Steven Wilson solo career thread - v. The Harmony Codex in 2023!

[TheHoveringSojourn808]

it's SW week fam!

Very stoked for this album!  (would like an electronic dance music emoji) 

[Metro]

Still haven’t heard a single note yet. Very much looking forward to it.

[TheHoveringSojourn808]

i used to approach new music that way (avoid the singles)

i should try that again. i've heard the SW singles a few times each already

[PixelDream]

Looking forward to this one. I've overlistened the singles already but that doesn't matter. I was planning to hold off listening to the pre-release singles but I stood no chance. Like, at all. If SW releases something, I have to hear it.

[nobloodyname]

Still haven’t heard a single note yet. Very much looking forward to it.

I haven't, either. For something he's said is meant to be a cinematic experience, he's released a lot of music from it. Anyway, really looking forward to hearing the whole thing in such a cool setting! And then on Friday I'll hopefully be able to listen to it on my own Atmos set-up.

[TheHoveringSojourn808]

given his emphasis on how "whole" and "sonic experience" he has intended this album to be it's really weird he released half the songs already

maybe he just bowed to label pressure or something but definitely weird to extoll how important the album is as a cohesive whole and then chop it up for promotional reasons!

that being said i'm so excited

[Kocak]

Avenged Sevenfold did a "sudden release" for The Stage and it was a disaster for them financially, apparently. So, I think it would have been bad for SW too, especially after his last effort wasn't received as warmly as the ones that preceded it.

I kind of understand the idea behind releasing singles to create album hype.

[SwedishGoose]

Noone forces you to listen to the singles.

I have heard the first two one time each so when the album drops it will be quite fresh to my ears.

[Ben_Jamin]

Avenged Sevenfold did a "sudden release" for The Stage and it was a disaster for them financially, apparently. So, I think it would have been bad for SW too, especially after his last effort wasn't received as warmly as the ones that preceded it.

I kind of understand the idea behind releasing singles to create album hype.

Does that say more about the music business, or the consumer?

Meaning, does the audience of the artists music need to hear a sample first before purchasing the album?

There's people here who won't even bother listening to singles and would rather go in blind and wait until it's released to hear one single note.

Honestly, that says a lot about how people consume music nowadays. And it plays into why Steven has his opinions about the current state of music consumption and how people just are not interested in that "album experience_.

[TheHoveringSojourn808]

that's really interesting, is there more details/study on the a7x album? like did it fail because of the manner in which it was released, or was it not well accepted by fans?

[Ben_Jamin]

that's really interesting, is there more details/study on the a7x album? like did it fail because of the manner in which it was released, or was it not well accepted by fans?

That's the question.....

[cramx3]

Avenged Sevenfold did a "sudden release" for The Stage and it was a disaster for them financially, apparently. So, I think it would have been bad for SW too, especially after his last effort wasn't received as warmly as the ones that preceded it.

I kind of understand the idea behind releasing singles to create album hype.

Does that say more about the music business, or the consumer?

Meaning, does the audience of the artists music need to hear a sample first before purchasing the album?

There's people here who won't even bother listening to singles and would rather go in blind and wait until it's released to hear one single note.

Honestly, that says a lot about how people consume music nowadays. And it plays into why Steven has his opinions about the current state of music consumption and how people just are not interested in that "album experience_.

It's both consumer/business.  The business model meets what the average consumer is looking for.  This forum is not a good example as people here are likely wayyy more into music than the average fan.  The A7X thing didn't work because average consumer didn't know about it.  I knew about it, because they released the single the day before the album and I saw it and loved the single then followed along for the surprise announcement.  If you aren't actively following the band on social media, you probably had no idea. 

But when the business does what the business does, the average fan is more likely to be aware of the new album and also more likely to know some of the new music already from the months of promotion leading up to release. 

that's really interesting, is there more details/study on the a7x album? like did it fail because of the manner in which it was released, or was it not well accepted by fans?

That's the question.....

I'm no expert but it seems it failed due to the way it was released.  The album was accepted by the fans and enjoyed. I'm sure someone could pull up the thread from here upon release.  I know it wasn't universally liked, it was a clear shift to a proggier sound, but it seemed to be well received. 

[PMSummer]

I've been thinking about how the music scene has evolved with streaming. Seems like musicians are dropping more singles these days, right? I reckon it's 'cause repeat plays matter more than just selling a CD. Streaming platforms want folks coming back for more, so dropping frequent singles keeps us engaged and them streaming those tunes! 🎶 What do y'all think about this theory?

[cramx3]

I've been thinking about how the music scene has evolved with streaming. Seems like musicians are dropping more singles these days, right? I reckon it's 'cause repeat plays matter more than just selling a CD. Streaming platforms want folks coming back for more, so dropping frequent singles keeps us engaged and them streaming those tunes! 🎶 What do y'all think about this theory?

I'm pretty sure it's not a theory, but a fact at this point.  It's been talked about in the media for awhile now that traditional albums are going away in favor of more singles.  Not a big fan of it myself, but it does seem the way we consume music (streaming) is a big reason for this trend.

[TheHoveringSojourn808]

i'll never understand that. i personally love listening to full albums on spotify!

[ErHaO]

Nooo, stock delay in Steven Wilson store. And since it is import and the UK is not EU anymore, I assume my album will arrive late next week. While I have listened to the singles, I will probably save listening to the entire album for when my package arrives.

[faizoff]

Was it announced somewhere? I still haven't received a shipping notice from Burning Shed so I imagine there is a stock delay.

[SwedishGoose]

Was it announced somewhere? I still haven't received a shipping notice from Burning Shed so I imagine there is a stock delay.

Me neither....

[ErHaO]

The Steven Wilson store team mailed me they are still waiting for the stock to arrive (they expect it in the coming days). Normally they send it a couple of days in advance, but that is not possible due to stock arriving (slightly) late.

Maybe Burning Shed got the stock in time, who knows. And maybe it depends on which version. I got the deluxe and the colored vinyl. Vinyl releases tend to have a lot of delays lately due to the large demand on factories.

[goo-goo]

The Steven Wilson store team mailed me they are still waiting for the stock to arrive (they expect it in the coming days). Normally they send it a couple of days in advance, but that is not possible due to stock arriving (slightly) late.

Yep, got this email in the morning as well.

[SwedishGoose]

Just got confirmation that mine has been shipped

[faizoff]

Well I got an email as well from burning shed that the order is delayed.. great

[The Letter M]

Just got this email from Burning Shed:

Hi
 
Thank you for pre-ordering Steven Wilson’s The Harmony Codex deluxe edition from Burning Shed.
 
Due to stock delivery delays, your order has not yet been dispatched.
 
Events beyond our control mean that the final part of our stock delivery is not expected to arrive until later next week.

We are very sorry for the delay and any inconvenience caused.
 
You will be sent a shipping notification email on the day your order has been dispatched.

Kind Regards


Pete
support@burningshed.com

The least they could do is offer those of us who pre-ordered the deluxe edition an MP3 version of the main album. I mean, not that I couldn't stream it or find it elsewhere online, but I'd like to get a reliable, good quality mp3 download from the store I ordered from.

Big bummer, but at least they finally sent an email out of SOME sort.

-Marc.

[TheHoveringSojourn808]

Steven Wilson is like Gandalf. his album arrives precisely when it means to

[The Letter M]

Steven Wilson is like Gandalf. his album arrives precisely when it means to

Except he's not the one causing the delays. He even posted this morning that it's coming out on Friday and was giving fans another peak at the album from his home computer and that tomorrow would be the last day to pre-order it.

It's coming out on Friday, at the very least, digitally. Shipping companies have just screwed folks over once again.

-Marc.

[nobloodyname]

At the London preview now. Album just finished. VERY cinematic. Cannot imagine any track working alone. Also a very grown up album. Second half felt stronger? Some of it SO emotional. Most of the drums sound programmed and... kinda tribal?

Waiting for his acoustic set now.

[faizoff]

At the London preview now. Album just finished. VERY cinematic. Cannot imagine any track working alone. Also a very grown up album. Second half felt stronger? Some of it SO emotional. Most of the drums sound programmed and... kinda tribal?

Waiting for his acoustic set now.

Awesome!

[ErHaO]

At the London preview now. Album just finished. VERY cinematic. Cannot imagine any track working alone. Also a very grown up album. Second half felt stronger? Some of it SO emotional. Most of the drums sound programmed and... kinda tribal?

Waiting for his acoustic set now.

Sounds great!

All singles thus far were first half and in my opinion worked well on their own, but I can't wait to hear it as a whole. Also can't wait for the alternative version.

[Kocak]

Avenged Sevenfold did a "sudden release" for The Stage and it was a disaster for them financially, apparently. So, I think it would have been bad for SW too, especially after his last effort wasn't received as warmly as the ones that preceded it.

I kind of understand the idea behind releasing singles to create album hype.

Does that say more about the music business, or the consumer?

Meaning, does the audience of the artists music need to hear a sample first before purchasing the album?

There's people here who won't even bother listening to singles and would rather go in blind and wait until it's released to hear one single note.

Honestly, that says a lot about how people consume music nowadays. And it plays into why Steven has his opinions about the current state of music consumption and how people just are not interested in that "album experience_.

I think rock and metal music missed out on the commercial opportunities that singles and extended plays would have presented purely because the musicians are too fixated on "the album experience". Times change and the declining popularity of rock and metal is the evidence of this.

Personally, I don't want an album full of mediocre songs with some great moments and would much rather prefer a great EP or one great single.

[nobloodyname]

At the London preview now. Album just finished. VERY cinematic. Cannot imagine any track working alone. Also a very grown up album. Second half felt stronger? Some of it SO emotional. Most of the drums sound programmed and... kinda tribal?

Waiting for his acoustic set now.

Sounds great!

All singles thus far were first half and in my opinion worked well on their own, but I can't wait to hear it as a whole. Also can't wait for the alternative version.

Ah, that's interesting re the singles. I hadn't heard any before last night's show. There's a beautiful electronic sounding piece towards the end of the album with a spoken intro and outro that he also played in the solo set after the playthrough. It's almost hypnotic. For me, the album felt a little like an extension of the The Future Bites (sorry to those who aren't fans!) with aspects of Insurgentes. But one thing is for sure, it really is cinematic. Oh, and there's a track towards the end where Steven almost... raps?! And it was one of my favourites

The solo set wasn't acoustic, it was electronic (my mistake). Steven only played the keyboards, he had someone on stage with him who played what was almost exclusively ambient guitar. I loved the fact Steven didn't say a single word. The guitarist walked off at the end, leaving Steven playing a few more notes then Steven himself just walked off in the dark. It was almost a mic drop moment! Actually rather cool

[goo-goo]

It was Niko Tsonev. He has played with SW's solo band before. Would of loved to be there for this show.

[gazinwales]

The least they could do is offer those of us who pre-ordered the deluxe edition an MP3 version of the main album. I mean, not that I couldn't stream it or find it elsewhere online, but I'd like to get a reliable, good quality mp3 download from the store I ordered from.

Big bummer, but at least they finally sent an email out of SOME sort.

-Marc.

I am actually surprised that you'd think that a small independent online seller could offer such a service at very short notice.
To get permission from the artist/label, then the admin involved in sending out codes, paying for server space for the small amount of affected people is not realistic.

[The Letter M]

The least they could do is offer those of us who pre-ordered the deluxe edition an MP3 version of the main album. I mean, not that I couldn't stream it or find it elsewhere online, but I'd like to get a reliable, good quality mp3 download from the store I ordered from.

Big bummer, but at least they finally sent an email out of SOME sort.

-Marc.

I am actually surprised that you'd think that a small independent online seller could offer such a service at very short notice.
To get permission from the artist/label, then the admin involved in sending out codes, paying for server space for the small amount of affected people is not realistic.

Wishful thinking, I know, but I can dream, right? Given how SW has been hyping this album up, you'd think he'd want his fans to listen to it ASAP and not have to resort to streaming services or worse just to hear the new album. Ah well.... I guess I'll be hoping onto YouTube tomorrow or wherever (since I don't use iTunes or Spotify or anything like that).

-Marc.

[gazinwales]

But the actual distribution and getting his product to the end users, is nothing to do with SW, that's down to the label and agencies world wide that handle the distribution for different territories.
Myself as a defence logistic specialist can attest to the challenges of moving something as simple as a washer/O-ring from A to B is not always smooth.

[gazinwales]

My deluxe edition arrives yesterday at my PO box and I collected it today, first time I've ever pre-ordered and got it on release day.
The box is weighty and contains lots of images and text, going to spin the Atmos mix first