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![[SONG OF THE DAY] Tycho - "Japan"](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61cb91c18cbd5c31ee4ab0fd/1671491606927-0Y6UIXPI5S6DYG3Y3IOY/image-asset.jpeg)
[SONG OF THE DAY] Tycho - "Japan"
photo credit: Scott Hansen
San Francisco soundscape crafters Tycho have returned with a new track, “Japan”, from their forthcoming album WEATHER, out on July 12th. "I had just returned from spending some time in Hakone, Japan with my wife's Japanese relatives," shares project brainchild Scott Hansen. "I was thinking a lot about the kinds of electronic music instruments I had been using when I first started making music in the late '90s. With 'Japan,' I was trying to recapture a part of that sound and combine it with the imagery and experiences from my trip to Hakone. I sent the song to Hannah with nothing more than the title of 'Japan' and she wrote all of the lyrics." As with the recent string of singles they’ve released from this album cycle, the band has offered a 2-pack, which includes the album version and an accompanying instrumental.
Speaking of said instrumental, I wanna talk about how frustrating it was to watch a large portion of the Tycho fandom essentially have a total fucking meltdown about the addition of angelic vocalist Saint Sinner to the mix. As previously mentioned, Hansen has shared how he’s really excited about incorporating the most “organic instrument” on the planet into the Tycho soundscape. I even admitted it was gonna take me a second to get used to the idea. That all said, as someone who lives to watch bands evolve and challenge themselves to push beyond any self or fan-made boundaries, to say I’m disappointed that some folks can’t see the opportunity the band is giving us to reflect on how truly powerful either type of performance is would be an understatement. Hansen is quick to detail the amount of thought that goes into each version, "I wanted to explore the idea of approaching songs from two entirely different perspectives,” he explains, “Similar to 'Pink & Blue,' the instrumental versions are not just the songs with vocals muted, they are different arrangements with different instrumentation and melodies in place of the vocals."
Even before skimming the press release to do this post, just this morning (almost a full month since the “Pink & Blue” writeup mind you) I found myself lost in thought while listening to both versions of “Japan”. I couldn’t help but reflect on how fascinating it is to watch this band begin to be able to articulate into words certain things that maybe their music hadn’t been able to previously. Maybe prior to now Tycho music was akin to those in religious settings who speak in tongues, not sure the exact or best way to fully express themselves, but deep down the sound does enough to speak for itself.
It’s certainly a concept that is worth taking some time to sit with, if only to deepen your appreciation for the band. I hope that those who were upset come around. Personally it just makes me love this band all the more knowing that they’re the ultra meticulous musicians I’ve grown to appreciate them to be busily fretting over every painstaking detail every step of the way with this release.
PS - have you pre-ordered Weather yet? Do you have your tickets for their extensive af world tour coming up? If not, get on that shit, fam!
TYCHO
"WEATHER WORLD TOUR"
2019
JULY
21 - Byron Bay, Australia - Splendour In The Grass *
23 - Melbourne, Australia - Forum Melbourne
24 - Sydney, Australia - Sydney Opera House
26 - Niigata Prefecture, Japan - Fuji Rock Festival '19 *
SEPTEMBER
5 - Los Angeles, CA - Greek Theatre **
6 - Berkeley, CA - Greek Theatre #
7 - Portland, OR - Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall #
8 - Seattle, WA - Paramount Theatre #
11 - Denver, CO - The Mission Ballroom #
13 - Minneapolis, MN - Palace Theatre #
15 - Chicago, IL - Aragon Ballroom #
16 - Toronto, ON - Sony Centre for the Performing Arts #
18 - Boston, MA - Wang Theatre - Boch Center #
19 - New York, NY - Summerstage #
20 - Philadelphia, PA - Franklin Music Hall #
21 - Slippery Rock, PA - Resonance Music & Arts Festival *
23 - Detroit, MI - The Masonic #
24 - Columbus, OH - Express Live #
26 - St Louis, MO - The Pageant #
27 - Kansas City, MO - CrossroadsKC #
2020
FEBRUARY
9 - Oslo, Norway - Rockefeller #
10 - Stockholm, Sweden - Vasteatern #
11 - Copenhagen, Denmark - Vega Main Hall #
13 - Hamburg, Germany - Uebel & Gefahrlich #
14 - Cologne, Germany - Live Music Hall #
15 - Paris, France - Elyse Montmartre #
17 - Brussels, Belgium - AB Ballroom @ Ancienne Belgique #
18 - Amsterdam, Netherlands - Paradiso #
19 - Berlin, Germany - Huxley's #
21 - Warsaw, Poland - Praga Centrum #
23 - Prague, Czech Republic - Roxy #
24 - Budapest, Hungary - Akvarium #
25 - Vienna, Austria - WUK #
27 - Milan, Italy - Fabrique #
28 - Bologna, Italy - Estragon #
MARCH
1 - Barcelona, Spain - Sala Apolo #
5 - London, UK - Printworks #
* Festival Performance
** Chrome Sparks
# Poolside
![[SONG OF THE DAY] Tycho - "Pink & Blue"](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61cb91c18cbd5c31ee4ab0fd/1671492746709-B2XCCFU6OKNNJFOHYKAW/image-asset.jpeg)
[SONG OF THE DAY] Tycho - "Pink & Blue"
photo credit: Scott Hansen
Earlier today the band that can temporarily induce synesthesia to basically anyone, the Grammy nominated Tycho unveiled the details of their forthcoming studio album Weather, which is slated for a July 12th release on new home Mom + Pop/Ninja Tune. Pre-orders are live todayyyyyy!!!! Go getchu a bundle fam!
✨✨✨✨ ✨✨✨ ✨✨✨✨ ✨✨✨✨ ✨✨
✨✨ A C H I E V E M E N T U N L O C K E D ✨✨
✨✨✨✨ ✨✨✨ ✨✨✨✨ ✨✨✨✨ ✨✨
Tycho has songs you can look up the lyrics to now and I ain’t even mad tbh.
That’s right!
On the heels of the album announcement, the band has shared a brand new track, “Pink & Blue”, along with an accompanying video. Following up what we now know as the lead track on the album, “Easy”, this new track features what Tycho brainchild Scott Hansen refers to as, “the most organic instrument of all, the human voice”, better known to the world as Saint Sinner (born Hannah Cottrell).
As he explained, "It has been inspiring working with Hannah's voice and hearing Tycho evolve into something that I had always hoped it someday would. [….] Our initial sessions were incredibly productive and I strongly identified with the imagery in her lyrics. Her vision folded effortlessly into mine and her voice integrated seamlessly into the sonic landscape opening new spaces for me as a songwriter and producer.”
I’ll admit, it’s going to take a little getting used to with this new “'instrument” in play, but mostly because I’m so used to getting lost in all of the delicate synth movements. With Saint Sinner being added to the mix, the focus is shifting ever so slightly, but int he best possible way.
Offering some insight behind the lyrics to the song, Saint Sinner shared, "The lines, ‘Oh, pink and blue, you know I look good on you’, originally stemmed from when I was romantically involved with a man and a woman simultaneously, for the first time in my life." She continued, "It was a defining moment for me. I went from being a young religious kid who thought she would marry a man to a young woman who realized her love for women. I now found myself, somewhere in the middle, leaning more closely to women. 'Pink & Blue' is a love song to no one, to everyone, and to myself. It's a sweet reminder to all lovers to hold onto their love with open arms; to be fearless about any type of love and to be fearless about losing their love. Love is never lost."
Hansen added, “Looking back, it's clear that every step of the past 18 years has lead to this moment and I couldn't be happier with the result."
OH AND THERE’S A TOUR ON THE HORIZON! The Weather World Tour kicks off in July on the other side of the world before heading to North America in September, and then finally making their way through Europe.
Are y’all hype for this? I’M SO FUCKING HYPE FOR THIS!
TYCHO
"WEATHER WORLD TOUR"
2019
JULY
21 - Byron Bay, Australia - Splendour In The Grass *
23 - Melbourne, Australia - Forum Melbourne
24 - Sydney, Australia - Sydney Opera House
26 - Niigata Prefecture, Japan - Fuji Rock Festival '19 *
SEPTEMBER
5 - Los Angeles, CA - Greek Theatre **
6 - Berkeley, CA - Greek Theatre #
7 - Portland, OR - Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall #
8 - Seattle, WA - Paramount Theatre #
11 - Denver, CO - The Mission Ballroom #
13 - Minneapolis, MN - Palace Theatre #
15 - Chicago, IL - Aragon Ballroom #
16 - Toronto, ON - Sony Centre for the Performing Arts #
18 - Boston, MA - Wang Theatre - Boch Center #
19 - New York, NY - Summerstage #
20 - Philadelphia, PA - Franklin Music Hall #
21 - Slippery Rock, PA - Resonance Music & Arts Festival *
23 - Detroit, MI - The Masonic #
24 - Columbus, OH - Express Live #
26 - St Louis, MO - The Pageant #
27 - Kansas City, MO - CrossroadsKC #
2020
FEBRUARY
9 - Oslo, Norway - Rockefeller #
10 - Stockholm, Sweden - Vasteatern #
11 - Copenhagen, Denmark - Vega Main Hall #
13 - Hamburg, Germany - Uebel & Gefahrlich #
14 - Cologne, Germany - Live Music Hall #
15 - Paris, France - Elyse Montmartre #
17 - Brussels, Belgium - AB Ballroom @ Ancienne Belgique #
18 - Amsterdam, Netherlands - Paradiso #
19 - Berlin, Germany - Huxley's #
21 - Warsaw, Poland - Praga Centrum #
23 - Prague, Czech Republic - Roxy #
24 - Budapest, Hungary - Akvarium #
25 - Vienna, Austria - WUK #
27 - Milan, Italy - Fabrique #
28 - Bologna, Italy - Estragon #
MARCH
1 - Barcelona, Spain - Sala Apolo #
5 - London, UK - Printworks #
* Festival Performance
** Chrome Sparks
# Poolside
Tycho - Weather Tracklist
1. Easy
2. Pink & Blue
3. Japan
4. Into The Woods
5. Skate
6. For How Long
7. No Stress
8. Weather
![[SONG OF THE DAY] Tycho - "Easy (feat. Saint Sinner)"](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61cb91c18cbd5c31ee4ab0fd/1671494009363-6O5NVNE5ZS6V78094YOB/image-asset.jpeg)
[SONG OF THE DAY] Tycho - "Easy (feat. Saint Sinner)"
Friday. Vibe O’Clock. Let’s fuckin GO.
Earlier in the week electro-zen masters Tycho revealed that they have plans to release a new album this year on their newfound home Mom + Pop Records after a long love-filled relationship with Ghostly International. On the heels of the announcement the band also shared a brand new track, “Easy”, featuring Saint Sinner.
Speaking on the track, primary composer, songwriter, and producer Scott Hansen said, "Music can transport us to other realities but can also ground us firmly within ourselves, after a trilogy of records spent exploring the outer reaches of experience I am focusing inward to reveal a human side to the music."
He continued, "My journey as an artist has been defined by an iterative cycle with each album building on and refining an overarching vision, ‘Easy' is about coming to terms with my past and defining a clear vision moving forward. It's a comforting voice that reminds you not to get so lost in the work, but to take it easy and enjoy the ride. 'Easy' is the bridge to the future."
THE. BRIDGE. TO. THE. FUTURE.
Between Hyperspace and this new record (details TBA), the future looks very very fucking good.
OH PS did I mention they have some mind boggling shows coming up (not in the US of course ugh ugh ugh). I would probably sell a couple of organs to see them at the Sydney Opera House. CAN YOU IMAGINE!? 😍😍😍
TYCHO ON TOUR
JULY
21 - Yelgun, Australia - Splendour in the Grass
23 - Melbourne, Australia - Forum Melbourne
24 - Sydney, Australia - Sydney Opera House
26 - Yuzawa-machi, Japan - Fuji Rock Festival
SEPTEMBER
19 - Resonance Music & Arts Festival - Slippery Rock, PA
[2016 Recap] A Few Of My Favorite Things
bless Topsters for assembling this graphic infinitely easier than prior years
Surpriiiiseee!! I'm going to do my year end wrap up differently than most of the ones I've seen. Mostly because I have so many to share, but mostly because I like to let the music do the talking and help you get better connected to the artists themselves. Instead of recaps of each record, I'm going to point you to my favorite tracks so if any of these are new to your ears you'll have the best starting point I can give you.
Personal Observations for 2016
This was a weird year for me in terms of listening/discovery habits. Instead of fighting against music consumption trends, I decided to play along. I dove head first into my Discover Weekly playlist. I even followed some of my friends' in order to see what I would find and set up an IFTTT recipe to archive everything recommended to me so I could go back and reference it later if I wanted. I barely touched my SKOA inbox, which probably upset a lot of publicists. Anyway, according to Last.FM's data (since Spotify never ended up sending me mine), I listened to 1,919 new artists this year, which is ABSOLUTELY INSANE. But really when you think about how much music Discover Weekly puts in front of you, it's really less than what everyone had the potential to check out (which is 1,560 if you figure we get 30 new tracks a week for a year). I am in the 98th percentile in music listening per Last.FM (meaning I listen to more music than 98% of people who still scrobble to Last.FM) and I found myself panicky and overwhelmed by the sheer volume of music that Spotify thinks I can get through on TOP of the music I already love and want to enjoy, or the random rabbit holes I end up falling into that typically bring me great new baby bands. I guess most people approach Discover Weekly differently than I do, letting artists come and go as they please, but knowing the transformative power that music possesses, I'm always wary of passing on an opportunity to be affected and share those experiences with others.
It's crazy to think that 20% of what stuck with me this year was randomly generated by The Algorithm and not delivered to me by humans. I almost said that the human delivery was through cosmic forces, but really, if music finds its way to your ears/hearts by friend or by Algorithm, both are cosmic in a way, no?
This is my struggle at present. I value the connection that happens when a humans experience music together, whether it be by recommendation or attending shows together. I worry this experience will continue to be diminished the more we silo ourselves into our algorithm-based echo chambers. I really hope I'm just out of touch and someone will point me to where this is the opposite, but I can't ignore how self-serving shows feel now every time I treat myself to a Night Out. This has been on my heart/mind too much lately to ignore it, so expect some changes to how things go down on the site (starting with making more time for this now that my new job isn't crazy busy for awhile).
What music moved you this year? Did you like some of these records but different tracks? I'd honestly love to know so please drop me a comment. Also if you want more than favorite tracks out of me for these records, feel free to bug me on Twitter I am happy to share!
