Steven Wilson - Requiem for a Village Interview Part 1 With Anil Prasad

Steven Wilson Beyond the Map: Part One by Anil Prasad Copyright © 2026 Anil Prasad. Steven Wilson has always been drawn to the edges of expression: places where genres blur, where technology meets instinct, and where ideas expand and splinter the further you follow them. His music has repeatedly taken that journey across radically different scales, from the intimate and song-oriented to the abstract and experimental, from the elaborate architecture of Porcupine Tree to the ambient and drone explorations of Bass Communion and the diverse collaborative worlds of No-Man and Storm Corrosion. And within his solo work, Wilson has rarely been content to occupy the territory he previously inhabited. After 2025’s The Overview looked outward toward the infinite expanse of the cosmos, Wilson decided to go in the opposite direction. Not merely away from outer space, but toward a more intimate human universe: a village. Requiem for a Village takes place in a fictional, unnamed community somewhere in the British Isles. It’s a place that doesn't appear on any map and exists outside the technology-mediated velocity of modern life. Its inhabitants cling to their own rituals and traditions, and the surrounding countryside seems almost sentient. Beneath the superficial quaintness lurks the peculiar intrigue of British folk horror. It’s a world populated by cultural ghosts from Wilson's childhood—eccentric children's television, traditional folk songs, and spectral rural mythology. And they’re refracted through mercurial compositions that deliberately embrace imperfections, accidents, unexpected stylistic intersections, and unfamiliar instruments. The album's cast reinforces its sense of being a miniature universe unto itself. Guitarist and multi-instrumentalist Randy McStine is a significant collaborative presence, with drummer Russell Holzman and vocalist Katherine Priddy also contributing to the landscape. Andy Partridge wrote the album's spoken-word narrative, drawing on the eccentric village portraiture of Dylan Thomas' Under Milk Wood, while actor David Tennant provides the voice. Requiem for a Village reflects Wilson's philosophy of being defiantly unconcerned with genre. For instance, its title track emerged from an unlikely collision between drum-and-bass and progressive rock, built from a loop supplied by Holzman and transformed into a recombinant overture that sets the stage for the anachronistic tale that follows. The instinct to keep moving forward also defines Wilson's other projects. Bass Communion has reemerged with two 2026 releases, Apparitions and Analysis Reveals Nothing of Substance, while No-Man has begun generating new material following a series of archival releases. Porcupine Tree remains active with the trio periodically reconvening to write and record. And a second Storm Corrosion album is also underway, built around an extensive body of predominantly acoustic elements. Wilson’s extensive Atmos and surround remix output also continues apace, with recent projects ranging from Phil Collins' Face Value and No Jacket Required to landmark recordings by King Crimson, Pink Floyd, Jeff Buckley, and Tears for Fears. His work in this area, as well as his network of expert surround remixers, propelled him to establish Headphone Dust, a new digital download platform. Its goal is to make high-resolution spatial mixes more accessible, while establishing a carefully curated environment for the format. More than 30 years after Innerviews first began talking with Wilson, this Zoom conversation finds him reflecting on his restless creative instincts, his resistance to the status quo, and his pursuit of music that transcends its era, and invites reconsideration and reinterpretation deep into the future. Steven Wilson: https://stevenwilsonhq.com/ Headphone Dust: https://headphonedust.store/ Porcupine Tree: https://porcupinetree.com/ No-Man: https://no-man.co.uk/ #stevenwilson #porcupinetree #noman #stormcorrosion #basscommunion