One can’t survive on riffs alone, and Steve Von Till knows this only too well.
With mind wandering tendencies and the influences of science fiction and cinema, over the years under the Harvestman moniker, Von Till has used this vessel to steer away from the burgeoning dark folk of his solo work and the crushing sludge punk of Neurosis.
It’s made for interesting results, with a body of work of sinewy psychedelia that pays homage to the outsider, as synthscapes pull the listener to new places, also extending Von Till’s sound world beyond the droning guitars and the campfire hisses that he is more renown for.
Following 2017’s Music for Megaliths, Von Till resumes the Harvestman story with Triptych – an ambitious, three album cycle on three of this year’s full moons: the first part coinciding with the pink moon. It’s an extension of Von Till forward-thinking abilities, nurtured both through the aforementioned projects and as founder of the Neurot Recordings label.
With the help of OM / Sleep lynchpin Al Cisneros on bass, throughout Triptych: Part One it sees Von Till purely immersed in the freedom of creation, and when untethered as he is here, it can often produce the best results. From the off, it’s Harvestman like we’ve never heard before, with the dubbed-out, eastern-tinged psychedelia of Psilosynth; something that almost feels like a lost track from Grails’ Burning Off Impurities sessions.
With nature and seclusion also clear influences on the back of COVID and the subsequent lockdowns, it has enabled Von Till to take stock and shine a light into corners he’s never been before. It’s evident on Give Your Heart to the Hawk – meandering, rustic ambient folk that conjures up the imagery of his native Idaho where we are met with a sense of calm.
And while the Godspeed-like dystopian fear of Coma and the orbit riding Psilosynth (Harvest Dub) enter the gooey psychedelic dub portals that Von Till has explored throughout the years under this alias, he showcases his range during the tunnel-like electronica of Nocturnal Field Song. With a layered, Moog blur, Von Till guides the listener through to the closing stanza, Mare and Foal. A host of strangled synths and humid drones, Mare and Foul swells with an intensity that teeters on the brink.
It makes for an exciting next instalment, and such as the intricacies and layers through these songs, Triptych: Part One tends to hit differently depending on the mood. In many ways, it feels like these tracks wouldn’t have been possible had it not been for Von Till’s 2021 release, Deep Voiceless Wilderness – the ambient sister album to his wonderful 2020 solo release, No Wilderness Deep Enough. An album that tapped into similar energy on offer here, and with the first instalment of Triptych, it’s a wonderful start to a journey that feels like the destination is unknown.
Triptych: Part One is out now via Neurot Recordings. Purchase from Bandcamp.
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