Tycho Returns with Easy

Tycho is a mainstay in the ATH IT Department. Frequently used to pass time or focus concentration, records from Scott Hansen’s “side project” are made for space age lounge listening. His profession prior to becoming Tycho was graphic designer; his records often include gorgeous covers and videos feature his design and photography (just watch the video). Meanwhile, his live performacens have gone from MacBooks and midi, to a full band that brings recorded material to life.

Fans of Tycho will find this track instantly familiar, somewhat a throwback to just before the his last studio release Epoch. A new record is due later this year, but this preview/bridge track is available via Mom+Pop and Ninja Tune on all the services.

Show Pics: Tycho @ Stubb’s (5/12)

Last Friday was an insanely busy night in Austin. While Nathan camped out with Team ATH bands over at Hotel Vegas, I was taking in a full set from Tycho at Stubb’s.

It has been a big year for Scott Hansen. He started the Tycho project as an aside to his graphic design (check it out at ISO50.com). The live shows have featured projections of his art as an element of the performance. To the credit of that graphic design, I sometimes “see” the design language when spacing out listening to the records. The latest album, Epoch, was Grammy-nominated for Best Dance/Electronic Album. That had to be a rad feeling, and a bit odd given how much of the record is not electronic or dance. The Austin show was the end of the tour, so we were treated with an extended set of lesser played songs after an intermission following the normal show.

Anyway, you can relive the night with photos of Tycho and openers Khruangbin along with some more words and even get a few bonus shots of our friends Tres Oui at Beerland. Deal?

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Smooth But Strong Track From Tycho

Awake-Cover-564_0Tycho is a go to artist for me on rainy days or when I put the nose to the virtual grindstone. We are going to be getting the drizzle and work has been work. Time for the soothing sounds of Tycho.

But what’s this? Could it be the Great Pumpkin? No, it is Scott Hansen using a sweet bassline with just a bit of anger behind it before falling into customary Tycho-styled tones and waves. And I love it. This first single called “Awake” happens to be the title track. Tycho was one of my favorite things from FFF8. BTW, you can get the Vinyl of their previous effort Dive right here.

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Tycho Is Playing Fun Fun Fun Fest

TychoMOAR FFF8

Tycho is on my rainy-day-artists list. I have been able to listen to Tycho more in the last month and half than the last year and a half. Yes, we need it. Fortunately, we are getting a lovely break in the wet stuff for our festival this weekend.

Scott Hansen is Tycho. Tycho is playing on the Blue Stage on Saturday @ 6:20pm.

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Show Pics: Tycho & The Album Leaf @ Red7 (9/7)

Friday was a busy night. On my agenda, Pujol, Ariel Pink, Tycho and The Album Leaf.

Tycho asked The Album Leaf join them (him) on tour. This is a seriously good bill for any fan of mid-to-down tempo, beautifully crafted songs. To get to see both on the same night was a treat. It was impressive that the show sold out despite being in the larger space outdoors at Red7. Quick polling told me that the crowd was actually half and half as to who they were there to see, maybe Tycho in the lead. I guarantee that both bands gained fans.

Click through for a few thoughts and plenty of pics. Projectors are fun.

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Show Pics: Interpol @ ACL Live (4/26)

Interpol with Matthew Dear AND Tycho? Yes, please.

As the floodgates start to open, one of the busiest weeks in Austin venues since 2019 is fully underway. Names like DIIV, My Morning Jacket, Amyl & The Sniffers, Brian Jonestown, Hot Chip are all on tap. My choices? I went with Cut Copy and Interpol. The bonus for Interpol, I also got Tycho and Matthew Dear. Better still, the show was hosted by ACL Live, a venue that should lend to highlight the tight, precise sound of both Tycho and Interpol.

What are you waiting for? Click through and check out the gallery and read a few thoughts if you are downstream of this early in the tour show and still on the fence. TLDR, GO SEE THIS SHOW.

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Zone Out With Steve Hauschildt

How’s that World Cup going? My beloved Spurs are all having good showings for their respective countries, so far. Kane has two goals, Eriksen another and Trippier was wrecking defensive tactics with quality service from the wing. I digress.

There is no mystery that Ghostly International is one of my favorite labels, from Tycho to Beacon to Matthew Dear. They have another gem of a release pending with Steve Hauschildt‘s full-length album Dissolvi, due early August. Currently working out of Chicago, the Cleveland born producer employs texture and an ethereal vocal from Julianna Barwick to create a haze inducing atmosphere with progressive weight while percussion echoes with subtlety. This record is gonna be good.

Day For Night: Saturday In Photos

day-for-night-sat-201Nathan has our summary post duties. Nailed it.

Day for Night is a very ambitious festival; it over-reached a couple times this year, but all in all, it was a success. We’ll be giving the organizers some real talk feedback, but hot damn, last weekend was photogenic AF. The giant LED backgrounds used either for artists synchronized art or for excellent festival graphic design or complimentary colors to appease the lighting directors whims, all with a Houston skyline looming.

Aside from tons of environment pics, Saturday’s gallery features Lower Dens, Jesus and Mary Chain, Blood Orange, Tycho and Aphex Twin. I mean, look at that list. And this was the easy and chill day.

Click through y’all. Please?

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Day For Night Preview: X Versus Y

15156854_1835085233427368_2654722914580856930_oThe inevitable dilemma of the music festival, the Sophie’s Choice moments, what do you do, what do you do?

The full lineup has been out there for a hot minute, now we have the locations. You can download the festival map now. Biggest stage is Red, green a little smaller, blue goes indoors and yellow is outback, #thebackyard.

Saturday:

Chelsea Wolfe (Green – 4:10) Vs. Tobacco (Blue – 4:15) – Chelsea Wolfe wins for me on material. But Tobacco could be a multimedia dose of awesome. Hat on, head down, vocoder working overtime, Thomas Fec’s enigmatic stage presence is not the draw, but what will go along with that? Chelsea? I expect an overdose of fog. They are next to each other which will take the edge off my fest FOMO.

Tycho (Blue – 8:10) Vs. Daughters (Yellow – 8:20) – Look, that Daughters set could be a most nuts thing. This choice will likely depend on your intoxicant of choice.

The Run the Jewels incident – Look, RtJ is definitely a monster buzz draw at fests these days. If you are a super fan, this may end up being the smallest crowd they play in front of ever again. Why? Because they are up against Aphex Twin and John Carpenter. Yes, the movie director; he scored many of the movies he directed with synthy goodness and it is a pretty cool experience.

Sunday:

Blonde Redhead (Green – 6:10) Vs. Mykki Blanco (Blue – 6:00) – This is the old vs. new, indie vs. hip-hop’ish, nostalgia vs. witness scenario. There is a ton of buzz behind Mykki, rad minimalist electro beats, a back story of trans discovery. Seeing an artist grow and find themselves right in front of you is pretty cool. But “23” is an all-decade record. Deal with it.

Little Dragon (Red – 9:20) Vs. Butthole Surfers (Green – 9:40) – I’m having a great time listening to the first few from Little Dragon. Do I leave the known for the unknown? Do I leave to go see the Butthole Surfers? Can I recalibrate enough? I would have said no until a friend posted a video on bookface of the Surfers getting back up to speed, hard-edged and tight in a practice space by belting out “Who Was In My Room Last Night” and given the song’s flying intro, one would have to guess it will be the opener.

Top 50 Albums of 2016

top50You’ve all been waiting, anxiously. Waiting for our arbitrary list of the opinion of four folks who run this site, and what we think were the best albums of 2016. It’s really really important. We’re going to make our site great again with this list. We’re going to win, bigly. But really, it’s just a list of the stuff we loved the most that we covered throughout this year on our site. The comment section is open, so feel free to tell us where we’ve gone wrong or what we’ve got right or anything else fitting. Read more

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