Thanks to the coronavirus pandemic, Steven Wilson’s army of fans will have to wait another seven months for forthcoming album The Future Bites. Steven writes

As with many of my albums, The Future Bites is not just about the music, it’s a high concept project which involves design, artwork, video and a tour production, all on a grander scale than anything I’ve attempted before. However, due to the pandemic, there are unprecedented challenges, ranging from manufacturing issues (particularly in relation to the elaborate deluxe edition) and the uncertainty facing record stores as the coronavirus forces them to close their doors, to being unable to shoot most of the video material I planned. It’s therefore with a very heavy heart that I reluctantly need to postpone the release of The Future Bites until such time everything can happen as intended. This will now be January next year, with new music and video starting to be issued again around October. In the meantime the pre-order page for the various editions of the album will remain online. Myself, management, agent and promoters are monitoring the situation regarding the live shows scheduled for this autumn. Should events change we will let everyone know as soon as we do.

I understand that this may be disappointing news, and to no one more that myself, believe me. I worked on the music and background of this project for the last two years and was thrilled to finally be able to launch it. The response to the Personal Shopper track released last month has been phenomenal, and I was looking forward to unveiling more over the next few months in the build up to the release of the album. But alas due to the current circumstances it was not to be.

I sincerely send everyone reading this a message of good health, and I hope that one day in the not too distant future we can once again focus on things like music, which even if it isn’t strictly essential seems to somehow makes life more worthwhile.

SW

It’s unfortunate but entirely understandable. Steven has always paid close attention to the production values of his work, from the quality of the recording through to artwork and packaging. He would not want to release something that didn’t live up to the high standards that he sets for himself, and most of us, I’m sure, would rather wait than see his unique vision compromised.

He stops short of confirming it here, but the live shows scheduled for September in the UK and Europe seem certain to be postponed also. (It would be decidedly odd to tour an album four months before its release…) An announcement will no doubt be made once new dates have been arranged.