English musician Steven Wilson, known for his work with Porcupine Tree and his innovative solo career, is on an India tour after several years. He performed in Mumbai on November 3 – an evening that doubled as his birthday celebration – and is set to mesmerise fans in Kolkata this evening. In a chat with us, Steven reflects on collaborations, creative reinvention, and the themes of isolation, nostalgia, and human curiosity that lie at the heart of his music. Excerpts:Plans for the Kolkata showThis is my first show in Kolkata though I’ve played in India two or three times before, once with Porcupine Tree, and it’s unfortunate that we couldn’t do more shows in India. I’ll be performing material from The Overview but also dipping into my catalogue for Indian audiences. And maybe there’ll be more surprises. You guys seem to love Trains and The Sound of Muzak!Musical influences that shaped StevenI grew up on the music of the early ’70s and the style of music that’s slightly old-fashioned. I loved that sound. My father would play Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon, or Mike Oldfield’s Tubular Bells, almost brainwashing me with them. Now, I find it very hard to be blown away by music. I have heard so much. But I remember the feeling of being profoundly moved, blown away, having those kinds of life changing moments when I heard things for the first time. I gradually began to understand what certain things were. I didn’t like The Dark Side of the Moon the first time my father played for me, but gradually the music grew on me. Later, when I started producing music, many of the artistes I collaborated with influenced my work. Randy McStine, my guitarist, is one such person.Making music: Collaborations and solo workI make music in an extremely selfish way, for myself. I’ve been lucky that my fans respect that. They may not like everything I do, but they understand I follow my instincts. I make music that often needs multiple listens to be appreciated.Every album must feel distinct, otherwise, what’s the point?I do love collaborations – like The Overview, with Randy McStine. He is a verycreative musician, and he took me places. But lately, I’ve been deeply immersed in remixing classic albums, which takes up most of my time. Now, my focus is on two strands – my solo career and remixing – while also spending time with my family. The Voyage 34 & In Absentia journeysVoyage 34 was a work that really began as a voyage, and through the years, we kept adding to it. As for In Absentia, I was producing music for Opeth while creating it, and for a while, was into metal. That resulted in the heavier beats that define the album. Around that time, I was also reading a lot about serial killers — something that fascinated me back then. That, combined with a sense of nostalgia, shaped the record. The artwork became an integral part of the story that unfolded.A musical birthday & collaborations with Indian musiciansPerforming in Mumbai on my birthday was a fantastic experience. I’m back (in India) after quite a long hiatus, and it was refreshing. I hadn’t collaborated with sitar maestro Purbayan Chatterjee before, but I’m happy I did — and I’m meeting more Indian artistes here. Currently, I don’t follow any Indian musician dedicatedly, but I would be happy to explore and I’m very excited to see if I can learn something new from them. About the guitar being a 20th century soundI feel the guitar was the sound of the second half of the last century. Big band music changed with rock ‘n roll coming along in the ‘50s and guitar became the instrument that dominated the scene. But electronic sound has become the dominant music of the 21st century. It’s a fact. Guitars are kind of exhausted in a way. There’s very little that you can do on a guitar not that has not been heard on a million records already. I have a great love for the sound of the guitar and of the rock music from the second half of the 20th century, but there is no doubt in my mind that rock music has essentially gone the same way jazz music went and become a very important cult music. The legacy of Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath and Nirvana is ensured, but that is, by definition, music of the past (with exceptions like Sleep Token, perhaps).Quotes A lot of my music is driven to make people look up and around, self-aware, experience something new, and be more curious, so that they can have a more interactive time with this planetIt’s funny that people find it fascinating that I perform barefoot. It’s natural for me, and I just want to feel at ease on stageIn Kolkata, I’ll be dipping into my catalogue for Indian audiences. You guys seem to love Trains and The Sound of MuzakI’m working on something completely different. For me, the question is always: what can I do that excites me? I just hope the fans will engage with it
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‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source timesofindia.indiatimes.com ’
