Steve Roche (Stephen) (born 1961) is a New Zealand composer and performer. He is principally known for his invovment in film music and as a creator of film soundtrack and ambiant music.

Early life

Roche was raised in Auckland and attended St Peter's College. He graduated from the University of Auckland with an MA (Hons) degree in 1985.^[1]

Composing

Steve Roche works with David Donaldson and Janet Roddick. They first collaborated as members of the electric 1980s band Six Volts and continued with the Brainchilds before setting up together under the "Plan 9" label in 1992.. Roche was also involved in a band called The Labcoats. The three composers have scored music for many new Zealand film, television, installation and theatrical projects. They won Best Feature Film Score at the New Zealand Film and TV Awards for Saving Grace and Jack Brown Genius, as well as being finalists for Jubilee and Perfect Strangers (film), Forgotten Silver, Earthquake and Lovely Rita (tv).

Plan 9, in collaboration with David Long, composed the cultural music and the music/sound of “The One Ring” for Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy and they also created ambient music design for Jackson's King Kong and they contributed to the soundtrack of Jackson's The Lovely Bones.

Recording

As a member of the band Thrashing Marlin, Roche has produced an album called Wits 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 Muttonbirds spring to mind as obvious touchstones".^[2] Roche was laos involved in desiging the soundtracks of the New Zealand Pavilion at World Expo Shanghai 2010.^[3]