Steve Von Till – Weaving Ourselves Into The World
- Harvestman – Sounds from Triptych
- Steve Von Till – Calling Down the Darkness
- Steve Von Till & Thomas Hooper: Resonant Horizons
Steve Von Till has made an incredible impact in the world of heavy music over the last thirty-five years. His extraordinary influence and continuing explorations in sound are the two guiding lights that led to our invitation to him as an artist in residence for Roadburn 2025.
Steve will participate in the upcoming edition of Roadburn across multiple days, showcasing his wide-reaching talents and highlighting just what a rare treasure he truly is. Our artists in residence for 2025 will also be commissioned, meaning that at least one set within their series of performances will have never been performed previously – an entirely new presentation of their work and an opportunity to push their artistic boundaries.
Our history with Steve reaches back over 15 years; his creative touch has been present through many editions of the festival both as a solo artist, an enthusiastic collaborator and as part of Neurosis. He has held the role of guest curator at the festival and impacted on the trajectories of many artists and appreciators of his work – both within the confines of Roadburn and out there in the wider world. His measured and holistic approach to creativity marks him out as a one-off; his contributions to the world of heavy music highlight him as a precious source of compassion and emotion. For his Weaving Ourselves Into The World residency at Roadburn, Steve will participate in three different elements.
Firstly, Steve will present his work as Harvestman; his recent three part Triptych is a cinematic and psychedelic voyage through ancient lands. Straddling the divide between earthy tones and synthesised sound, Steve will utilise electronics, synthesisers and fuzz guitars. Visionary artist Thomas Hooper will create animated forms and moving landscapes as a visual accompaniment to Steve’s Sounds from Triptych performance.
His second set will take place on the main stage – a real centrepiece to his residency – a commissioned set of his previously unperformed solo material arranged for accompaniment by additional musicians. In early 2025, Steve will release a new album that will form the backbone of this performance. More will be revealed about the album and this set in the coming months, but suffice to say that it will be both a fitting tribute to Steve’s legacy and an indicator of the direction that his forward motion is still yet to take him in. Steve will be holding down vocal, piano and guitar duties joined by Dave French on synthesisers and percussion and Brent Arnold on cello.
Throughout the festival, a unique exhibition featuring original paintings by renowned visual artist and tattooist Thomas Hooper will run at the NS16 – featuring an immersive, multi-directional musical score composed by Steve. Their goal is to create a landscape of light and texture, creating a space for sound to cross the boundaries between sonic and visual dimensions. The pair have long imagined bringing this idea to life and will finally get the chance to do so at Roadburn, as they explore their relationship of mutual inspiration and continuous artistic communication.
Steve comments: “To say that I am honored to be an Artist in Residence at Roadburn Festival is an understatement. Roadburn is a pillar of our international community. Their dedication to independent heavy music, art and community represents some of the best work that human beings can be involved in. For me, the collective catharsis that sharing emotional music, art, and poetry brings is the only way to make sense of this world. The connection it brings to each other and to the more than human cosmos allows us to weave ourselves back into a world of meaning.”
We are delighted to have the opportunity to extend this invitation to Steve, to commune with him and celebrate his far reaching creativity and influence. Artists like this don’t come along all too often; let’s cherish and honour this one, and most of all, enjoy revelling in his wonderful creations at Roadburn 2025.
– Becky Laverty