Steve Roche

New Zealand composer and performer

Steve Roche
Born	1964 Wellington, New Zealand
Nationality	New Zealand
Occupation	Composer

Steve Roche (Stephen) (born 1964) is a New Zealand composer and performer. He is principally known for his involvement in film music and as a creator of film soundtrack and ambient music.

Early life

Roche was raised in Wellington and attended St Patrick's College, Wellington.

Composing

Plan 9 has also been involved in designing the soundtracks of the New Zealand Pavilion at World Expo Shanghai 2010.^[1]

Recording

Steve Roche and David Donaldson and Janet Roddick have been part of the eclectic Wellington music scene for over twenty-five years. They first collaborated as members of the electric 1980s band Six Volts and continued with the Brainchilds. Roche and Donaldson are involved in a band called The Labcoats with David Long, Anthony Donaldson, Riki Gooch and Toby Laing. They also comprise a band called "Thrashing Marlin". The band made a big splash in 1996 with their debut, and was followed by a second release, Garage Sailors in 1999. In 2006, they produced their third album, Wit’s end which is a collection of lo-fi, experimental pop music which ranges from a take on a Len Lye vocal sample All You've Got Someday to a Janet Roddick composition Sea of Tranquility. "The finished project is always an envelope-pushing but accessible blend of pop songwriting instincts within the sprawl of free-improvisational jazz and collage-rock. Early Split Enz and The Mutton Birds spring to mind as obvious touchstones".^[2]

References

^ New Zealand at World Expo Shanghai 2010. Retrieved 6 October 2010.
^ Simon Sweetman (25/05/2010) More of the Best Albums I have reviewed - Stuff website (Retrieved 6 October 2010).