Originally released in 1999, this album by American composers and ambient music legends Steve Roach and John Strate-Hootman (operating here as Vir Unis) combine tribal electronic music with what was then erroneously called New Age music. From the release’s Bandcamp site:
“Steve Roach and Vir Unis combine different rhythmic sensibilities and undeniable soundscapes in an alchemical reaction, creating an aural sensation that is surreal, hallucinogenic, but still organically human. Body Electric is a welcomed edition to the borderless world of new electronic music; this album is a zenith in bio-electronic body music, an evolutionary spark, a focused, high-energy trip of life-affirming, hyper-terrestrial grooves and sustained, soul-expanding sound worlds.
Fresh from an extensive schedule of concerts and traveling, Roach found his energy still simmering and in need of expression. He had been exchanging ideas on tape for several months with Vir Unis. Both were anxious to get together — ideas were sprouting and in need of cultivation . . . the desire to create a new level of bio-electronic body music was clear. The result: an extensive marathon in Steve’s Tucson recording studio, The Timeroom.
The music on Body Electric melded together, relying heavily on what Steve calls “the body clock,” a sense of timing and flow both artists turned towards in shaping the music that evolved from their collaboration. “Chance” situations were explored and combined in an alchemical reaction, often setting a piece in motion – opening yet another zone of sensation to explore. These chance combinations created a powerful and intimate symbiosis for both artists, so powerful that they termed it their “mind link.””
