Steven Wilson Steven Wilson - The Harmony Codex (2023)

[bookofsaturdays]

I’m waiting for the blu-ray to arrive for the rest of the album. In my opinion, too much of Closure/Continuation was released in advance. It didn’t leave much to discover. From Sreven’s description this album needs to be experienced as a whole. Economies is a nice taste until then.

I agree, haven’t heard the entire thing at all just this little snippet. That’ll do until it comes out fully.

 

[BPWingN]

This gives me hope. Very good

I very much agree. Really intriguing song. I don't need, nor want, to hear anything more until I have the album.

 

[martin russell]

I’m waiting for the blu-ray to arrive for the rest of the album. In my opinion, too much of Closure/Continuation was released in advance. It didn’t leave much to discover. From Sreven’s description this album needs to be experienced as a whole. Economies is a nice taste until then

I very much had this approach with The Future Bites, wanting the 'whole album experience' fresh with no preconceptions...all very well in theory, but the authoring of that didn't suit my Oppo (despite the delayed release they didn't bother to QC thoroughly enough to catch the fault and to this day I'm yet to see the video content) so the much-anticipated joyful journey turned into technical sleuthing. Closure / Continuation was fine and I avoided the pre-release stuff with no downside.

This time round I have Apple Music and access to the preview tracks in Atmos, which I'm consuming and liking - I just hope that the Harmony Codex disc authoring has been done by someone competent!

 

[François]

 

[stoopid]

Still no US based sellers of the bluray. Honestly, I'll just go without. Not feeling the calculated whatever the hell is happening here. If they don't want my money, f%^& 'em.

 

[srbjab]

There's still about 3 weeks to the release date, but locking out US retailers for the blu-ray makes little sense. SW's store is charging $20 plus $8.50 to ship to US. Burningshed cost with shipping to US is $24.58, $9 for shipping. So, the prices aren't bad for the blu-ray but the shipping to US is a bit steep. Just seems petty with no explanation provided.

 

[colsky]

Its not the same without Michael Schenker!

 

[J. PUPSTER]

Still no Deluxe version available anywhere?

They must have lost the harmony manuscript someplace?

 

[GOS]

I finally caved in and ordered the BDA from Burning Shed, and added Zappa to it. More than I want to spend, but I'm done worrying about it.

 

[humprof]

There's still about 3 weeks to the release date, but locking out US retailers for the blu-ray makes little sense. SW's store is charging $20 plus $8.50 to ship to US. Burningshed cost with shipping to US is $24.58, $9 for shipping. So, the prices aren't bad for the blu-ray but the shipping to US is a bit steep. Just seems petty with no explanation provided.

I bought it from jpc.de back on August 30th for under 17 Euros + a nominal shipping charge (4.5 Euros for 3 items). Not US-based, I know, but considerably cheaper than the UK merchants. What's strange is that while my order is still open, it's no longer available for new orders:
https://www.jpc.de/jpcng/poprock/detail/-/art/steven-wilson-harmony-codex/hnum/11578708

 

[J. PUPSTER]

while I wait to see if they actually provide product to purchase

Idiots aside, I don't remember if this video had been mentioned before

 

[César]

There's something that I can't understand: the deluxe edition and the regular Blu-ray were available for a while in the regular retailers. I ignore the bureaucracy for this to happen, but I guess retailers cannot add any items without previous instructions from the distributor. I infer that initially, there were some plans to make them available everywhere, which would have made some sense, as authors want to sell as many items as possible, don't they?
For any strange reason, they are pulled out and the deluxe edition sells out in less than one week in the two official stores based in Europe. Why no distribution in the US puzzles me even further. I could even understand the decision for the deluxe edition, but for the vanilla Blu-ray is simply non understandable.
Producing so few units for the deluxe and only for one half of the market is against all logic, unless they want to measure the demand (or increase the desire to buy, forcing buyers to see this edition as of high value due to limited production and high demand), tailor the production and avoid having unsold inventories. Yet in that case, there should be plans to reprint the deluxe, but this was ruled out by Burning Shed in Twitter.
Our own @Plan9 said in SHF that he will ask Steven about any possible reprints.
And of course, we've seen authors change their minds and after having promised no reprints (WYWH Sacd, Tull's Aqualung just to name a couple of examples), then there's a second edition.
In my particular case, Amz France order for the deluxe was not cancelled yet and I think I'll wait until the very last minute to get the regular Blu-ray from BS of SW store. This will be the first PT or Steven's deluxe edition I may miss (got them all, starting with Insurgentes, that sells for a kidney nowadays)
Edit: the vanilla Blu-ray is available for ordering in Amz UK (just pre-ordered one, I can cancel at any time). I believe the regular Blu-ray will be available everywhere, eventually
Second Edit: Blu-ray also available in Amz Germany, although funnily, even with UK taxes and shipping, the UK option is cheaper for me

 

[Plan9]

There's something that I can't understand: the deluxe edition and the regular Blu-ray were available for a while in the regular retailers. I ignore the bureaucracy for this to happen, but I guess retailers cannot add any items without previous instructions from the distributor. I infer that initially, there were some plans to make them available everywhere, which would have made some sense, as authors want to sell as many items as possible, don't they?
For any strange reason, they are pulled out and the deluxe edition sells out in less than one week in the two official stores based in Europe. Why no distribution in the US puzzles me even further. I could even understand the decision for the deluxe edition, but for the vanilla Blu-ray is simply non understandable.
Producing so few units for the deluxe and only for one half of the market is against all logic, unless they want to measure the demand (or increase the desire to buy, forcing buyers to see this edition as of high value due to limited production and high demand), tailor the production and avoid having unsold inventories. Yet in that case, there should be plans to reprint the deluxe, but this was ruled out by Burning Shed in Twitter.
Our own @Plan9 said in SHF that he will ask Steven about any possible reprints.
And of course, we've seen authors change their minds and after having promised no reprints (WYWH Sacd, Tull's Aqualung just to name a couple of examples), then there's a second edition.
In my particular case, Amz France order for the deluxe was not cancelled yet and I think I'll wait until the very last minute to get the regular Blu-ray from BS of SW store. This will be the first PT or Steven's deluxe edition I may miss (got them all, starting with Insurgentes, that sells for a kidney nowadays)
Edit: the vanilla Blu-ray is available for ordering in Amz UK (just pre-ordered one, I can cancel at any time). I believe the regular Blu-ray will be available everywhere, eventually

Steven said that he was genuinely surprised the Deluxe sold out so fast this time, and now wish they’d made another few thousand or so...
but unfortunately the sets only really make financial sense in one-off runs, and have to go into production 3-4 months in advance...

 

[César]

Steven said that he was genuinely surprised the Deluxe sold out so fast this time, and now wish they’d made another few thousand or so...
but unfortunately the sets only really make financial sense in one-off runs, and have to go into production 3-4 months in advance...

That's really a pity! We will have to wait and see how the second hand market evolves (which I predict will be sky high assuming a high demand)
Thanks a million for asking Steven!

 

[Plan9]

That's really a pity! We will have to wait and see how the second hand market evolves (which I predict will be sky high assuming a high demand)
Thanks a million for asking Steven!

If this album is a winner, I shall hope for a reprint a couple of years down the line. But that's wishfull thinking for now.

 

[César]

If this album is a winner, I shall hope for a reprint a couple of years down the line. But that's wishfull thinking for now.

Fingers crossed!

 

[srbjab]

There's something that I can't understand: the deluxe edition and the regular Blu-ray were available for a while in the regular retailers. I ignore the bureaucracy for this to happen, but I guess retailers cannot add any items without previous instructions from the distributor. I infer that initially, there were some plans to make them available everywhere, which would have made some sense, as authors want to sell as many items as possible, don't they?
For any strange reason, they are pulled out and the deluxe edition sells out in less than one week in the two official stores based in Europe. Why no distribution in the US puzzles me even further. I could even understand the decision for the deluxe edition, but for the vanilla Blu-ray is simply non understandable.
Producing so few units for the deluxe and only for one half of the market is against all logic, unless they want to measure the demand (or increase the desire to buy, forcing buyers to see this edition as of high value due to limited production and high demand), tailor the production and avoid having unsold inventories. Yet in that case, there should be plans to reprint the deluxe, but this was ruled out by Burning Shed in Twitter.
Our own @Plan9 said in SHF that he will ask Steven about any possible reprints.
And of course, we've seen authors change their minds and after having promised no reprints (WYWH Sacd, Tull's Aqualung just to name a couple of examples), then there's a second edition.
In my particular case, Amz France order for the deluxe was not cancelled yet and I think I'll wait until the very last minute to get the regular Blu-ray from BS of SW store. This will be the first PT or Steven's deluxe edition I may miss (got them all, starting with Insurgentes, that sells for a kidney nowadays)
Edit: the vanilla Blu-ray is available for ordering in Amz UK (just pre-ordered one, I can cancel at any time). I believe the regular Blu-ray will be available everywhere, eventually
Second Edit: Blu-ray also available in Amz Germany, although funnily, even with UK taxes and shipping, the UK option is cheaper for me

The Amazon UK price to me would $27.10 - just a hair cheaper than the SW shop. Burningshed remains the cheapest by a couple of dollars. Even though we're talking trivial money here, the lack of US availability is dampening my enthusiasm a bit. I'll probably wait until we get closer to the release date to see if anything changes before pulling the trigger.

 

[madship]

I'm surprised that Steven is using the same playbook as the Future Bites and Closure / Continuation with The Harmony Codex. From most of what I remember him saying over the past couple of years, it didn't seem like he believed in that model any longer. After other artists big footed the release dates for TFB and C/C, I figured he would skip preorders all together and just announce and ship THC.

As I posted earlier, I'm ignoring future singles to get the full experience of THC on my initial listen. I did listen to Economies of Scale, including the "atmos," a few minutes ago. Still enjoying it and the surround mix shows Steven hasn't lost any skill there.

My big decision now is whether to wait until night the day it arrives to listen. If the blu-ray will support it, I want to try the pitch black listening experience. Something I haven't done since Pink Floyd back in high school.

 

[J. PUPSTER]

Steven said that he was genuinely surprised the Deluxe sold out so fast this time, and now wish they’d made another few thousand or so...
but unfortunately the sets only really make financial sense in one-off runs, and have to go into production 3-4 months in advance...

Thanks for the info; but this makes me incredibly ill!

Seems they're leaving a lot of money on the table

 

[Geoff in Belfast]

Thanks for the info; but this makes me incredibly ill!

Seems they're leaving a lot of money on the table

I expect all of the decisions around quantities of limited edition items have multiple factors that end up determining the outcome. I can see how having been “burned” by some of the decisions for TFB and C/C - reflected by retailers having to sell some formats, even limited edition ones at very low prices - a more prudent approach was taken for THC. It’s always been quite clear from the early PT deluxes that if you want to make sure you get one you need to be in at the very start.