Steve Von Till’s reputation precedes him. In addition to being a long-serving member of post-metal visionaries Neurosis, he has been releasing solo material for the past two decades. In 2020 Von Till released No Wilderness Deep Enough (Neurot Recordings), which marked something of a departure from his usual guitar-based, folk-influenced solo singer-songwriter material. 

That album was structured around ambient soundscapes built from analog synthesizers, pianos, mellotrons, strings, and brass instruments. Von Till added vocals to the pieces but was seemingly still attached in some way to the album as it had originally been conceived, in instrumental form. So much so, in fact, that he has decided to release a completely instrumental version. A Deep Voiceless Wilderness features the same music as No Wilderness Deep Enough, but with the vocal parts stripped away. Von Till says that he “originally heard this piece of music” without vocals, and that “without the voice as an anchor or earthbound narrative, these pieces have a broader wingspan. They become something else entirely and unfold in a more expansive way.” I had not heard No Wilderness Deep Enough before listening to A Deep Voiceless Wilderness, and I made the decision to keep it that way, so that my judgments about this new release would be unclouded by comparisons to its vocally-endowed counterpart. 

The cover art for No Wilderness Deep Enough is very similar to that of A Deep Voiceless Wilderness, with the colours flipped and altered. The otherworldly landscape including a huge moon and moody clouds, set inside a border, brings to mind late 70s progressive music. And the music itself certainly owes a debt to that period and style. These atmospheric, ambient, often minimalistic orchestrations have a meditative and dreamlike quality. Comparisons can be made to Brian Eno, Mike Oldfield, Tangerine Dream, Jean-Michele Jarre, and contemporary classical composers such as Arvo Pärt. Although the expansive soundscapes might inspire contemplation and meditation, the arrangements are also captivating and immediate. There is light and shade, and there are dynamic peaks and troughs. Electronic percussion sounds occasionally pierce the swelling washes of strings and synths, and harsher noise elements rise up to the foreground from time to time. Repeating piano melodies drift to the foreground before falling away again, and deep bass notes rumble underneath the pulsating ebb and flow of the orchestration. Leitmotif is an important part of this record; the same minimal but powerful and memorable melodies keep coming in and out, sometimes resurfacing on different tracks. In fact, the album finishes with a reiteration of the same melody it begins with, meaning that the record can be played almost seamlessly in an endless loop. Some of the sections reach intense climaxes, which gives this record more similarity to Neurosis’ music that might be evident on the surface. It’s not “heavy” in a metal sense, but the swelling dynamic peaks are rich and forceful. It is difficult to put a finger on the mood of the album. The music often appears to be mournful, but it is also deeply soothing.

As Von Till suggests with his use of the phrase “this piece of music”, A Deep Voiceless Wilderness is really one complete work that needs to be listened to from beginning to end to be fully appreciated. Although the atmospheres wash over the listener like waves, this is much more than simply “background music” to relax to. It is minimalistic but also sophisticated and nuanced. It is ambient but it is also emotionally powerful. It is full of melody as well as being evocatively atmospheric. Not everyone who appreciates Von Till’s heavier output or his folky singer-songwriter will “get” A Deep Voiceless Wilderness. It won’t suit every occasion, and it will require a few listens to really sink in. Undoubtedly though, Steve Von Till succeeds masterfully here in producing an ambitiously creative work that stands up to comparisons with the luminaries of the ambient and contemporary classical music worlds. Those who devote their attention to A Deep Voiceless Wilderness and really dive into the record will find that getting lost in this “wilderness” can be a freeing and enriching experience.

A Deep Voiceless Wilderness will be released on 30th April 2021 in vinyl, CD, and digital download formats via Neurot Recordings. Buy it here https://smarturl.it/stv-advw

8 / 10

DUNCAN EVANS