Steve Roach (born February 16, 1955, in La Mesa, California, USA) is an American ambient musician and composer. Originally a Motocross racer, at the age of 20, Roach taught himself to play the synthesizer after being inspired by the music of Tangerine Dream, Klaus Schulze, and Vangelis. His debut album Now appeared in 1982, followed by Structures from Silence in 1984; in 1988, he released his acclaimed Quiet Music series, along with what has been described by critics as his masterpiece: the double-album Dreamtime Return.