The latest of Devin Townsend’s creative endeavors during this pandemic-induced time away from touring includes a forthcoming live album series and other materials collectively part of a “Devolution Series.” Townsend’s release of the official video of his acoustic performance of “Hyperdrive” is a beautiful sneak peek of what is to come in the new project, which is a live version of the singer/songwriter’s 2019 acoustic set Live in Leeds and is to be released on March 19, 2021.

The new video features Townsend’s thrumming acoustic version of “Hyperdrive.” Opening to see the artist on a dark stage with a small space lit by blue LEDs, Townsend’s simple strumming pattern begins. A simplistic stage is adorned only by a single chair, guitar and amp setup, and a few small stuffed animals in front of a couple of speakers.

A bare-bones setting allows the rich magnitude of Townsend’s voice to carry throughout the venue unhindered by visual distractions. Rich, deep guitar penetrates through the venue as the artist’s voice fills the whole space and chills to the soul with his hauntingly lovely and often sudden vocalizations. The concise lyrics of “Hyperdrive” leave much meaning to be interpreted by the listener, with back and forth phrases such as “Hooray for love, Hey, I’m lonely, Trying to find a new way.”

Other upcoming releases by Townsend include a graphic novel, two films in conjunction with scores Puzzle and Snuggles, as well as another 2022 album. The artist has also been releasing podcasts in which he details the making of his albums among other topics, including his work on Addicted, Synchestra, Devlab, and The Hummer.

Photo credit: Raymond Flotat