Tycho

I’ve always been fascinated with multimedia. In the true sense of the word. Cultural expressions living across the boundaries of sound, imagery, written word. It’s not just about the music, the art or the lyrics. It’s about the world-building, the immersion, the whole package. Daft Punk didn’t just make anthems, they created journeys. Every small detail of the mythos, the thematic reinventions, the word-smithing hinting at a bigger plan… All of these things pull me in, to the point where I can get sucked up in a world for days on end. Imagination is a beautiful thing.

Sometime at the start of 2011, I stumbled upon a blog called ISO50. Last I checked, it’s still online. This was at the peak of my hobby career as a music producer, interest in photography, and a few years into my fascination with minimalist art, design and typography. For those of you familiar with Scott Hansen’s music project Tycho, you can see why this had such an impact on me.

For some reason, I didn’t look into his music, at first. I knew he had an album called “Past Is Prologue”, but I mostly looked at the artwork and read the blog posts. Later that year, though, he released his sophomore album “Dive”. I only needed to listen to a few seconds of the first track “A Walk” before I knew this was an instant favourite.

It’s honestly hard for me to put down in words how much “Dive” means to me. As I write this in my home office, I look up at the two framed Tycho posters behind my desk. One is a litograph of the Dive album cover, the other one is a poster from his Boulder, CO show in 2012. At that point in my life, it definitely gave me a well-needed boost of energy, peace, confidence and renewed creativity. I especially remember the track “Epigram”, and the effect it had on me. It was the spark I needed for several creative works.

The next albums “Awake” and “Epoch” was simply more of that. Not in a bad way, it was the natural progression. I think Scott even framed it as a trilogy of albums, and it certainly shows. The soundscape and the visual art keeps progressing, in some ways I think it becomes both more minimal and more complex at the same time. In many ways, each album was perfect for me at the time they arrived (2014 and 2016). Each one became a sounding board for my thoughts and emotions.

“Weather” (2019) was their (yes, they are a band since around the time of “Dive”/“Awake”) first step into vocals. I remember seeing some amount of backlash online. People who were mostly in for the instrumental-only vibes did not like it. I never understood this. Again, it felt like the natural next step. Saint Sinner’s voice is, in my opinion, the perfect addition to Tycho’s style. I very much prefer the instrumental style, but this was a welcome change. They later released “Simulcast”, which sort of flips the track order and go for instrumental versions of all tracks, with some variations.

I actually have a playlist dedicated to two tracks from “Weather”/“Simulcast”. It only includes “Stress” and “No Stress”. Whenever I’m at those moments in life where I feel overwhelmed and vulnerable, I close my eyes and put this playlist on. It helps every time.

“Weather” also got a remix album, like “Awake”. Two tracks that are so in tune with the whole Tycho mood, that I almost don’t really see them as remixes, are Mild Mind’s take on “Easy” and Nitemoves’ version of “Weather” (he’s also the drummer of Tycho, incredibly talented).

It felt like ages until their latest album arrived in 2024, “Infinite Health”. When the lead single “Phantom” dropped, I must admit that it took me a handful of times to really appreciate it, and all the little details of this new direction. But again, it feels like a natural progression. You know how some artists stay exactly the same until you get bored? While others can change style so drastically that you feel like you fell of the train? Tycho manage to keep the balance and refine the details.

The visual aspect of Tycho is also a huge part of why I love it so much. It complements and extends the vision, pulls at your imagination and emotions. I often return to Scott’s ISO50 blog and social media accounts for inspiration. In all the abstract shapes, the colors, the mashed up photocollages, there’s such a consistent feeling of human warmth. Seriously, take a look at the ISO50/Tycho collection he uploaded a couple of years ago. It’s an amazing art gallery.

It’s odd, but whenever someone asks me about my favourite songs or artists, Tycho is rarely the first thing that springs to mind. It’s often some newfound fascination, or some anthem of a track that is instantly memorable. But 15 years later, Tycho is always the music I keep coming back to. Whenever I’m going through a stressful period, whenever I’m looking for a moment of introspection, I find myself playing all of Tycho’s albums from start to finish. There’s a mellow optimism, a warm confidence. A gentle, steady hum that tells you that it’s going to be alright.

And as simple as that may sound, that’s usually what we need.

If it doesn’t work the first time
don’t stress, don’t stress