Porcupine Tree
„Voyage 34“
CD, Digipack, Reissue, Remaster 2022.
Compilation. Phase I – Phase II (1992). Phase III – Phase IV (1993).
Downbeat, Ambient, Psychedelic.

In 1992/93, Porcupine Tree was still a solo project by Steven Wilson, and Steven was still in the process of finding his sound. Voyage 34 doesn't sound like what we usually associate with Porcupine Tree, yet it's part of PT/SW's evolution. Regarding the album: Hardly any other drug has influenced 20th-century music as much as LSD. It's simply about "Brian's" 34th LSD trip. Steven Wilson attempts to fuse instrumental progressive rock with ambient and psychedelic elements. Interspersed throughout are spoken contributions from various people integrated into the music. The 2022 remaster includes the two songs from the first EP from 1992 and the two songs from the second EP from 1993.

Steven Wilson about Voyage 34:

“At its core, Voyage 34 was a genre experiment. … In the early nineties, ambient music experienced a real boom – a fusion of electronic music and techno with the philosophy of artists like Brian Eno and Tangerine Dream. I saw this as an interesting opportunity to create something that incorporated progressive rock and psychedelic elements into this mix. Voyage 34 … was a one-off experiment in a specific genre, one that I knew I wouldn't be involved with for long.”

The remaster includes both EPs and, as always with Steven Wilson, boasts high sound quality. Opinions, as always, vary widely. From accusations of drug glorification (which isn't true) to a boring Pink Floyd guitar riff (Phase I, it thas a point, but boring?) to criticisms that the negative aspects of the trip aren't explored consistently enough. And there's some truth to that. Phases III and IV meander along with a heavy repetition. However, it should be noted that "Phase IV – A New Civilisation" features future band member Richard Barbieri on synthesizer for the first time, and it's the original, unaltered version. The remix of "Phase III – Astralasia Dreamstate" has an additional producer, Swordfish. So, we're torn between the interesting Phases I and II and the more monotonous Phases III and IV. The CD has a playing time of 70 minutes. 

Conclusion: A partially successful fusion of progressive rock and psychedelic music. It sounds like downbeat and ambient. The psychedelic element arises from the theme of LSD trip number 34 and the spoken parts. I see the progressive rock more in the guitar parts and some of the transitions. For people who like ambient music (like me) and don't want any intellectual contortions. That's what ambient music is all about.

What do I really think:

Unfortunately, the promising start of Phases I & II isn't continued in Phases III & IV. I also would have liked to see the negative aspects of the trip portrayed more effectively and with greater darkness. Instead, we descend into monotony. Here, SW hasn't fully exploited the musical potential. Nevertheless, I enjoy listening to it as an ambient album. For me, it's about the breadth of Porcupine Tree and Steven Wilson's musical development. It was an experiment by SW, and that's how I view it.

Performed and Produced by Steven Wilson
Synthesizer by Richard Barbieri (Phase IV)
Remix, Additional Production by – Swordfish (Phase III)

On The Sunday Of Life 1992
Voyage 34 1992/93 (2022)
Signify 1996
Coma Divine (Live) 1997
Stupid Dream 1999
Lightbulb Sun 2000
Recordings 2001
In Absentia 2002
Deadwing 2005
Fear Of A Blank Planet 2007
Nil Recurring 2007
Anesthetize – Live In Tilburg 2008
We Lost The Skyline Live 2008
The Incident 2009
Octane Twisted Live 2012
Closure/Continuation 2022
Closure/Continuation Live 2023

The photos are all from my CD. The rights to all motifs, logos, texts and fonts that can be seen in the photos are of course owned by the copyright holder.

No AI was used in the making of this Review.
©27.03.2026