The Harmony Codex
The Harmony Codex | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | 29 September 2023 | |||
Recorded | 2021-December 2022[1] | |||
Studio | Home studio (North London) | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 64:02 | |||
Label | ||||
Producer | Steven Wilson | |||
Steven Wilson chronology | ||||
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Singles from The Harmony Codex | ||||
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Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
Classic Rock | [4] |
Sonic Perspectives | [5] |
Ghostcult Magazine | [6] |
The Harmony Codex is the seventh studio album by British musician Steven Wilson, released on 29 September 2023 through Virgin Music Group.[7][8]
Background
The record was first announced on 29 August 2023 with the release of lead single "Economies of Scale".[9] Since then, the tracks "Impossible Tightrope", "Rock Bottom", and "What Life Brings" have been released as singles.
The album is said to be "a genre-spanning collection that opens up like a musical puzzle box" and musically more complex than Wilson's previous album.[10][11]
Along with the release of the standalone record, also released was a three-disc limited edition featuring a collection of bonus tracks under the name Harmonic Distortion.[12]
Recording
Steven Wilson supposedly worked on the album "in a studio tucked inside a garage of a North London townhouse", piecing together the tracks with remote help from collaborators Ninet Tayeb, Craig Blundell, Adam Holzman, Jack Dangers, and Sam Fogarino.[13]
Track listing
All tracks are written by Steven Wilson, except for "Economies of Scale" with Adam Holzman, and "Rock Bottom", written by Ninet Tayeb.
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Inclination" | 7:15 |
2. | "What Life Brings" | 3:40 |
3. | "Economies of Scale" | 4:17 |
4. | "Impossible Tightrope" | 10:42 |
5. | "Rock Bottom" | 4:25 |
6. | "Beautiful Scarecrow" | 5:22 |
7. | "The Harmony Codex" | 9:50 |
8. | "Time is Running Out" | 3:57 |
9. | "Actual Brutal Facts" | 5:05 |
10. | "Staircase" | 9:26 |
Total length: | 64:02 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Codex Theme #7" | 0:49 |
2. | "Economies of Scale" (Manic Street Preachers remix) | 4:05 |
3. | "Codex Theme #9" | 0:33 |
4. | "Inclination" (Faultline remix) | 7:30 |
5. | "Impossible Tightrope" (alternate version) | 10:11 |
6. | "Codex Theme #6" | 1:07 |
7. | "Beautiful Scarecrow" (Meat Beat Manifesto excursion 1) | 6:05 |
8. | "Codex Theme #8" | 1:03 |
9. | "Time is Running Out" (Mikael Åkerfeldt version) | 3:47 |
10. | "Staircase" (Interpol remix) | 6:47 |
11. | "Codex Theme #3" | 1:03 |
12. | "What Life Brings" (Aug 22 mix by Roland Orzabal) | 4:16 |
13. | "The Harmony Codex" (long take) | 17:02 |
14. | "Staircase" (Radiophonic Workshop remix) | 12:36 |
Total length: | 76:14 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
11. | "What Life Brings" (Aug 22 mix by Roland Orzabal) | 4:16 |
12. | "Time is Running Out" (Mikael Åkerfeldt version) | 3:47 |
13. | "The Harmony Codex – Audio Play / Part 1" | 5:58 |
14. | "The Harmony Codex – Audio Play / Part 2" | 7:32 |
15. | "The Harmony Codex – Audio Play / Part 3" | 5:02 |
16. | "The Harmony Codex – Audio Play / Part 4" | 6:11 |
17. | "The Harmony Codex – Audio Play / Part 5" | 5:21 |
18. | "The Harmony Codex – Audio Play / Part 6" | 5:21 |
Total length: | 107:30 |
Personnel
- Arpeggiator (track 10), Moog Sub 37 synthesizer (tracks 2, 4–9), percussion (tracks 2, 6), piano (except track 9), programming (tracks 1, 3, 4, 6, 8–10), Prophet-6 synthesizer (tracks 5, 7, 8), Rhodes piano (track 4), Solina Strings (tracks 2, 4, 6, 8–10 and track 9 on Harmonic Distortion), strings (tracks 3–7, 10), theremin(track 9 on Harmonic Distortion), voices (track 3)
Session musicians
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Session musicians on Harmonic Distortion
Production
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Charts
Chart (2023) | Peak position |
---|---|
Australian Albums (ARIA)[15] | 72 |
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[16] | 9 |
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[17] | 18 |
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[18] | 12 |
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[19] | 2 |
Finnish Albums ( Suomen virallinen lista)[20]
|
13 |
French Albums ( SNEP)[21]
|
25 |
Italian Albums (FIMI)[22] | 18 |
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[23] | 3 |
Hungarian Physical Albums (MAHASZ)[24] | 36 |
Polish Albums (ZPAV)[25] | 7 |
Scottish Albums (OCC)[26] | 1 |
Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE)[27] | 20 |
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[28] | 5 |
UK Albums (OCC)[29] | 4 |
1 |
References
- ^ https://www.loudersound.com/news/its-just-two-twenty-minute-songs-very-conceptual-steven-wilson-updates-on-his-unreleased-new-studio-album
- ^ "Steven Wilson - The Never-Ending Staircase". Innerviews. Retrieved 29 September 2023.
- ^ "Steven Wilson / The Harmony Codex review". SuperDeluxeEdition. 29 September 2023. Retrieved 29 September 2023.
- Loudersound.
- ^ Medina, Scott (20 September 2023). ""Steven Wilson - The Harmony Codex (Album Review)". Sonic Perspectives. Retrieved 8 October 2023.
- ^ ""Steven Wilson - The Harmony Codex (Album Review)". Ghostcult Magazine. 28 September 2023. Retrieved 8 October 2023.
- ^ "The Harmony Codex". theharmonycodex.com. Retrieved 20 September 2023.
- ^ "The Harmony Codex". Steven Wilson. Retrieved 20 September 2023.
- ^ "STEVEN WILSON announces seventh solo album 'The Harmony Codex' – Arrow Lords of Metal". Retrieved 20 September 2023.
- ^ "Steven Wilson / The Harmony Codex – SuperDeluxeEdition". 29 August 2023. Retrieved 20 September 2023.
- ^ "Steven Wilson to release new album The Harmony Codex on September 29th". The Rockpit. 7 September 2023. Retrieved 20 September 2023.
- ^ "Steven Wilson Announces Seventh Solo Album 'The Harmony Codex'". Blabbermouth.net. 29 August 2023. Retrieved 20 September 2023.
- ^ Peacock, Tim (29 August 2023). "Steven Wilson Announces New Album The Harmony Codex". uDiscover Music. Retrieved 20 September 2023.
- ^ "The Harmony Codex Deluxe Digital". Official Steven Wilson Store. Retrieved 2 October 2023.
- ^ "The ARIA Report: Week Commencing 9 October 2023". The ARIA Report. No. 1753. Australian Recording Industry Association. 9 October 2023. p. 6.
- ^ "Austriancharts.at – Steven Wilson – The Harmony Codex" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 13 October 2023.
- ^ "Ultratop.be – Steven Wilson – The Harmony Codex" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 8 October 2023.
- ^ "Ultratop.be – Steven Wilson – The Harmony Codex" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 8 October 2023.
- ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Steven Wilson – The Harmony Codex" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 7 October 2023.
- Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved 7 October 2023.
- ^ "Top Albums (Week 40, 2023)". Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved 9 October 2023.
- ^ "Italiancharts.com – Steven Wilson – The Harmony Codex". Hung Medien. Retrieved 16 December 2023.
- GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
- ^ "Album Top 40 slágerlista (fizikai hanghordozók) – 2023. 44. hét". MAHASZ. Retrieved 9 November 2023.
- . Note: Change the date to 29.09.2023–05.10.2023 under "zmień zakres od–do:". Retrieved 12 October 2023.
- ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 7 October 2023.
- Promusicae. Retrieved 10 October 2023.
- ^ "Swisscharts.com – Steven Wilson – The Harmony Codex". Hung Medien. Retrieved 8 October 2023.
- ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
- ^ "Official Rock & Metal Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 7 October 2023.