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

[Kram]

I have to admit that when he was talking about how young fans are more about songs now and don't really have artists they are active fans of, I did think, "Well, there is this young woman named Taylor Swift..."

By and large, though, I think he is right, but there are always exceptions. 

Funny too as he made a point I did to a friend a while back, albeit in a slightly different way.  Mine was that 5.1 doesn't always work well because sometimes it's the way the instruments and vocals all sound together that create the magic, rather than there being too much separation between them and isolating one of them too much, similar to how you wouldn't like individual ingredients from certain meals on their own, but when mixed all together, it can make for a delicious meal.

Or Billie Eilish.  But they're definitely the exception.  This 52 year old agrees with most of what the 55 year old SW is saying LOL

[Buddyhunter1]

I have to admit that when he was talking about how young fans are more about songs now and don't really have artists they are active fans of, I did think, "Well, there is this young woman named Taylor Swift..."

Or Billie Eilish.  But they're definitely the exception.

It's hard to agree that young people don't form fanbases for music any more when I see BTS trending every single fucking day on Twitter.

[KevShmev]

I am with you guys about the surround sound thing.  I finally got the super duper one I always wanted last year, but I rarely have the urge to put on one of my 5.1s and sit down with it.

[Nick]

I am with you guys about the surround sound thing.  I finally got the super duper one I always wanted last year, but I rarely have the urge to put on one of my 5.1s and sit down with it.

I hear this on one side, but here is the other. One of the reasons I love Steven Wilson is because when I want to have an amazing audio experience, it's his work that I almost always reach for and put on in my system. If an artist has great 5.1 stuff I'm far more likely to listen to that artist's work.

[jammindude]

I am with you guys about the surround sound thing.  I finally got the super duper one I always wanted last year, but I rarely have the urge to put on one of my 5.1s and sit down with it.

I hear this on one side, but here is the other. One of the reasons I love Steven Wilson is because when I want to have an amazing audio experience, it's his work that I almost always reach for and put on in my system. If an artist has great 5.1 stuff I'm far more likely to listen to that artist's work.

Agreed. I rarely get the opportunity to experience my 5.1 stuff, but when I do, I reach for the stuff that is mixed extremely well. And almost anything SW has touched qualifies.

I have some pieces that are very poor surround mixes, and I doubt I will ever reach for those again. Systematic Chaos is a good example

[cramx3]

I am with you guys about the surround sound thing.  I finally got the super duper one I always wanted last year, but I rarely have the urge to put on one of my 5.1s and sit down with it.

I hear this on one side, but here is the other. One of the reasons I love Steven Wilson is because when I want to have an amazing audio experience, it's his work that I almost always reach for and put on in my system. If an artist has great 5.1 stuff I'm far more likely to listen to that artist's work.

Agreed. I rarely get the opportunity to experience my 5.1 stuff, but when I do, I reach for the stuff that is mixed extremely well. And almost anything SW has touched qualifies.

I have some pieces that are very poor surround mixes, and I doubt I will ever reach for those again. Systematic Chaos is a good example

I have a 5.1 system in my basement, but I think Systematic Chaos is the only 5.1 album I have and I can't remember the last time I listened to it on the 5.1, likely the day I received it and I didn't think it sounded anything special.  I never bought another 5.1 album.  I do however have plenty of live concert videos mixed in 5.1 that I enjoy.  I guess my point is, now that I see it written out, I wonder if SC ruined my experience on 5.1 albums because it just wasn't mixed well enough for it. 

[Nick]

I am with you guys about the surround sound thing.  I finally got the super duper one I always wanted last year, but I rarely have the urge to put on one of my 5.1s and sit down with it.

I hear this on one side, but here is the other. One of the reasons I love Steven Wilson is because when I want to have an amazing audio experience, it's his work that I almost always reach for and put on in my system. If an artist has great 5.1 stuff I'm far more likely to listen to that artist's work.

Agreed. I rarely get the opportunity to experience my 5.1 stuff, but when I do, I reach for the stuff that is mixed extremely well. And almost anything SW has touched qualifies.

I have some pieces that are very poor surround mixes, and I doubt I will ever reach for those again. Systematic Chaos is a good example

I have a 5.1 system in my basement, but I think Systematic Chaos is the only 5.1 album I have and I can't remember the last time I listened to it on the 5.1, likely the day I received it and I didn't think it sounded anything special.  I never bought another 5.1 album.  I do however have plenty of live concert videos mixed in 5.1 that I enjoy.  I guess my point is, now that I see it written out, I wonder if SC ruined my experience on 5.1 albums because it just wasn't mixed well enough for it. 

And when it comes to the opposite end of the spectrum, I would love to one day be at those theaters in London Steven mentioned as he debuted one of his new recordings, would be an amazing experience I'm sure.

[cramx3]

My only issue is I wonder if my ears are good enough to truly enjoy such high quality immersive sound.  I feel like I may not be able to appreciate such things. (it's a big reason why I don't spend big money on speakers or headphones and usually just get mid range hardware)

[Nick]

My only issue is I wonder if my ears are good enough to truly enjoy such high quality immersive sound.  I feel like I may not be able to appreciate such things. (it's a big reason why I don't spend big money on speakers or headphones and usually just get mid range hardware)

With a good system it's not just about the higher quality audio files. It's about the split and the mix. You don't have sound coming from left and right. You have sounds separated out and coming from every direction. It allows you to hear and appreciate things in the music you probably would never have noticed otherwise.

[HOF]

I was listening to something on Amazon Music that was mixed for Atmos the other day on headphones. I know it’s not the same thing as with a proper surround setup, but the difference in the blend of instruments was jarring. I didn’t really care for it as it seemed to take some of the fullness out of the sound. While I think the concept is interesting, most of the time we don’t hear sounds in an immersive surround way with things coming from all directions, so I think it’s always going to feel a little bit gimmicky (like 3D movies).

[Nick]

I was listening to something on Amazon Music that was mixed for Atmos the other day on headphones. I know it’s not the same thing as with a proper surround setup, but the difference in the blend of instruments was jarring. I didn’t really care for it as it seemed to take some of the fullness out of the sound. While I think the concept is interesting, most of the time we don’t hear sounds in an immersive surround way with things coming from all directions, so I think it’s always going to feel a little bit gimmicky (like 3D movies).

I can see the gimmicky side of it, especially in how certain things are mixed, but at the end of the day I love that. Mainly because it allows me to really pick out a groove or an instrument I'm really liking in that moment and just focus on that.

[KevShmev]

I am with you guys about the surround sound thing.  I finally got the super duper one I always wanted last year, but I rarely have the urge to put on one of my 5.1s and sit down with it.

I hear this on one side, but here is the other. One of the reasons I love Steven Wilson is because when I want to have an amazing audio experience, it's his work that I almost always reach for and put on in my system. If an artist has great 5.1 stuff I'm far more likely to listen to that artist's work.

I hear this.  On the rare occasions when I do crank up the 5.1, it is either a PT/SW album or one where he did the 5.1, like the Yes ones from the early 70s.

[KevShmev]

Doing fresh listens of Insurgentes the last few days, and I always come with realizing how good it is and wondering why I don't listen to it more often.  The next four solo albums he did all being better is probably a big reason (hello to Zantera, who I know will be by to dispute that ), but Insurgentes really is a damn good record.

[DTA]

Doing fresh listens of Insurgentes the last few days, and I always come with realizing how good it is and wondering why I don't listen to it more often.  The next four solo albums he did all being better is probably a big reason (hello to Zantera, who I know will be by to dispute that ), but Insurgentes really is a damn good record.

I'd rank Insurgentes higher than both GfD and the Raven as I'm way more into a post-punk sound than an old school prog sound. Salvaging is one of my all time favorites of his solo songs, and the whole album has a really unique vibe that I just connect with.

[Zantera]

I go back and forth between Insurgentes or GFD as his best solo album but GFD does have some filler (even if I love it) and Insurgentes just feels like the most 'fresh' out of his solo albums. It feels like a bunch of his styles coming together into one unique album. He's definitely gotten worse album by album after Grace IMO and I hope his next one is good but I really don't have much desire to revisit HCE, TTB or TFB these days.

[KevShmev]

I am a MASSIVE fan of Grace for Drowning. I think it's one of the five best albums SW has ever done, from any project.

What's wild about Insurgentes is that it feels like the one SW solo album that could have been a PT album. Heck, Gavin Harrison even plays on most of it.  But it still really doesn't sound that much like Porcupine Tree.  The secret sauce that is Richard Barbieri being absent always makes a big difference in differentiating between Porcupine Tree and any other thing Wilson does, IMO.

[Buddyhunter1]

What's wild about Insurgentes is that it feels like the one SW solo album that could have been a PT album. Heck, Gavin Harrison even plays on most of it.  But it still really doesn't sound that much like Porcupine Tree.  The secret sauce that is Richard Barbieri being absent always makes a big difference in differentiating between Porcupine Tree and any other thing Wilson does, IMO.

This is pretty much why I'm not that into it either. It doesn't stand out from PT as much as his other albums, and without the G.O.A.T. Barbieri it just feels like something's missing.

No Twilight Within The Courts Of The Sun is a fuckin' banger though.

[Sacul]

I am a MASSIVE fan of Grace for Drowning. I think it's one of the five best albums SW has ever done, from any project.

This, it's such a weird yet delicate album, noisy and beautiful. Rudess' playing on it is just magnificent.

[Kram]

Insurgentes is a great album!  Actually all his solo albums are great for me except The Future Bites - which was just kinda ok.  Based on his description of the The Harmony Codex I'm quite excited for it.

[Metro]

The Raven That Refused to Sing is 10 years old today.

[Kram]

The Raven That Refused to Sing is 10 years old today.

Still one of my favorite albums of all time really..

[RoeDent]

Wow, a decade since Drive Home floored me.

[nobloodyname]

Looks like The Harmony Codex will be released in September. There was a leak somewhere that I haven't personally seen but that's apparently what it points to.

[ReaperKK]

The Raven That Refused to Sing is 10 years old today.

Hands down the best SW solo album. Can't believe it's been ten years.

[KevShmev]

I can't remember where I read it, but Wilson apparently wasn't thrilled about the slow rollouts with both The Future Bites and Closure/Continuation, so I won't be surprised if this album drops with no songs having been released prior (or maybe one a week or two before).  This idea of a slow rollout with a few singles slowly dropping before the album hits the streets feels outdated.  While I am sure the divisiveness of The Futures Bites will result in some fans of his solo work taking the "try before I buy" method, Wilson has enough equity built up to where he doesn't need to drop pre-release singles.

[SoundscapeMN]

https://theharmonycodex.com/

[faizoff]

What the hell, when I try to sign up it says your entry has been flagged as spam.

[SoundscapeMN]

The Harmony Codex Listening Party clip (no music) with comments from attendees.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CurqxZ5oDsC/

[HOF]

I can't remember where I read it, but Wilson apparently wasn't thrilled about the slow rollouts with both The Future Bites and Closure/Continuation, so I won't be surprised if this album drops with no songs having been released prior (or maybe one a week or two before).  This idea of a slow rollout with a few singles slowly dropping before the album hits the streets feels outdated.  While I am sure the divisiveness of The Futures Bites will result in some fans of his solo work taking the "try before I buy" method, Wilson has enough equity built up to where he doesn't need to drop pre-release singles.

I remember how absolutely closed lipped DT used to be about their releases, not wanting a single note heard before release day. It definitely built up a certain amount of anticipation and mystery surrounding their albums.

[ReaperKK]

I can't remember where I read it, but Wilson apparently wasn't thrilled about the slow rollouts with both The Future Bites and Closure/Continuation, so I won't be surprised if this album drops with no songs having been released prior (or maybe one a week or two before).  This idea of a slow rollout with a few singles slowly dropping before the album hits the streets feels outdated.  While I am sure the divisiveness of The Futures Bites will result in some fans of his solo work taking the "try before I buy" method, Wilson has enough equity built up to where he doesn't need to drop pre-release singles.

I was never a fan of the way SW handled his releases, it feels like 20 different versions with different bonus songs on those various versions. Coming soon Harmony Codex black vinyl/yellow swirl edition which contains a new unreleased track that's a remix of an unmix of an unreleased track that was previously released on the limited blue cassette version of Hand. Cannot. Erase.

[KevShmev]

That stuff can be irritating, I agree, but in the end, it's all about the tunes. 

[King Postwhore]

It's the single released 8 months before the album release date that irks me.  It kills momentum.  Release the 1st single a month before the album release date. 

[The Letter M]

It's the single released 8 months before the album release date that irks me.  It kills momentum.  Release the 1st single a month before the album release date.

It's like artists/record labels are treating albums like they're blockbuster Hollywood films, which release teaser trailers 6-8 months ahead, and then two or three theatrical trailers in the 3-4 months leading up to the release date.

Some labels (looking at you Inside Out) have been on the train of releasing at least 3 singles for most new albums in the 2-3 months leading up to release, with the first one at time of reveal, another about a month later, and the a third one when the album is coming out. Like...we get it. And a single released on release date feels redundant to me. If you're already invested in the album,  you're going to hear the whole thing that weekend anyway, so why  bother with a "single" other than to make another promotional video (most of which are intangible graphics of lyrics floating in a void anyway).

I'd say *one* single at the time of reveal with pre-orders and press kits, and then release the album a month or six weeks later. These long, drawn-out waits between reveal and release are starting to make me forget what I've ordered and what's about to come out. Thankfully we've got the Album Release Date Calendar pinned in this forum, because otherwise, I'd be Googling a lot of album release dates for things that aren't due for another 3 or 4 months.

-Marc.

[HOF]

I do think the main purpose of the early promotional videos is to kick start pre-orders, which help fund the manufacture of the album or other band activities (BBT indicated that pre-orders for Ingenious Devices would help find their upcoming tour). So you need people to be aware of an interested enough to buy it in advance. It makes sense to have a new video every several weeks if you have a longer pre-order campaign. But it is kind of annoying from a fan standpoint to get things slow dripped when you’d rather just wait for the whole album.

[Nick]

I have to say, it's unlikely it comes to my area, but I'd *love* to be at one of the promotional screenings for the new album. If SW gets that in a proper setup anywhere near me and I'm chosen, I'm there.