Now Spinning Music Magazine - Artist Interviews and Music Reviews · Phil Aston

Steven Wilson Interview - “There’s progressive, and there’s PROG".

·58 min·3 clips

Steven Wilson says there is a distinction between “progressive” music and “prog,” and compares prog to punk.

1. Now Spinning Music Magazine focuses on Steven Wilson, The Overview, Headphone Dust, and immersive audio formats. 2. Phil Aston hosts the interview, and Steven Wilson is the guest because his work spans composing, producing, remixing, and high-resolution audio. 3. The episode asks what happens when a musician who cares about stereo, Atmos, and physical editions tries to rethink distribution and performance. 4. Wilson says he composes while aware of a future spatial audio mix, but he still expects most listeners to hear the record in stereo. 5. He describes sitting in a studio surrounded by speakers that let him hear music in full 7.1.4 Dolby Atmos. 6. He says he wants listeners to hear what he hears in the room, but most people stream compressed audio on headphones or Apple Music. 7. The Royal Albert Hall show on 28 and 29 October expands The Overview with an orchestra and choir. 8. Wilson says the orchestral version will last about an hour and run about 50 percent longer than the album form. 9. He calls the Royal Albert Hall his favorite venue and says the show will close the album cycle. 10. He also says the event is a one-off because bringing in 70 or 80 musicians makes it expensive and hard to repeat. 11. Wilson says he feels pressure because there is no chance to get the performance right a third or fourth time. 12. He discusses filming and recording the show, but says Royal Albert Hall has restrictions and he is only 50-50 on documenting it. 13. He argues that some shows should be “you had to be there” experiences rather than home-viewing products. 14. Wilson says remixing classic albums teaches him how records were made and how producers and artists solved technical problems. 15. He says many original producers do not remember details from albums made 40, 50, or 60 years ago. 16. He describes his new record as an “anti-ai record,” built around flaws, quirks, mistakes, and the limits of older technologies. 17. Wilson says modern listeners have been trained by Melodyne and Auto-Tune, but he avoids tuning his own voice so it keeps a personality. 18. He speaks in a reflective interview style, moving between technical detail, career history, and strong opinions about sound quality. 19. Listeners who like Steven Wilson, progressive music, and audio production will get a lot from it. 20. Listeners who want light chat or short answers may skip it.

As heard by us

A candid conversation about reinvention, immersive sound, and Wilson's refusal to repeat himself.

Stephen Wilson comes across as someone who still wants records to feel alive, a little risky, and not too polished. Phil Aston sets him up as a notable voice in immersive formats and intentional listening, then brings in Headphone Dust, the high-resolution platform, alongside a…

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Why you'd press play

For Stephen Wilson on creative reinvention, immersive audio, and refusing to repeat himself.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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