't changed much in those years: long, minimal note lines drifting through an ocean of reverb, accented with bits of percussion here and there. And yet even within these restrictions, musical creativity can shine forth, and ambient has developed over the years. Some of ...

Vir Unis: The Drift Inside

by AAJ Staff
December 1, 2000

If you are not familiar with the aesthetics of ambient-space music, this album may seem incomprehensible to you - or put you to sleep. But if you are an ambient fan, as I am, it is a wonder. It is a luminous journey through musical inner space, led by one of the brightest stars in the Steve Roach galaxy, Peoria-Illinois-based “Vir Unis." His album Body Electric , done in collaboration with Roach, was a frenetic and wildly exciting experience full ...

Vir Unis: Aeonian Glow

by AAJ Staff
December 1, 2000

In the ancient esoteric philosophy of Gnosticism, the “Aeons" were both measures of time and spiritual beings. They emanated from the transcendent divine world and made their way down to our own world, where they could be either terrifying lords of darkness and oppression, or redeeming beings of light. “Vir Unis," in a brilliant stroke of creativity, unites the Gnostic myths with the images and sound-impressions from quantum physics (as seen in his track titles) to give us AEONIAN GLOW ...