In an era where music is consumed in 15-second snippets and the equivalent of an entire year’s worth of 1989 music releases now hits streaming platforms daily, Steven Wilson his latest album, “The Overview.”
In a recent interview with Prog Report
Let’s dive in:
Standing Out in the Noise
“In the year of 1989, all of the music released between the 1st of January and December 31st, the equivalent is now released every single day onto the internet, ” Wilson shared, highlighting the overwhelming volume of music available today. “We’re talking about 365 times more music for people to negotiate their way through. “
In this saturated landscape, Wilson believes that bold, unconventional gestures are necessary to stand out. “The Overview,” with its two extended tracks spanning approximately 40 minutes, represents exactly that kind of statement. While such a format might be common in progressive rock circles, it’s a departure from Wilson’s more recent, relatively mainstream-oriented albums.
“This is a willfully uncommercial gesture even for me, ” Wilson admitted. “I still got a lot of fans that came to me from other directions, and this will be a challenge for them. But I think bold gestures these days are kind of what people are looking for. “
The Cosmic Concept
Screenshot The album’s concept revolves around what’s known as “the overview effect” – a cognitive shift experienced by astronauts when they see Earth from space for the first time. Wilson learned about this phenomenon through his friend Alex Melas, who runs an organization called Space Rocks that brings together astronomy and music.
“It’s a recognized phenomenon when astronauts for the very first time go into space and they look back at the Earth, they have this very profound moment, a cognitive shift where they understand just how insignificant but beautiful the Earth is in relation to the universe, ” Wilson explained.
What particularly fascinated Wilson was the range of reactions astronauts have to this experience. “Some people have a feeling of elation, and other people have a feeling of depression, ” he noted. He cited William Shatner’s experience, where the Star Trek actor reportedly saw “death and nothingness” when viewing Earth from space – a stark contrast to his character’s optimistic space exploration ethos.
This concept immediately resonated with Wilson, who envisioned the album as a complete work rather than individual songs. “It was almost like the whole album came to me in my head in a few moments. I just saw it all laid out, and I knew that it had to be in the long form.”
The Perfect Album Length
Wilson’s decision to create a 40-minute album with two long pieces (23 and 18 minutes respectively) was deliberate and rooted in his appreciation for vinyl-era albums. “I’m old and I still think in terms of vinyl, ” he joked. “I just thought there’s going to be side one and there’s going to be side two. “
Beyond the practical considerations, the structure serves the concept: “One side is more about humanity, and the second side is more about the science.”
Wilson believes there’s something optimal about the 40-minute album format. “Most of the classic albums are from the era of vinyl, and there seems to be something about the 40-minute time span that is the optimum for people to engage with a single piece of music, ” he observed. “Beyond going beyond 40 or 45 minutes, no matter how good the music is, your brain starts to switch off. “
He sees a trend of artists returning to shorter album formats, possibly as a reaction to our shortened attention spans in the TikTok era. For Wilson, the ideal listening experience is one where “you listen to a record and you get to the end of it and you want to put it on again straight away because you want more of it, you’re not exhausted by the experience. “
Collaborations and Musical Identity
“The Overview” features contributions from several notable musicians, including Andy Partridge of XTC
“I wanted to contrast that with the most massive cosmic phenomena happening in the universe, like stars dying, nebulae, black holes imploding – to create that idea of cosmic perspective or cosmic vertigo, ” Wilson explained. “For me, there are two people in the history of pop music in the English language – Ray Davies of The Kinks and Andy Partridge – that have written better than anyone else about everyday ordinary lives. “
Guitarist Randy McStine What I love about Randy is he’s very au fait with the tradition of classic rock, but he’s also very excited about the possibilities of modern technology and new music. “
When discussing his own musical identity, Wilson acknowledged the recurring elements in his work. “Like any musician, I’m limited. I have a very limited kind of range of things that I do, ” he admitted. “I have my own comfort zone and my own clichés, and sometimes I can’t get away from them even though I would like to. “
Rather than seeing this as a limitation, Wilson has come to embrace these signature elements. “That’s what gives me my instantly recognizable sound. There’s certain things I do which just work for me, and they work for me over and over and over. “
On AI and the Future of Music
When asked about artificial intelligence in music , Wilson took a measured stance. “I think I’m somewhere in the middle,” he said, noting that he didn’t use AI for “The Overview” but has experimented with it for other projects.
Wilson sees AI as potentially useful but limited in its ability to create truly original work. “If you want something very generic, AI is probably going to be a very useful tool for you. When I create stuff, I’m kind of looking for things that are surprising, that aren’t predictable, so AI is very little use to me now. “
He drew parallels between AI and existing music production tools: “We’ve kind of had AI in the music industry for years. We’ve had software that can tune a singer that can’t sing in tune, software that can make a drummer that can’t play very well in time sound in time. ” In this context, Wilson sees AI as “just another tool” in the musician’s arsenal.
Read more: 4 ethical AI music tools that actually pay artists
However, he expressed concern about AI’s potential to “completely remove human beings from the process ” and emphasized that “what’s special about music or any creativity is that thing – soul. It’s the reflection of a human being to lots of other human beings. “
Looking Ahead
With a year of touring ahead to support “The Overview,” Wilson is currently focused on preparing for these shows. The tour will feature a 2.5-hour performance with an interval – the second half dedicated to performing “The Overview” in its entirety, while the first half will showcase selections from his back catalog that complement the album’s themes.
As for future projects, including the much-rumored new Porcupine Tree album, Wilson remained noncommittal but open to possibilities. Regarding Porcupine Tree, he said, “If we could find something new that we wanted to say within the context of the band, I’m sure we would record again. “
True to form, Wilson continues to prioritize artistic innovation over commercial considerations. His approach to “The Overview” demonstrates his commitment to creating music that challenges both himself and his audience – a refreshing stance in today’s often formulaic music landscape.
For fans of thoughtful, conceptual music that rewards deep listening, “The Overview” offers a cosmic journey worth taking, one that reflects both the insignificance and the beauty of our existence in the vast universe.
