Steven Wilson Steven Wilson - The Harmony Codex (2023)

[J. PUPSTER]

I'm really liking what I'm hearing

 

[JulesRules]

If the Closure/Continuation deluxe download is any indication, it will be lossless FLAC plus mp3

Confirmed now, I bought the download. It also has a PDF booklet (the same as the normal CD, I think) and a hi-res cover.

And just like last time, "download all" doesn't give you the FLAC files, which instead have to be downloaded one by one

 

[François]

I bought the download

So, what is The Harmony Codex Audio Play?

 

[Druid]

Received my Deluxe Edition today from the SW store.

 

[Bill B]

I've had a chance to listen to the blu-ray a few times. There are definitely some tunes I like on first listen, which is a lot more than I could say for TFB, so that's a good thing. I am hoping that some of the others will grow on me with a few more listens. Very discrete 5.1 mix but I don't have Atmos yet so I can't speak to that.

 

[Plan9]

So, what is The Harmony Codex Audio Play?

Steven reading his short story, with a couple of sound effects.

 

[pti]

For some unknown reason, I was not too excited about this release before it arrived today. Listening through for the first time right now in 7.1.4 on my mixing system, I am literally giggling at how cool it is. Keep doing whatever the hell you want, Steven. I'll keep buying it.

 

[mandrix]

Steven kicks ass.
So does Ninet. Love that woman.

 

[GOS]

I received my copy from Burning Shed today. Unfortunately, I just don't have time to even unwrap it. Work is killing me.

 

[grorr76]

deluxe + orange vinyl received today Tuesday in australia. Thanks Burning Shed

 

[Zephead2112]

I ordered the deluxe edition from Amazon UK in July; my order details indicated this morning that it would be arriving before 10pm today. I now have an e-mail from Amazon informing me that my order is now cancelled due to "lack of availability". Cheers Amazon!

 

[ar surround]

This new release is getting very high marks in the poll. Allow me to ask a question regarding this SW release, but put into context. Given what I've noted below, do you think I will like this new album, or will it be yet another resident of my one-and-done bin? (Remember, we used to pay about $20 all-in for most of SW releases, but this new one is going to be upwards of $30.) Thanks for your thoughts / recommendations.

What I LIKE:
- Stupid Dream
- Lightbulb Sun
- Hand Cannot Erase
- To The Bone
- Selected parts of most other PT albums, but not nearly as much as SD and LS.

What I DON'T LIKE:
- The Incident

One and done:
- Raven
- Storm Corrosion
- Schoolyard Ghosts
- Together We're Stranger
- The Future Bites (Meh...but the Atmos mix saves it for me)

Never made it through:
- Grace for Drowning (for whatever reason)

 

[colsky]

This new release is getting very high marks in the poll. Allow me to ask a question regarding this SW release, but put into context. Given what I've noted below, do you think I will like this new album, or will it be yet another resident of my one-and-done bin? (Remember, we used to pay about $20 all-in for most of SW releases, but this new one is going to be upwards of $30.) Thanks for your thoughts / recommendations.

What I LIKE:
- Stupid Dream
- Lightbulb Sun
- Hand Cannot Erase
- To The Bone
- Selected parts of most other PT albums, but not nearly as much as SD and LS.

What I DON'T LIKE:
- The Incident

One and done:
- Raven
- Storm Corrosion
- Schoolyard Ghosts
- Together We're Stranger
- The Future Bites (Meh...but the Atmos mix saves it for me)

Never made it through:
- Grace for Drowning (for whatever reason)

I've only listened to it 3 times so far, but I'm not sure that you'd like it. There's one proggy piece (an instrumental) and the rest is mostly poppy and electronica. You do like To The Bone, so you might do! I would listen to the tracks on YouTube first, there's quite a few on there.

My favourite's of SW solo are, in order, Hand Cannot Erase (one of my favourite albums by anyone ever), Grace for Drowning and The Raven, so we're all different!

 

[AYanguas]

I ordered the deluxe edition from Amazon UK in July; my order details indicated this morning that it would be arriving before 10pm today. I now have an e-mail from Amazon informing me that my order is now cancelled due to "lack of availability". Cheers Amazon!

I received same canceling e-mail from Amazon Spain, but for the new Bruce Soord 2CD+DVD.
If I enter the item again in Amazon Spain, it has the item available (cheaper) but from the "vendor": Amazon UK

I already have the IAA Atmos download, so I will not try again...

Still waiting The Harmony Codex standalone bluray, already shipped from SW Store and waiting shipping another from Amazon UK that was delayed (will cancel it).

Cheers Amazon!

 

[rontoon]

Blu-ray arrived from Burning Shed yesterday. Atmos mix is sublime, better than I even hoped for. This is Steven's most cohesive album since HCE, I'm loving it!

 

[stoopid]

This new release is getting very high marks in the poll. Allow me to ask a question regarding this SW release, but put into context. Given what I've noted below, do you think I will like this new album, or will it be yet another resident of my one-and-done bin? (Remember, we used to pay about $20 all-in for most of SW releases, but this new one is going to be upwards of $30.) Thanks for your thoughts / recommendations.

What I LIKE:
- Stupid Dream
- Lightbulb Sun
- Hand Cannot Erase
- To The Bone
- Selected parts of most other PT albums, but not nearly as much as SD and LS.

What I DON'T LIKE:
- The Incident

One and done:
- Raven
- Storm Corrosion
- Schoolyard Ghosts
- Together We're Stranger
- The Future Bites (Meh...but the Atmos mix saves it for me)

Never made it through:
- Grace for Drowning (for whatever reason)

I agree with others that this is his strongest overall effort since HCE, and falls just below HCE, Raven, and Grace. I don't see how anyone into SW's music can't find things to enjoy here, even if it's not his best album ever. I dismissed the couple posts that claimed the surround mix brings the album to life, until I experienced the surround mix. Now I'm one of those people. lol

 

[César]

Now this is what happens with ridiculously limited editions: Steven Wilson - The Harmony Codex: Box, Album, Dlx, Ltd + 2xCD + Blu-ray, Multichanne For Sale | Discogs
Summing up, a guy in Discogs trying to sell one for 1000€, good luck for him!

 

[sjcorne]

The Future Bites (Meh...but the Atmos mix saves it for me)

The Atmos mix on THC blows TFB's away! Some of the songs sound almost as if they were composed with the format in mind.

My like/dislike list is pretty similar to yours in that I don't care for much of the first three solo records, and I really enjoyed this new one. Were there a few repetitive bits in the longer songs that tested my patience? Sure, but I could say that about nearly all SW/PT albums. "What Life Brings" and "Rock Bottom" are probably the most-accessible tracks, but - maybe for the first time ever - my favorite song was one of the longer ones ("Staircase"). That groove!

 

[César]

A bit more of moaning... I have the regular Blu-ray on pre-order in Amz UK. They'd better fulfill the order, because it's sold our everywhere else (Burningshed, SW store, joc.de..). The more I try to find any rationale behind this release, the less I understand it.

 

[rugene]

It's still possible to order the BLu-Ray on IMUSIC ;

Harmony Codex