Steven Wilson & Niko Tsonev On Music & Guitar Solos [From Steven’s Record The Harmony Codex]

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 - - New record, The Harmony Codex - Please visit That Pedal Shop Pedals & stuff in this episode Steven’s board • Dunlop Cry Baby UK & Europe: Australia: USA: • TC Electronic Polytune UK & Europe: Australia: USA: • Origin Effects Cali76 Compact Deluxe UK & Europe: Australia: USA: • Source Audio EQ2 UK & Europe: Australia: USA: • Analog Man Prince of Tone • Electro Harmonix Nano POG UK & Europe: Australia; USA: • Option 5 Destination Rotation Erm, no longer available? • Diamond Vibrato Not currently available • Red Panda Tensor UK & Europe: Australia: USA: • Red Panda Particle UK & Europe: Australia: USA: • Strymon Timeline UK & Europe: Australia: USA: • Moog Minifooger MF Trem No longer available • Strymon Big Sky UK & Europe: Australia: USA: • TheGigRig ABY BABY • TheGigRig G3 Niko’s board • Dunlop Volume X Pedal UK & Europe: Australia: USA: • Digitech Freqout UK & Europe: Australia: USA: • Source Audio ZIO UK & Europe: Australia: USA: • Bogner Harlow No longer made • Bogner Wessex No longer made • Source Audio Ultra Wave Australia: USA: • Chase Bliss Automatone Preamp MkII • Eventide H90 UK & Europe: Australia: USA: • Eventide Rose UK & Europe; Australia; USA: • Morningstar MC6 Australia: • Dunlop DVP4 UK & Europe: Australia: USA: • Lehle P-Split UK & Europe: Australia: USA: 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. You can buy TPS merch to support our efforts TPS Patreon – crowdfunding for creatives Our preferred retailers! UK & Europe: Andertons Music Australia: Pedal Empire