Townsend took to Twitter yesterday (August 3) to write of Lightwork taking shape through a process described as "abstract and stream of conscious." As he clarified, the material is "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," Townsend explained. "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."
He writes that the material "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.
"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," Townsend noted, adding a visual representation before concluding, "I suspect behind the weirdness of this writing will be something really good actually..."
Townsend last released his Empath album in 2019, and treated it to an expanded "Ultimate Edition" earlier this year.
...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
