Tycho - Awake (10th Anniversary Edition)

Ships for RELEASE DATE: 03/22/2024

Indie Exclusive Pressing
We have 25 copies on 10th Anniversary Blue & Beige Vinyl

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For nearly a decade, Tycho has been known as the musical alias
of Scott Hansen, but with the release of Awake – his second LP
for Ghostly International – the solo project evolved into a
three-piece band. Relating closer to post-rock than ambient
soundscapes, the record is situated in the present, sounding
more like Hansen than drawing from his influences. This is, in
many ways, the first true Tycho record.

Following 2011’s Dive LP, the San Francisco-based designer
toured extensively, and with a full band on stage, his sound
coalesced into a percussive, organic whole. Zac Brown (guitars,
bass) rejoined Scott on the road for this tour, but it was the
particular addition of Rory O’Connor’s live drumming that
ultimately sent Hansen back to the studio with a more precise
vision. “After the tour, I decided that I wanted to capture the
more energetic, driven sound of the live show on the next
album,” Hansen recalls. Bringing musicians into Tycho’s creative
process was a step towards expanding his own songwriting and
advancing the project beyond its current sound.

In a cabin near Tahoe last winter, Zac and Scott began fleshing
out the structure of the new record, but it wasn’t until they set
up shop in the hills of Santa Cruz with Rory that it all fell into
place. “It crystallized the vision of how the drums would come to
the forefront on this record,” says Hansen. The sound was much
more stripped-down and concise with more organic
instruments in the fold. Songs like “Montana” and “Awake” are a
departure from Tycho’s previous material – unique to the group
effort poured into the songs on the new record – while “See” and
“Dye” echo ideas from previous works, bridging a middle ground
between the old and new. Working with Count Eldridge, who
also engineered Dive, the team could fixate on the pulses that
Tycho might previously layer under synthesizers and exhume
them with distinct bass and guitar patterns.

Also known for his design work as ISO50, Hansen’s visual and
sonic efforts have dovetailed throughout the course of his
career. “This is the first time in my life I've dropped everything to
focus on one artistic pursuit,” notes Hansen. Previous Tycho
releases came to fruition when an amalgam of songs were
nearing completion, but Awake is where music becomes the
focus and true expression becomes the result.

Tracklist:

1. Awake
2. Montana
3. L
4. Dye
5. See
6. Apogee
7. Spectre
8. Plains

Please note: