Steve Roach - LA ROSA - Live in Tucson

Steve Roach

June 5, 2026

Ambient / Drone / Electronic

Pioneering electronic artist Steve Roach’s LA ROSA is a zenith in the fourth decade of his legendary live career. Blending new pieces born from the living moment with essential classics, the 2-disc / 2-hour odyssey captures a riveting point in time on December 6, 2025 at Tucson, Arizona's state-of-the-art La Rosa performance venue. Originally built as a monastery and cathedral in the 1930’s, La Rosa was converted to a concert destination in 2025. Its setting empowers the music in ways that can’t compare to a conventional hall. Steve taps into the collective memory of the sacred space itself, a space used for devotion and transcendence, the same intentions found in his music. An equal mix of classics and new material, this astounding show brought together fans from near and afar. This gathering of the tribes inspired all that is captured on this immaculate recording presented with no post-production overdubs or edits just as it was performed, created and mixed by Steve from the stage. LA ROSA transcends what a solo artist's concert can be; it is the culmination of the last seven years of shows in large cathedrals across the USA. The flow of the set pushes well beyond the sign posts of past concerts into new realms. The evening shapeshifts from the opening invocation of deep reflection to multi-dimensional mandala-patterned sequencer-driven tracks, melting into luscious soundworlds weaving into dreamtime material. Moving from the monumental to a subtle micro-world of sonics both otherworldly and primordial, it’s a dynamic born from what Steve describes as the “soundcurrent.” LA ROSA takes the listener across a multitude of sonic thresholds, crossing many styles, atmospheres, moods, and chapters of Steve’s career. Some tracks feature driving interwoven subterranean rhythms and shamanic realms which are felt as much as heard. A remarkable gift for harmonic and melodic invention is showcased by these sequencer patterns, establishing an irresistible energy that gains power through evolving trance patterns like a miraculous fountain that is never exhausted. Natural sounds dissolve the boundaries between the performance space and the surrounding landscape. Coyote howls and nocturnal ambience recorded at Steve's Timehouse studio desert habitat and the sounds of the Australian outback from his past adventures transform the venue into a transcendent environment. On the new track “Born of Darkness,” Steve plays the fujara – a six-foot overtone flute – producing serpentine forms of sonic lightning. We also hear ocarinas, Tibetan bowls, hybrid trance and shamanic percussion, and on “Songlines” (originally from 1988’s seminal Dreamtime Return), Steve delivers an ecstatic didgeridoo engagement demonstrating that the soundcurrent can passionately flow just as easily through primordial – as well as electron driven – circuity. LA ROSA’s final threshold brings us to an emotional rendition of 1984’s “Structures From Silence.” When we hear the final burst of applause from the sold-out crowd, it’s like waking from a collective dream with a sense of alignment, expansion and inspiration. Often referring to Joseph Campbell, famous for his work in comparative mythology, Steve references his concerts (and this one in particular) as a representation of the hero's journey. We can encounter this deeply in settings such as La Rosa with this stellar documentation of a peak moment in Steve's career.