Steve Moore has played keyboard and bass with drummer Anthony Paterra for the last six years as synth-rock duo Zombi,. The Pittsburgh, PA pair is famously adherent to the prog/horror soundtrack legacy of the likes of Cherry Five (better known to most horror aficionados as Goblin), John Carpenter, and and Tangerine Dream.
With the release of The Henge, we get a glimpse into Moore’s solo journey along this same trajectory. Moore wrote, performed, produced, and mastered the entire album in Pittsburgh and Nyack, NY (Moore currently lives in the Hudson River Valley across from the legendary Sleepy Hollow). He also took the photographs (rainy forests in West Virginia) and did the layout for the sleeve.
“I think I approached the songwriting less the way a band would—more like a composer. I approached it like I would if I were writing a soundtrack. When I’m playing with Zombi, I have to think of what we, as a duo, can pull of live—how far we can work the synth-rock thing. There have to be a certain number of hooks. I’m more worried about the people in a club going to the bar for a drink instead of listening to me.”
Given a composer’s freedom, Moore has created an epic work with The Henge. The music is both expansive and claustrophobic, creating an illusion of space alongside a sense of being trapped. With long drones and mounting synths, it’s well designed for headphones and darkened rooms.
-Lyam White
Steve Moore: www.stephenjamesmoore.com
Relapse Records: www.relapse.com
photo by Dorothy Hong