Topographic Topics - September 2026

After taking August off, Topographic Topics returns with plenty to talk about.

We start with Steven Wilson and our first taste of Requiem for a Village. The new “Village Hall Session” immediately grabbed our attention, with Steven, Randy McStine, and Russell Holzman creating something that feels raw, energetic, and distinctly different from the meticulously polished world of The Overview. We dig into the differences between the live session and studio recording, Wilson’s stated interest in putting the human fingerprints back into music, and the wonderfully elaborate fictional world he’s already building around the album. TopoTops Sep 2026 Transcipt TopoTops Sep 2026 Transcipt

From there, we turn to John Mitchell’s Lonely Robot and the upcoming An Ending. Physical copies may currently be wandering around somewhere between the UK and the United States, but first single “The River” has us very much looking forward to hearing the rest of the record. TopoTops Sep 2026 Transcipt And conveniently, John Mitchell leads us straight into Asia and the latest preview of Indigo. The more we hear from this incarnation of the band, the more remarkable it seems that Geoff Downes and company have found a way to evoke the spirit of classic Asia without simply sounding like an exercise in nostalgia. TopoTops Sep 2026 Transcipt

Along the way, there are preorders, delayed shipments, a surprising Steve Howe vocal comparison, plenty of excitement about what’s coming next—and even an unexpected Dada Puzzle vinyl unboxing.

It’s Topographic Topics for September 2026: Your Monthly Guide to All Things Prog.