DEVIN TOWNSEND Talks DTP And Transcendence Album – "Not Only Is This A Good Band, It's A Healthy Environment For Me To Exist In"

The Houston Press recently spoke with Devin Townsend Project frontman Devin Townsend about the band’s new album, Transcendence. Following is an excerpt from the story.

Townsend: “It became clear to me in this process that not only is this a good band, but [it’s] full of good people and a healthy environment for me to exist in.” 

And that environment was key. Townsend says he struggled to find inspiration until he was asked to help write a book last year, “By writing that book, I was able to see patterns in my past, things that maybe led to mistakes in my past or weren’t good for me. One of those things was very obviously control.”

“From that I learned a level of self-control and trusting the process.” Townsend continues, when asked what he ultimately learned from relinquishing control. “I think it stems from a fear of death, right? (laughs) I mean, it’s like you try to control everything in your world because the reality is, you control nothing.”

“We’re such dumb creatures, I think we try to adhere meaning to everything just so it doesn’t feel like life is this abstract thing beyond our reckoning.”

 And Townsend is about growth. When asked about his favorite track on the album, he admits it’s probably one not most people would have guessed. 

“’From the Heart’ (laughs). I don’t know if that’d be the coolest thing to choose. It means a fair amount to me because the original song was something I heard in a yoga class.”

Go to this location for the complete story.

Devin Townsend Project recently released the last of seven webisodes focusing on the recording of their new album, Transcendence , released on September 9th worldwide.

DTP: “In this final episode we see Devin recording with the awesome Tigers In A Tank Choir and he looks back on how this album came to be. “

Watch all seven webisodes below:

Part 1:

Part 2:

Part 3:

Part 4:

Part 5:

Part 6:

Part 7

Devin recently commented: “Transcendence, like every record I’ve done prior, is an extension of what’s been going on in my world, represented in a new batch of songs. I’m 44 years old now, and this is where I have been over the past two years since Z2.”

The album features an updated version of the song “Truth”, which originally appeared on Devin Townsend’s Infinity album from 1998.

Tracklisting:

“Truth”
“Stormbending”
“Failure”
“Secret Sciences”
“Higher”
“Stars”
“Transcendence”
“Offer Your Light”
“From The Heart”
“Transdermal Celebration”

“Failure”:

The follow-up to 2014’s Z2 double-album (half of which was made up of the DTP full-length Sky Blue), sees the award-winning Townsend exploring a relatively new way of working, collaborating with the entire DTP band during the writing stages of the record.  “The result of this process is a record that I truly think the intention of is special” he says of the album. “I ‘found’ gas to put into the tank and am glad I did. I think the intention, the theme, and the participation of everyone involved allows this album to act like a fulcrum between the past few years and what I intend to do next with the symphony. I am very proud of it and everyone involved.”

The artwork was once again created by Anthony Clarkson, who Devin has been working with for several years now. Townsend comments of the cover (above): “He presented me the main image of the girl as a painted version, and I was intrigued and asked him to redo it with a girl he knew with photos. I liked the idea that it seemed like a mash up of religious and spiritual imagery, in a sense, representing the idea (to me) that these types of connections to the infinite are often more like identities we can cling to rather than what lies behind. In a sense, the character on the front almost seems like the ideologies she’s representing are more ‘brand names’ than anything else.”