Before he had a solo CD, John Strate-Hootman (aka
Vir Unis) collaborated on three projects with
Steve Roach.
Roach produced Imaginarium, Strate-Hootman's collaboration with Ma Ja Le.
Roach also produced and contributed to Strate-Hootman's piece on The Ambient Expanse, "Undivided Flow." And these two ambient groove masters collaborated on
The Body Electric, one of the top discs of 1999. This wild ride combines
Roach's tribal sensitivities with Strate-Hootman's grooves and rhythmic sensibilities. The echoes of desert ambience collide with pulsating groove rhythms. They explode into huge atmospheres. The rhythms move around and through the soundscapes. The two sound worlds become one. This disc is unlike any before it. The only logical comparisons are later releases by
Roach and/or Strate-Hootman. ~ Jim Brenholts