Steven Wilson, the singer and multi-instrumentalist of the acclaimed progressive rock band Porcupine Tree, has announced his newest solo album, ‘The Harmony Codex’. The album will be released on September 29, and will feature remixes of its songs by a range of high-profile artists, including Manic Street Preachers, Interpol, Tears For Fears, Opeth, and Radiophonic Workshop.
Accompanying the album’s announcement is the new single ‘Economies Of Scale’, which comes with a new video by Charlie Di Patino, director of videos for Jungle and Everything But The Girl.
‘The Harmony Codex’ is the follow-up to Porcupine Tree’s first album in 12 years, ‘Closure/Continuation’, which reached the Number 2 spot on the UK charts in 2022. Porcupine Tree also recently concluded a successful tour, with their final show at German festival Rock Im Park.
Wilson’s eighth solo album follows 2021’s ‘The Future Bites’, which featured Elton John, Mystery Jets, Enter Shikari, and The Cure drummer Jason Cooper and reached the Number 4 spot in the UK. Other guests on ‘The Harmony Codex’ include Interpol drummer Sam Fogarino, Jack Dangers of Meat Beat Manifesto, Kneebody drummer Nate Wood, as well as Ninet Tayeb, Craig Blundell, and Adam Holzman, who have all worked with Wilson before.
Besides his own music, Wilson is also known for his spatial audio mixes for other artists’ classic albums, such as Roxy Music, Suede, Chic, ABC, and Guns N’ Roses. Wilson has expressed his desire to create an immersive experience for his live shows, which will feature intimate venues and light installations.
Wilson’s music is often known for taking the audience by surprise, and ‘The Harmony Codex’ is no exception. Wilson says he wanted to keep the album unpredictable, with a range of acoustic songs, electronic pop songs, and a lengthy and largely instrumental title track.
The album’s first single, ‘Economies Of Scale’, has been remixed by Manic Street Preachers, who Wilson was shocked to be able to approach. Wilson also asked other artists to reimagine his songs rather than do remixes, such as Roland Orzabal of Tears For Fears.
Having now toured with Porcupine Tree, Wilson says he’s grateful to have had the opportunity to do something nostalgic, but also that he has the freedom to do whatever he wants with his music. Wilson has said he’s never been able to play the industry game, and that his fanbase usually expects him to do the unexpected.
Wilson is also open to the idea of doing a film soundtrack, something he’s always wanted to do. With its cinematic feel, ‘The Harmony Codex’ could be the perfect opportunity to explore this.
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