| Artist | Steven Wilson |
|---|---|
| Cover | The Harmony Codex album cover.jpeg |
| Released | 29 September 2023 |
| Recorded | 2021–December 2022[1] |
| Studio | Home studio (North London) |
| Genre | |
| Length | 64:02 |
| Label | |
| Producer | Steven Wilson |
| Prev year | 2021 |
| Next year | 2025 |
The Harmony Codex is the seventh studio album by British musician Steven Wilson, released on 29 September 2023 through Virgin Music Group.[4][5]
Background
The record was first announced on 29 August 2023 with the release of lead single "Economies of Scale".[6] Subsequently, the tracks "Impossible Tightrope", "Rock Bottom", and "What Life Brings" were 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.[7][8]
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.[9]
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.[10]
Personnel
- Steven Wilson – vocals (tracks 1–6, 8–10), acoustic guitar (tracks 2–4, 8), ARP 2600 (tracks 1, 4, 7), audio feedback (track 9), bass guitar (tracks 3, 4, 7, 8, 10), celesta (track 8), Cobalt 8 synthesizer (tracks 4, 5, 7, 10), electric guitars (tracks 2, 4–6, 8, 9), electric piano (track 9), harp (tracks 4, 5), Hammond organ (tracks 2, 4, 10), horn (track 10), Mellotron (track 9), Moog 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
- Adam Holzman – Rhodes piano (tracks 1, 4, 7), piano (track 9), DFAM loops (track 10), Modular synthesizer (tracks 1, 3, 6), Moog synthesizer solo (track 10), Wurlitzer organ (track 5)
- Ben Coleman – violin (track 4)
- Craig Blundell – drums (tracks 2, 5, 6, 10), hi-hat (track 9), percussion (tracks 6, 9)
- David Kollar – lead guitar (tracks 1, 9), ambient guitar (track 4)
- David Kosten – programming (tracks 1, 10)
- Guy Pratt – bass guitar (track 2)
- Jack Dangers – electric beats (track 6), programming (track 9)
- Jason Cooper – tom drum (track 6)
- Lee Harris – psychedelic guitar (track 4)
- Nate Wood – drums (track 4)
- Nick Beggs – Chapman Stick (tracks 6, 10)
- Niko Tsonev – guitars (tracks 1, 4, 10), lead guitar (tracks 5, 8, 10)
- Nate Navarro – fretless bass (track 1), bass guitar (track 9)
- Nils Petter Molvær – trumpet (track 1)
- Ninet Tayeb – vocals (track 5), guitars (track 5), backing vocals (tracks 1, 2)
- Pat Mastelotto – drums (track 1), percussion (track 1)
- Rotem Wilson – voices (tracks 7, 10)
- Samuel Fogarino – drums (track 10)
- Theo Travis – flute (track 1), saxophone (track 4), duduk (track 6)
Session musicians on Harmonic Distortion
- Aaron Sterling – drums (track 12)
- Adam Holzman – piano (tracks 8, 9)
- Ben Coleman – violin (track 5)
- Doug Petty – keyboards (track 12), strings arrangements (track 12)
- James Dean Bradfield – guitars (track 2)
- Mikael Åkerfeldt – vocals (track 9)
- Nate Navarro – bass guitar (track 5)
- Nicky Wire – bass guitar (track 2)
- Roland Orzabal – keyboards (track 12), programming (track 12)
- Sean Moore – drums (track 2)
Production
- Steven Wilson – production, mixing (tracks 1–5, 9 and tracks 1, 3–5, 8, 11–13 on Harmonic Distortion)
- Adam Holzman – mixing (track 3)
- David Kosten – additional production (tracks 1, 5, 6, 8–10), mixing (tracks 5, 10)
- Josef E-Shine – additional production (track 5)
- Loz Williams – production (track 2 on Harmonic Distortion), engineering (track 2 on Harmonic Distortion)
- Manic Street Preachers – production (track 2 on Harmonic Distortion), engineering (track 2 on Harmonic Distortion)
- Dave Eringa – remixing (track 2 on Harmonic Distortion)
- Jack Dangers – additional production (track 7 on Harmonic Distortion), remixing (track 7 on Harmonic Distortion)
- Interpol – remixing (track 10 on Harmonic Distortion)
- Roland Orzabal – additional production (track 12 on Harmonic Distortion)
- Mark Ayres – production (track 14 on Harmonic Distortion)
- Matt Colton – mastering
- Carl Glover – design, photography
- Hajo Müller – photography
Charts
| Chart (2023) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums (ARIA)[11] | 72 |
| Hungarian Physical Albums (MAHASZ)[12] | 36 |
References
- ^ ""It's just two twenty-minute songs. Very conceptual." Steven Wilson updates on his unreleased new studio album". 22 February 2024.
- ^ "Steven Wilson - The Never-Ending Staircase". Innerviews. Retrieved 2023-09-29.
- ^ "Steven Wilson / The Harmony Codex review". SuperDeluxeEdition. 2023-09-29. Retrieved 2023-09-29.
- ^ "The Harmony Codex". theharmonycodex.com. Retrieved 2023-09-20.
- ^ "The Harmony Codex". Steven Wilson. Retrieved 2023-09-20.
- ^ "STEVEN WILSON announces seventh solo album 'The Harmony Codex' – Arrow Lords of Metal". Retrieved 2023-09-20.
- ^ "Steven Wilson / The Harmony Codex – SuperDeluxeEdition". 2023-08-29. Retrieved 2023-09-20.
- ^ "Steven Wilson to release new album The Harmony Codex on September 29th". The Rockpit. 2023-09-07. Retrieved 2023-09-20.
- ^ "Steven Wilson Announces Seventh Solo Album 'The Harmony Codex'". Blabbermouth.net. 2023-08-29. Retrieved 2023-09-20.
- ^ Peacock, Tim (2023-08-29). "Steven Wilson Announces New Album The Harmony Codex". uDiscover Music. Retrieved 2023-09-20.
- ^ "The ARIA Report: Week Commencing 9 October 2023". The ARIA Report. No. 1753. Australian Recording Industry Association. 9 October 2023. p. 6.
- ^ "Album Top 40 slágerlista (fizikai hanghordozók) – 2023. 44. hét". MAHASZ. Retrieved November 9, 2023.