Steven Wilson has announced his new studio album, “Requiem For A Village,” set for release on November 6th via Fiction Records. The album’s title track is available now, along with the first installment of Wilson’s new “Village Hall Session” video series on YouTube.
Watch “Requiem For A Village – The Village Hall Sessions” video via the YouTube player below:
For the new album, Wilson says he wanted to return to a more organic and distinctly human approach to making music, embracing imperfections and unpredictability rather than relying heavily on modern studio technology.
“I wanted to get back to a kind of music where you can hear the metaphorical thumbprints,” Wilson explains. “Doubling down on the human gestures and flaws in the music, stuff that can’t be created using software.”
That approach included working exclusively with analogue synthesizers and allowing instruments to remain imperfectly tuned. Wilson also challenged himself by playing instruments outside his usual comfort zone, including violin, oboe and drums.
“Playing things I don’t really know how to play but getting something out of them inspired me in ways I didn’t expect,” he says. “Approaching the music with a sense of innocence and seeing where it took me. And where it took me was to the village.”
Scottish actor David Tennant provides the narration on the new album, and is joined by former XTC man Andy Partridge, who has written the narration and some of the lyrics, multi-instrumentalist Randy McStine, drummer Russell Holzman (on the tracks “Requiem For A Village,” “Now Departing,” “A Basket Of Bees and Wheel“) and vocalist Katherine Priddy (Murmuration).
Pre-Order “RequiemFor A Village” here: https://stevenwilson.lnk.to/Requiem-for-a-Village
Tracklist:
01. Swirl In A Lark’s Eye
02. Requiem For A Village
03. The Same River Twice
04. Now Departing
05. Hireath
06. On Chapel Slope
07. Murmuration
08. Curcus Fingerprint
09. A Basket Of Bees
10. Great Green Map
11. Wheel
12. The Old God Is Buried
The album will be available on CD, Blu-ray, 140g double black vinyl and oxblood-colored double vinyl. A deluxe box set will feature two CDs and a Blu-ray packaged with a 96-page hardback book. Limited signed CDs will also be available through Amazon, while HMV will offer a CD edition with exclusive packaging.