On his 1993 recording, Origins (17081-2), Steve Roach explored the cracks between conscious and unconscious awareness, weaving a tale of primal mystery and musical sorcery through a compelling synthesis of ancient and modern aesthetics. As Darren Bergstein of i/e magazine observed, "Never before has Roach's electronic surface felt so earthen and weathered; all of the assertive ambience and environmental dissonance he's pressured up to now has reached its critical mass in Origins molten core."

With Artifacts , Roach delves deeper into his own sonic mythology expanding his skills on acoustic instruments and realizing a profound level of artistry on electronics. Roach's obsession with the shifting of time finds form in his gift for creating trance-inducing rhythms that sound both primordial and futuristic.

His rich, eternally swirling textures, seem to rise up from the darkness of the unconscious, bringing shards of long forgotten musical impulses to light once more. It's as if he's sifting through the soil of an ancient site, gathering fragments and piecing them together to reveal a new story that casts its shadow far beyond the present. Through it all, Roach reminds us that one day we, too, will be the artifacts in the minds of some future civilization.