Canadian singer, songwriter and producer Devin Townsend has revealed that he is working on a new album Devin describes the material he has come up with so far as a “weird, alien sounding, effervescent, sunny load of oddness.” Late Monday night (August 3), Townsend took to his Twitter to write: “I think I’m writing an album, unexpectedly, called Lightwork that is abstract and a stream of conscious. Still significantly far away from anything, but it’s determinedly taking shape. It’s been odd though, as every record is a reflection of the time it was conceived. “And this is clearly a weird time. It’s strange, abstract, meandering and weird. If I try to curb it and write something more disciplined, it would be a dumb rehash of stuff I’m clearly bored of. So I follow this where it wants to go. “Almost seems like it would make sense for it to be a continuous, shifting, colourful beast as opposed to a collection of songs – more like songs in a highly elaborate and sort of alien stream of conscious: no real beginning or end.” Devin continued: “But regardless: as much as I have tried to shift my motivations from this weird collection of work to something more ‘palatable’ it seems clear that this is what’s in my path now, so I’m going to finish it in the way that it insists. “I suppose considering the strange unique intensity of this period, it makes perfect sense when I hear it. “Anyways, the next album will be called Lightwork and though it’s still being discovered, it’s a weird, alien sounding, effervescent, sunny load of oddness. Alien as in: ‘this makes no traditional sense but seems to have an underlying order’ “Visually, I see a weird kind of muted Winnie The Pooh type landscape with endless processions of characters, objects, people, creatures etc wandering from one side of the page to the other – an endless parade of dissimilar things, and just kind of watching them go by.” This past June, Devin released “Empath – The Ultimate Edition”. This comprehensive version of 2019’s acclaimed album contains the original record and bonus disc across 2 CDs, plus 2 Blu-ray discs. Townsend released “Empath” in March 2019 and embarked on the “Empath – European Tour Vol. 1” last November. “Empath” saw Devin incorporating all the styles that make up his current interests in one place.
I think I’m writing an album, unexpectedly…called ‘Lightwork’ that is abstract and stream of conscious. Still significantly far away from anything, but it’s determinedly taking shape. It’s been odd though, as every record is a reflection of the time it was conceived
…— Devin Townsend (@dvntownsend) August 4, 2020
…and this is clearly a weird time. It’s strange, abstract, meandering, and weird. If I try to curb it and write something more disciplined, it would be a dumb rehash of stuff I’m clearly bored of. So I follow this where it wants to go…
— Devin Townsend (@dvntownsend) August 4, 2020
Almost seems like it would make sense for it to be a continuous, shifting, colourful beast as opposed to a collection of songs, more like songs in a highly elaborate and sort of alien stream of conscious: no real beginning or end…
— Devin Townsend (@dvntownsend) August 4, 2020
But regardless: as much as I have tried to shift my motivations from this weird collection of work to something more ‘palatable’ it seems clear that this is what’s in my path now, so I’m going to finish it in the way that it insists
— Devin Townsend (@dvntownsend) August 4, 2020
I suppose considering the strange unique intensity of this period, it makes perfect sense when I hear it…
— Devin Townsend (@dvntownsend) August 4, 2020
Anyways: the next album, unexpectedly, will be called ‘Lightwork’ and though it’s still being discovered, it’s a weird, alien sounding, effervescent , sunny load of oddness…
— Devin Townsend (@dvntownsend) August 4, 2020
Alien as in: ‘this makes no traditional sense but seems to have an underlying order’
— Devin Townsend (@dvntownsend) August 4, 2020
Visually, I see a weird kind of muted ‘Winnie the Pooh’ type landscape with endless processions of characters, objects, people, creatures etc wandering from one side of the page to the other, an endless parade of dissimilar things, and just kind of watching them go by.
— Devin Townsend (@dvntownsend) August 4, 2020
