New History Warfare Vol. 3: To See More Light is the fourth studio album by Canada-based saxophonist Colin Stetson, released by Constellation Records in 2013. It is the final part of a trilogy of albums that also encompasses New History Warfare Vol. 1 (2007) and New History Warfare Vol. 2: Judges (2011).
Stetson, whose contributions to the album were recorded live without overdubs or loops, is the sole musical performer on the album, with Bon Iver's Justin Vernon later providing vocals on four tracks. Production on the album was undertaken by Stetson in collaboration with Ben Frost. New History Warfare Vol. 3: To See More Light was met with critical acclaim upon its release in April 2013 and was shortlisted for the 2013 Polaris Music Prize three months later.
Background and recording
Stetson's original concept for the New History Warfare trilogy was largely skeletal, and developed as the albums were recorded. New History Warfare Vol. 1 was released in 2008 and had a narrative concept of a story of people who had been living at sea for generations. New History Warfare Vol. 2: Judges, released in 2011, told the story of one of these people finally arriving on land. New History Warfare Vol. 3: To See More Light expanded on this, with Stetson stating that "it’s a war story. It’s finding your way to this shining beacon on the mountaintop," and that it "deals with death and love."
Stetson's playing technique includes multiphonics and overblowing, and he uses circular breathing to produce continuous tones without interruption, allowing him to perform an extended stream of notes. The physical and technical demands of this style of playing require Stetson to adhere to a fitness routine that includes running, yoga, breathing exercises and meditation. During the course of his career, his playing proficiency had been developing and each album in the New History Warfare trilogy marked a musical progression from the last. By the time he recorded New History Warfare Vol. 3: To See More Light, Stetson's playing capability had improved to such a level that he claimed "there’s almost nothing in there that I could have played when I recorded Vol. 2."
Stetson's parts on Vol. 3 were performed and recorded live without overdubs or loops in various studios in Montreal, where he had wanted to use the large rooms to provide more reverb. Using an arrangement of microphones placed in strategic places including on the side of the saxophone, on his own throat, hanging from the ceiling and at different points around the studio, Stetson captured not only the sounds of the instrument but also the percussive sound of the keys and the sounds of his own breathing and vocalizing through the horn. Producer Ben Frost, whom Stetson had previously worked with on New History Warfare Vol. 2: Judges, mixed between fifteen and twenty recordings of the same performance into a cohesive piece of music at Greenhouse Studios in Iceland. The vocals of Justin Vernon were recorded at April Base studios in Fall Creek, Wisconsin, and were overdubbed later in the recording process.
Musical content
New History Warfare Vol. 3: To See More Light contains eleven tracks with a total running time of fifty-two minutes. Ten tracks were written by Stetson, with three of these featuring additional writing from Justin Vernon. The track "What are They Doing in Heaven Today?" is a cover version of a gospel song written by Charles Albert Tindley in 1901 and recorded by Washington Phillips in 1928.
Stetson has stated that the songs are "based in traditional American song," and the music was described by AllMusic reviewer Fred Thomas as containing "elements of jazz, modern composition, and... aspects of repetition and textural drone found in certain branches of electronic music and noise." Fact called the album "a rich, multi-layered sonic world" and noted that the presence of Vernon's vocals meant that "Stetson’s approach feels considerably poppier this time around." Pitchfork Media opined that Stetson has "plowed a unique path through the music landscape in the last five years," stating that "his music is heady but always rooted in the body." Jeremy D. Larson concurred with this idea, claiming that Stetson's music is "alien but human, technically astounding but filled with passion – the saxophone acts as a medium of expression tied to his whole body", but admitted that "to most ears, Stetson’s music is hard to classify." Reviewer Daniel Paton also found classification of the music difficult, saying that it "doesn’t really meet even the most open-minded definitions of jazz, neither is it really an example of free improvised music."