[photo by Niela Von Till]The first audible insight into STEVE VON TILL‘s striking new solo record, A Life Unto Itself, has proudly been revealed through The Quietus, who has today unveiled the title track.
A Life Unto Itself ventures into compelling uncharted territory for its maker. STEVE VON TILL‘s weathered, distinctive voice and sparse acoustic guitar provides a foundation, but a much wider variety of sonic textures are presented here. Bold and ambitious arrangements weave vintage synth, sublime strings, percussion, and electric guitars throughout these unique and expansive songs, as VON TILL‘s raspy whisper dives deeply inward, and speaks genuinely of visions, memories, and self-reflection in a way that feels both seasoned and exposed.
Listen to “A Life Unto Itself” via The Quietus at THIS LOCATION.
In creating the album’s myriad textures, STEVE VON TILL was assisted by viola master Eyvind Kang, pedal steel wizard J. Kardong and percussionist Pat Schowe, all under the supervision of engineer and producer Randall Dunn, with whom he recorded and mixed the album at Avast! Recording Co. in Seattle. VON TILL and his fellow travelers take the listener on a pilgrimage through hidden inner worlds, occasionally surfacing for brief sojourns through the American West (“In Your Wings”), Old World Europe (“A Language of Blood”) and more modern points unknown (“Night of the Moon”).
The songs are informed by a worldview that attempts to peer beyond the veil of the physical world and recognize the symbols and messages that often go unnoticed. “When you make a big life decision and then you hear a raven’s call out in the sky, it wasn’t chance–it was an affirmation, it was meant for you, even if that might seem ridiculous in a conventional sense,” VON TILL offers by way of example. “When you hear a melody and it takes you back a thousand years to a memory you’re not even sure you were a part of. When folklore and history become ways of how you see the world, it allows things to become more mystical and take on deeper meaning. When you’re walking through ordinary, mundane situations, you have this frame of reference that takes on great personal significance beyond surviving the day-to-day: It’s surviving the day-to-day with meaning.”
The album’s track listing and cover artwork by Aaron Turner have also been released. A Life Unto Itself is a musical awakening, if you allow yourself to fully submit to it, abandoning all preconceptions, the rewards can be magnificent.
A Life Unto Itself Track Listing:
1. In Your Wings
2. A Life Unto Itself
3. A Language Of Blood
4. Night Of The Moon
5. Birch Bark Box
6. Chasing Ghosts
7. Known But Not Named
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