Steven Wilson & Niko Tsonev On Music & Guitar Solos [From Steven's Record The Harmony Codex]
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- Опубліковано 19 чер 2024
- Solo sounds, construction and inspiration with a modern British leg-end!
Welcome to the show! It's our great pleasure to welcome back musician, composer, producer and all-round leg-end, Steven Wilson. Dan’s been doing Steven’s touring pedalboard for, ooh, ages, and so he’s dropped in with guitarist Niko Tsonev to tell us about new release, The Harmony Codex, alongside a chat around life, music and everything that goes with it.
Steven and Niko also play through five guitar solo sections from the new record to help us understand a little bit about the process that informs their creativity. Loads of great stuff here, including some fab advice around being a pro player. Enjoy the show!
56:13 The new record is called The Harmony Codex, not Economies Of Scale. Sorry!
- Steven’s website - stevenwilsonhq.com/
- New record, The Harmony Codex - stevenwilson.lnk.to/theharmon...
Please visit That Pedal Shop www.thatpedalshop.com/
Pedals & stuff in this episode
Steven’s board
• Dunlop Cry Baby
UK & Europe: bit.ly/2AUoOTp
Australia: bit.ly/2HUY0nX
USA: bit.ly/3GLoSnN
• TC Electronic Polytune
UK & Europe: bit.ly/3RUVan5
Australia: bit.ly/2GiHjRc
USA: sweetwater.sjv.io/ZQYVAq
• Origin Effects Cali76 Compact Deluxe
UK & Europe: bit.ly/2uVGMBL
Australia: bit.ly/2rPSRWo
USA: bit.ly/323rheM
• Source Audio EQ2
UK & Europe: bit.ly/48dR6GE
Australia: bit.ly/3r2y70Z
USA: bit.ly/3spyUHh
• Analog Man Prince of Tone
www.buyanalogman.com
• Electro Harmonix Nano POG
UK & Europe: bit.ly/2wpXglm
Australia; bit.ly/3oEElmk
USA: bit.ly/3EiFS3p
• Option 5 Destination Rotation
Erm, no longer available?
• Diamond Vibrato
Not currently available
• Red Panda Tensor
UK & Europe: bit.ly/3z6rEC2
Australia: bit.ly/2URKYlb
USA: sweetwater.sjv.io/EKR0DP
• Red Panda Particle
UK & Europe: bit.ly/3rbp8uk
Australia: bit.ly/48fnDMy
USA: sweetwater.sjv.io/DKRWxj
• Strymon Timeline
UK & Europe: bit.ly/2fzulGD
Australia: bit.ly/2pSEFKm
USA: sweetwater.sjv.io/k0J46z
• Moog Minifooger MF Trem
No longer available
• Strymon Big Sky
UK & Europe: bit.ly/2wpLdEx
Australia: bit.ly/2x0GSdY
USA: sweetwater.sjv.io/Qy2YDA
• TheGigRig ABY BABY
www.thegigrig.com/aby-baby
• TheGigRig G3
www.thegigrig.com/g3
Niko’s board
• Dunlop Volume X Pedal
UK & Europe: bit.ly/3RiDaVK
Australia: bit.ly/464UX6T
USA: bit.ly/3sQwUu2
• Digitech Freqout
UK & Europe: bit.ly/2vtXHN6
Australia: bit.ly/3lxXnJd
USA: sweetwater.sjv.io/Vm2OM3
• Source Audio ZIO
UK & Europe: bit.ly/3sA2Or8
Australia: bit.ly/40Y7Eyv
USA: bit.ly/3oBzuiE
• Bogner Harlow
No longer made
• Bogner Wessex
No longer made
• Source Audio Ultra Wave
Australia: bit.ly/3EFUBYw
USA: sweetwater.sjv.io/DKRW7d
• Chase Bliss Automatone Preamp MkII
www.chasebliss.com/preamp-mkii
• Eventide H90
UK & Europe: bit.ly/40T0yeN
Australia: bit.ly/40Yl3qC
USA: bit.ly/40RnYB7
• Eventide Rose
UK & Europe; bit.ly/2ZsYj1q
Australia; bit.ly/48bUf9K
USA: sweetwater.sjv.io/751XYQ
• Morningstar MC6
Australia: bit.ly/46a4edM
• Dunlop DVP4
UK & Europe: bit.ly/2QLS44K
Australia: bit.ly/45P6OGj
USA: bit.ly/3m424bk
• Lehle P-Split
UK & Europe: bit.ly/3bKM5aa
Australia: bit.ly/3PByU2n
USA: sweetwater.sjv.io/rQJE73
Interesting bits & go-to sections
0:00 Intro & welcome
1:50 Impossible to pigeonhole?
4:00 Hello Niko!
5:28 Steven’s needs for a guitar player
9:30 Great pop melodies
11:40 Demos as final takes
16:45 Solo 1 - Time Is Running Out background
18:53 Solo 1 performance
21:24 Recording apart, directing from afar
22:49 Solo 2 - Rock Bottom background
26:28 Solo 2 performance
29:40 Dry signal, or effected?
31:28 Solo 3 - What Life Brings background
34:03 Solo 3 performance
37:15 HK Tubemeister 5
39:25 Solo 4 - Staircase background
40:15 Solo 4 performance
44:48 Solo 5 - Actual Brutal Facts background
46:23 Solo 5 performance
50:00 Advice for budding pro guitar players
Guitars today
• Gibson SG Special
• Fender Stratocaster [bitsacaster that Niko put together]
• PRS Single Cut Trem
• Squier 40th Anniversary Jazzmaster
Amps today
• Hughes & Kettner Puertone and HK Vintage 212 with 2 x Celestion G12M Greenback Speakers
• Hughes & Kettner Tubemeister 5
• Matchless C-30 & 212 ESD with one Celestion G12M Greenback and one Celestion G12H Anniversary
Please subscribe to our channel.
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Our preferred retailers!
UK & Europe: Andertons Music bit.ly/2cRvIvt
Australia: Pedal Empire bit.ly/2mWmJQf
Hey, thank you for kind words about me :) It was a big pleasere for me to work with Steven again :)
💪
Thanks for the solo David!
The idea of an artist walking through their solos and the stories and philosophies behind them is a great one :-) Interesting video - thanks!
yes this is great! a hour talking about like a minute of music - this is the kind of detail i want- to know! very cool
but album kind garbage
@@shahamusic8318it's an excellent set of songs..
Being there after Guthrie takes MASSIVE balls and talent, so I salute you, Niko
🙌🙏
Propably my favourite ever TPS episode. Wilson is so very eloquent when discussing his music, and isn’t afraid to describe his thinking in detail, whereas others are often more obscure in order to maintain an illusion of “cool”.
Agree, amazing episode. Go watch the Ed O'Brien episode if you haven't already 👍
Niko’s solo on the live version of Deform to form a star is truly a masterpiece
Without a doubt mads. 👍
Niko sprinkled his own magic all over this record but that tone on the Staircase solo is a highlight! It put a big beaming smile on my face the second I heard it.
When the guitarist is so good That Pedal Show forget to talk about the pedals 👌
I don't know if TPS has done an episode like this previously (probably have because it is so obvious now that I think about it) but it is truly exceptional. It's not so much because I love much of Steven's work but to get the creator to speak so candidly is a joy to experience. And to have a collaborator present to discuss their role and performances is equally enriching. I think TPS is on to something special. Please do more in this format.
Holy crap you got Steven Wilson in.. yesssss. I love the Harmony Codex record. This fella is always able to sqeeze out fresh melodies and awesome layering of multiple tones. Cheers
I was not expecting this one today! Thanks guys! Listenened to THE HARMONY CODEX early in the morning... SW created another great record...
Its FANTASTIC! Although the last two albums were solid, I have a feeling this one is one is another masterpiece
Its badass. Old school "sit down, listen and fly away into other world" type of vibe.
It gets better and better with each listen or it's a very slow grower in it's songs throughout the album!
@@lkeslinke agreed. After a few listens, it’s already on my top favorite SW albums.
👍✌💪
Niko is a fecking legend.
It’s great that a musician like Steven is able to exist in the current climate within the music industry. I wonder what the industry will look like in 20 years. Will people be able to do the kind of thing Steven has achieved?
I am not familiar with these individuals or their music, but after hearing the segments of the new album today, I will absolutely be checking it out! Thanks for putting your spotlight on them.
Oh man, what a treat to discover Steven Wilson and Porcupine Tree for the first time… A very deep and amazing back catalogue awaits :)
Yeah, I'd like to hear in absentia, deadwing, and grace for drowning + hand cannot erase for the first time again 😂
You can’t beat discovering an artist for the first time. I envy you starting that journey for Steven’s music.
you are in for a treat! I love Steven Wilson and Porcupine Tree. So much creativity and variation. Amazing.
Don´t forget Blackfield, most of their records are amazing from start to finish.
minnamin, goven, ninet, harrison, kilminster, niko, blundell, beggs and john wesley ! how does wilson keep finding these genius musicians. its uncanny. Everytime i listen to harmony i hear something new!
That Rock Bottom solo was stunning. Very informative to hear these approaches, no matter what you’re trying to create yourself.
🙏
Niko's solo on 'Rock Bottom', though very different, is right up there with Guthrie's solo on 'Drive Home' for emotional and melodic content imho. Absolutely phenomenal album SW!
Wasn't expecting Steven Wilson to be that approachable. What a great guitar player Niko is.
Awesome. Thanks, Gents!
🙌🙏
Niko Tsonev was exceptional on the live DVD "Get All You Deserve." He brought yet another layer to the songs with his solos. Really glad to see him working with SW again
Just wanted to express my gratitude for this awesome interview to Steven and Niko, the insights they give about their way to make music are invaluable. Can't wait to see again SW in concert. Thank you so much Dan and Mick!
What a beautifully inspiring and educational episode! Steven is one of my all-time favorite artists. Thank you, Dan and Mick, for having Steven and Niko on the show. 💙
To me Steven Wilson is in a unique group of artists, this group of artists have a combination of musical, engineering, and production talent that results in great music that is recorded and produced to audiophile standards. There are a few people in the music industry that, if I see their name in the credits, I'll buy the product without knowing anything else about the project. Steven Wilson is one of those names (Bob Clearmountain is another). Thanks for this, it is Fantastic!
P.S. - "Hand Cannot Erase" is always part of the demo music when I'm trying out a new DAC for the home HiFi.
Deep gratitude for this amazing blend of inspiration, education, perspective and musicianship.
That last solo performance was incredible. Killer track, and Niko's take on it is brilliant.
This whole video is just amazing to me as a guitarist who loves melody. Steven's explanation with reference to writing melody is a revelation.
This is just so timely. The Harmony Codex arrived yesterday and I listened to this just before this episode was posted. The album is beautiful, I listened to it again after watching this video. This album has to be one of Steven's best. I connected with this in a way I haven't since Hand.Cannot.Ease, not that I didn't love To The Bone and The Future Bites. Niko is a great guitarist who really "gets" the song. Thanks guys!
What a fantastic episode. Anything with Steven Wilson is an instant click, but to have Niko Tsonev there to play the solos was something cool. Dan - also very jealous that you got to experience the new album in the immersive context.
👌
Sometimes listening to Steven’s music is exhausting because there’s so much emotion in it. The end of staircase for example makes me cry. Actual brutal facts sounds like an Insurgentes track that why I love it so much. Great interview guys
Wow! This episode is really incredible guys! Thank you for it! And thanks to Steven and Niko!
🙌
Wonderful interview. Even though I deeply appreciate Steven's modesty regarding his guitar skills, he is without a doubt an extremely creative and tasteful player.
The solo on ABF is outstanding - massive Crimson vibe. Great show - inspiring.
Niko is the best! Such a special gifted guitarist who makes magic happen effortlessly.
Love the conclusion about sounds and melodies...
LOVE THIS. Love the thoughtfulness, the music, the sounds and the Reeves Gabrels reference.
👌
This is absolutely amazing. I am so looking forward to this album. Thank you, Dan and Mick. 😘
Love Niko’s comment about the Jungle Book. That score has had the same impact and staying power for me since I was a kid.
🙌
You guys have been killing it with the last couple of videos! It's so nice to hear artists and musicians explain how they use their gear to express these ideas and emotions to their audience. Truly some golden advice.
Great interview! Also thanks for mentioning Lifesigns, what a band!
Omg I LOVED Nico's work on Grace for drowning it's my favorite of Steven's!
🙏
I was hoping you’d have Steven on soon with the new album coming out. So glad to see this pop up in my feed. I discovered Steven’s solo work a couple of years ago but became obsessed with it about a year ago to the point where I’ve introduced everyone I know to his music whenever I can. I think I’ve listened to Regret 9 about 100 times. His stuff just sounds excellent.
Loved the format and Niko was great!
What a great example of humble, truly inspiring and talented people. Thank you for having them on the show🤩
Great to see SW collaborating with Niko again.. his performances during the Grace for Drowning tour (particularly the Get All You Deserve live album) were superb.
Beautiful episode !
Fascinating! The discussion about how Wilson thinks less in terms of demo/master was interesting; I have often felt like more of an amateur because I don't make "demos" as I write songs, only what will become the finished track. I thought there might have been something special in the split between writing/recording, but perhaps not. Although I have realized over time how important it is to get as much of the song written as quickly as possible, which ties into the discussion about first takes. Often enough I don't get most of the song out in a session or two, it's dead. Could spend days or weeks trying to revive it later, but it'll never work. It's like a musical idea's half-life.
I was also inspired by how Niko talked about the emotional starting point for the Time Is Running Out solo. I find myself thinking about solos in my songs as indulgent, "fun" parts, and not going much deeper than that when I'm actually playing them. Having a specific memory or set of memories that you're trying to take into the solo seems like a good way of accessing more depth. A good reminder to dig deeper.
Always loved porcupine tree and the guitar solos in the tracks are always memorable, unique, artistic, creative - great tone and just beautiful little features within the songs. It's really what a great solo should be, I think - part of the song. When Steven was talking about that, I was just hearing them in my head. I can still remember the tone and feeling that I got listening to those solos years ago. It wasn't like you were listening to the song and then "oh and here is a guitar solo..." they are always part of the song. Really amazing.
Thoroughly enjoyed this episode, love the depth that the convo got into!
Really happy to see Niko back with Steven at last, his work on the "Get All You Deserve" live album is probably my favorite guitar work on anything Steven Wilson related.
Thanks 🙌
@@NikoTsonevGuitar Thank you! I'll give Get All You Deserve and The Harmony Codex a spin tonight in your honor
I had hoped Niko Tsonev continued well in his career after my being so impressed by his work on the Grace for Drowning tour (on the DVD)
@@andrewsmith4154thank you Andrew 🙏
Hi @Dan and @Mick, this was the most inspiring and relevant show of yours for ANY artist/ musician, not just us guitarists. Thanks a millions for that, great stuff.
Incredibly interesting. Thank you so much.
Our pleasure! 🤓🙏
Have loved SW for nearly 20 years and will continue to do so. Some wonderful guitar work on his new record.
Loved it!! Thanks so much to everyone. The album is AMAZING!!
awesome , steven is one of my favourite composers of all time , and niko is one of my favorite guitar players of all time , thank u so much guys ! love u
A multitude of thank-yous for this. Love this side of the music. Much gratitude .
I like the format of listening to the song and then hearing the musicians comment.
Thoroughly enjoyed this latest episode of TPS. I wasn't aware of Steven Wilson's music or Niko Tsonev's guitar playing. I'll be buying the new album and looking at the back catalogue of recordings. I do hope it's available on CD... I'm an older guy who just can't get used to "downloading songs"; although I will if there's no other way. Great refreshing approach to writing music and playing guitar. Thanks guys. Cheers from Canada! -Glenn
Excellent interview and I appreciate all the insight into Steven's approach to solos and how they should work in his songs.
What a great watch tonight with a pint! Was listening to Harmony Codex at my desk today in the office. Can't wait to get a listening, on my proper system later tonight. What a grat new release Friday - today!! And Niko is who I now wanna be when I ever grow up
Steven Wilson
Wilco
KK's Priest
Jason Isbell - South Eastern 10th anniversary with demos and live tracks!!!!
Thanks for that. This episode was amazing, hearing about concepts and intends, which feel so natural while listening to Porcupine Tree/Stevens music.
@Niko, wonderful piece of guitar playing!
🙌
Great episode! Niko for me is always an inspiration and an incitement to creativity. I'm so happy to see him here with Steven at TPS and listening to both of them talk about the approach to making music. Thank you!
Grazie Maestro
@@NikoTsonevGuitarhahaha Maestro is you! Keep inspiring us with your weird beautiful guitars!!!
The first time I heard Steven's new album, Niko's guitar solos jumped out of the speakers. He's sooooo good. Great interview!
My goodness, what a delightful surprise and inspiration turned new music day. Bought it today and have listened more times than I count. That's right, kids, some blues dads still just buy music the old timey way. LOL. I can't believe our TPS fam got to be a part of release day! Epic!
“The solo needs to tell a story”
Guthrie - Drive Home.
Bingo!
Niko's playing is just amazing!
I love so much the tasteful solos in this record so this video is pure gold to me! Thanks for sharing all the insights! 🎉❤
This is amazing! Thank you so much for this interview.
During the last 6 minutes, I have heard the most important advice I have ever heard on UA-cam from a professional musician!! Thanks a lot
One of the best discussions!! Icould listen to this for hours!! thank you!
Thanks all! Great video, sent the link to a number of my recording and mastering engineers as well as some guitarists.
Superb episode, team - thank you.
Great job presenting from Mr S and lovely to see/hear Mick in his Director/Producer role chiming in with the salient comments of an ex-jurno!
Steven Wilson - as ever - focusing directly on highly insightful commentary on all things music. He doesn’t waste his words that man. What a font of knowledge and creativity.
Keep up the wonderful work all. You continue to knock it out of the park. 👏🏻
The Actual Brutal Facts has Grace for Drowning all over.
Always great to see SW on the channel, great stuff and the new album is brilliant as usual.
Thank you so much for this!!
You're so welcome!
Dan and Mick, please get Guthrie to the show!! It'll be wicked 🙏🏽
Thank you so much for this channel and videos guys, I've learnt so much from you
This was Excellent !! Excellent!
What a great idea, and what a great execution.
And starting out with S. Wilson,
What a treat ;)
I hope you guys are able to make this concept, sort of a series.
Thanks so much for the privilege. Other than the Music Itself...this is what it is all about, imo.
Cheers from Portugal
The part about the relationship between mood, song and the phases in life is exactly what I was feeling but didn't know a way to put it across. Love the interview! Great album!
I lived for this interview. Niko Tsonev has blown me away with playing on this record. Extremely sensible choice of notes all around, beautiful solos.
Alright, I‘m buying this album … and a freqout 😊
🎉
Wonderful episode, thank you guys!
17:01 I love the love for John Williams, never thought I would hear probably my greatest musical influence mentioned liked this on this channel. Now I need to look more into Niko
Interesting stuff! Always love exploring different artists philosophies and approaches to creativity. Very inspiring
You don’t see enough of Steve Wilson. I’ve been a huge PT fan for years.
Interesting phrase “reduced to tears”. Great interview as always, team. 🎸🤘🏻👍
Thanks Mick and Dan for this. Have been a big Steven Wilson fan for over a decade now. Steven is an all rounder. It's such a coincidence to have him here right now as I am currently reading his Autobiography so I can relate to him talking about his Influences and ideas and everything.
But I never imagined you guys will bring Steven at TPS for a chat. 5 Extra Pedal Points to you both. Much love. Cheers !!
TPS has a few more pedalboard builds with Steven you should check out.
Soooo much talent in that room..!
A treasure, this one
Lovely video, that solo on "Rock Bottom" is so beautiful and anything with Ninet will always get my vote.
Great video with keen insights! So nice to see Niko again.
Just amazing. Never thought I would sit this one out, but I did! It is giving a great insight of Stevens musical world and way of constructing his great music. Thank you so much 🙏👍
Love the idea that the first moment of a creative idea is the best one to capture. Great interview!
Fascinating and thoroughly engaging. Thank you. So many comments rang true to me. And YES, “Tone Matters” … in all aspects of life.
Just when you think TPS can't keep raising the bar, this happens. Steven Wilson is a musical Venn diagram. I love this!
So fantastic! Love seeing Steven back, just recently was thinking I wish we got to see him again. I love Steven's solo on Sound of Muzak particularly because of what they talk about here. It doesn't sound like a guitarist solo to me. It's living the music's emotion, composing.
This chat was a blast, I've started to think this way a lot lately, care much less about my technical abilities that I don't have time/motivation to improve and much more about how what I played feels like. Adjusting the sound every time to the song at hand, not at all in isolation, trying to play as little as necessary, find cool sounding chords/progressions and trying to slowly ingrain the idea of imitating vocals. I think that's how Paul Gilbert said he developed his style too, playing Dio and David Lee Roth and whatnot vocals. And I guess he proved that by making the Dio album fully instrumental.
Really like some of the electronic music drum soudns, makes me think of that part of Smashing Pumpkins. This album's gonna be cool and weird probably. Can't wait to listen to it.
only 17 minutes in, so many great insightful thoughts and words already, great interview and panel, you should definitely do more of these sorts of episodes, thoroughly enjoying it and learning at the same time =) , kudos
Fantastic! Loved it guys, thank you so much
I love Niko's interpretation.
Although I have to say, few things I have heard have impressed me as much as the sum of Steven's emotional and compositional brain with the raw, majestic, spontaneous and masterful interpretation of Mr. Guthrie Govan, for me he is the best guitar player I have ever known. exists today, but I have to say that his solo albums or with the aristocrats, there comes a point where so much virtusism ends up boring me, however, added to Mr. Wilson's compositions, I think they are the maximum expression of the right measure of heart, soul, technique, passion and emotion that exist in music.
Maybe if you asked me one day, I would dare to say that, for me, the best music band par excellence in history would be Pink Floyd, without a doubt, but I have to admit that the sum of the minds of Wilson Govan surpasses in terms of emotion to any album by the best band in history.
Steven Wilson is a musical genius. Pretty cool that he's on the show.
This was beautiful and interesting!
I would love more videos like this, structured like this with insights on the solos conception. Great work and well...Steven Wilson is always great!
This is great. Big Steven Wilson fan. I already listened to the new album like 6 times today. 😀👍
Amazing interview, every aspiring musician should watch this
Guys guys guys, what a great interview, Steve Wilson is next level, listened to all his albums last Christmas while travelling around the Phillipines (Cebu), just amazing on all levels, cannot wait for the new album, cheers for the great work all.......
Another level above the surface of the earth - top - top - top.