| Release Date | 06/12/2024 |
| Format | 7" + Cards/ CD Single + Cards |
| Label | TRANSMISSION |
| Catalogue Number | TRANSM422S/ TRANSM421CD |
STEVEN WILSON'S AI-POWERED CHRISTMAS SINGLE 'DECEMBER SKIES' RECEIVES LIMITED PHYSICAL RELEASE - SPECIAL COLLECTOR'S EDITION CD DIGIFILE INCLUDES 3 EXCLUSIVE CHRISTMAS CARDS / SPECIAL COLLECTOR'S EDITION GATEFOLD 7" VINYL PACKAGE INCLUDES 3 EXCLUSIVE CHRISTMAS CARDS.
Steven Wilson breaks new ground with 'December Skies', an evocative, seasonal release with a twist. Embracing AI technology, Wilson has taken a bold leap into the unknown, collaborating with ChatGPT to create the lyrics for this heartfelt track, resulting in something uniquely him yet intriguingly new.
The track, originally written at very short notice as an experiment after a friend challenged Wilson to create a Christmas song, captures the loneliness & reflective beauty of the winter season, partly thanks to AI-assisted lyrics crafted in Steven Wilson's style.
"The knee-jerk reaction to AI is to consider it a threat to a musician like me, but it's clearly not going away, so this is my experiment to try embracing it & using it as a tool in the creative process. And of course, also to have some fun doing something I would never normally have thought about doing, the archetypal seasonal song. 'December Skies' is the result, swiftly recorded over a weekend & written in collaboration with an Artificial Intelligence version of myself. I wonder what people will make of it. I wonder what I make of it." - Steven Wilson
Originally given a low-key release exclusively on Steven Wilson's Youtube channel last year, accompanied by a beautiful & appropriately AI-assisted video by Miles Skarin, 'December Skies' quickly & quietly racked up in excess of 200,000 views over a few days during last Christmas.
Now one year on, it will be given a physical release in limited edition CD & 7-inch vinyl single formats, both featuring vocal & instrumental versions of the song & 3 exclusive Steven Wilson Christmas cards illustrated by Hajo Mueller (who also created the front cover).
In keeping with Steven's trailblazing commitment to immersive audio, 'December Skies' will also be released in Dolby Atmos and spatial audio on Apple, Tidal & Amazon.
Steven Wilson recently announced The Overview Tour for 2025 which will see him joined by Nick Beggs, Adam Holzman, Craig Blundell & Randy McStine for a huge run of European shows.
Wilson has released a string of acclaimed solo albums, the last 3 all reaching the UK top 5 album chart, with 2021's 'The Future Bites' additionally being nominated for 2 Grammys. He has also amassed an extensive list of production & remixing credits for the likes of Tears For Fears, The Who, Van Morrison, New Order, Black Sabbath & King Crimson among many others.
This special collector's Limited Edition of 'December Skies' is presented as a CD digifile package & includes 3 exclusive Steven Wilson Christmas cards & an instrumental version of 'December Skies'.
Tracklist: