Devin Townsend plans ‘Garden Music’ project

Devin Townsend is planning to work on an album of ambient music during his upcoming “break,” he’s revealed.

His highly-anticipated Z2 release comes on October 27 and he’s just confirmed a European tour including three UK dates, along with his sold-out “landmark” show at London’s Royal Albert Hall next year. He recently confirmed he was planning to find time away from his hectic schedule.

But Townsend says in a Reddit Ask Me Anything session: “The ‘break’ is less about not composing – that’s what I do, to be fair – but more about not allowing myself to get cornered by my own designs. The break will be more about doing it when I want to as opposed to having five deadlines to reach.”

Asked if there would ever be a follow-up to his 2006 ambient album The Hummer, he replies: “Yeah, I’m working on something along those lines. Different though. Tentatively named Garden Music.”

Townsend says the Albert Hall show on April 13 will exceed his 2012 Retinal Circus extravaganza at the city’s Roundhouse. He tells the Independent: “I went down there today – what a venue! I was thinking, ‘I can’t believe I get to do this!’ But I can’t spend too much time feeling overwhelmed or unworthy.

“My motivation isn’t that I want people to see me as the guy that can do it. My role is to be the figurehead for it; but it’s not just me, it’s a ton of people. We want people to come out of a bad week and see a bunch of puppet aliens and have a good time…that’s it.”

He describes the show as “a step towards something bigger,” saying: “The opportunities like the Roundhouse, Sonisphere, Royal Albert, are being presented because each step prior makes the people who are responsible for booking these things say ‘Maybe he can do that!’ And someone has to – these venues exist, these shows exist.”