Tycho - Dive
Moderator: Aesthetics
I just got it. I'm breaking in new speakers so wanted to listen to material I'm familiar with this morning. But so far I actually like Dive, Hours, Costal Brake, and Elegy the best. The hip hop beats are mostly gone and there is a lot more guitar work which I think works for this music. It's almost Balearic.
I'm definitely a fan of his graphic art more than I am his music but I would still like to see him live. Probably great visuals.
ETA: I've given the album a proper listen. Here is my feedback for anyone who may care.
This album far outperforms his earlier release for several reasons. Firstly it's as if he hit his stride with what he was aiming for in his first release 7 years ago. The mixes are far more dense and sun drenched and the rhythms work better. His programming of drums or actual use of real drums in some cases is a benefit to his music. His studio has grown in the last 7 years and it is evident here. He also had it mixed properly at a professional studio for vinyl which was an excellent decision if not a necessary one. There is so much happening in the same frequency range that having someone suss out the stereo image and eq it properly is essential imo. Monster Labs (http://monsterlabaudio.com/) was used for this final stage and you know what it shows. Just take a look at that console.
I've never been convinced that Tycho was a Boc imitator. I think he was one of the first people other than BoC to be aiming for some of the lofi sound that has become ubiquitous with people like Toro y Moi, Neon Indian, Bibio. He was also a state sider and I think that hindered people's opinions of him at the time. As usual it takes America time to catch up with the experimentation that goes on across the pond. We aren't known as innovators in electronic music (historically we've only built a fair portion of it)
More to the point, I've lived in the vicinity where Scott grew up. The images he uses in his art work and that drive much of the music are embedded in me. The haze of the CA coast line on sunny days, the surfers in the water year round, the openness of the rolling hills and trees (that graced the cover of his first release) are part of the imagery that gives the sunny, fluid feeling this album evokes.
One of the things that remains the same about this album with regard to his earlier work is the lofi square wave set to a slow release the make up the bulk of his melody lines. It blends better for me because of the amount of guitar work he adds. It softens the effect and allows for more drift emotionally and otherwise.
That's just my take. I think its a very good release. It holds my attention better than his first album which conceptually I liked but found myself tiring of before I got to the end. My only complaint is it would have been a better summer album. Perfect for driving up the 101.
I'm definitely a fan of his graphic art more than I am his music but I would still like to see him live. Probably great visuals.
ETA: I've given the album a proper listen. Here is my feedback for anyone who may care.
This album far outperforms his earlier release for several reasons. Firstly it's as if he hit his stride with what he was aiming for in his first release 7 years ago. The mixes are far more dense and sun drenched and the rhythms work better. His programming of drums or actual use of real drums in some cases is a benefit to his music. His studio has grown in the last 7 years and it is evident here. He also had it mixed properly at a professional studio for vinyl which was an excellent decision if not a necessary one. There is so much happening in the same frequency range that having someone suss out the stereo image and eq it properly is essential imo. Monster Labs (http://monsterlabaudio.com/) was used for this final stage and you know what it shows. Just take a look at that console.
I've never been convinced that Tycho was a Boc imitator. I think he was one of the first people other than BoC to be aiming for some of the lofi sound that has become ubiquitous with people like Toro y Moi, Neon Indian, Bibio. He was also a state sider and I think that hindered people's opinions of him at the time. As usual it takes America time to catch up with the experimentation that goes on across the pond. We aren't known as innovators in electronic music (historically we've only built a fair portion of it)
More to the point, I've lived in the vicinity where Scott grew up. The images he uses in his art work and that drive much of the music are embedded in me. The haze of the CA coast line on sunny days, the surfers in the water year round, the openness of the rolling hills and trees (that graced the cover of his first release) are part of the imagery that gives the sunny, fluid feeling this album evokes.
One of the things that remains the same about this album with regard to his earlier work is the lofi square wave set to a slow release the make up the bulk of his melody lines. It blends better for me because of the amount of guitar work he adds. It softens the effect and allows for more drift emotionally and otherwise.
That's just my take. I think its a very good release. It holds my attention better than his first album which conceptually I liked but found myself tiring of before I got to the end. My only complaint is it would have been a better summer album. Perfect for driving up the 101.
Last edited by machinea on Sat Oct 08, 2011 4:27 am, edited 4 times in total.
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machinea wrote:It's almost Balearic.
This is somewhat why I'm not really digging this.Saakki wrote:The whole " drifting on the coast" feeling of it.
I mean he's a skilled musician for sure and the production on this album is great and sounds very spacious.
But I'm not feeling it. It sounds too clean in some ways. It meanders along too much. It's almost 'chill-out' music. The words 'coffee table' spring to mind.
It reminds me of Ullrich Schnauss who I can't get into either.
But that's just my two cents.
I think that makes complete sense. If you don't like Ulrich much I can see why you'd pass on this and I think it's a very fair comparison. I do like Dive and Hours for some of the movement. It makes good driving music. A little too much movement for coffee table chillout stuff for me. Actually if I were out surfing in the morning .. and this were blaring over the waves it would seem rather perfect.Naal wrote:machinea wrote:It's almost Balearic.This is somewhat why I'm not really digging this.Saakki wrote:The whole " drifting on the coast" feeling of it.
I mean he's a skilled musician for sure and the production on this album is great and sounds very spacious.
But I'm not feeling it. It sounds too clean in some ways. It meanders along too much. It's almost 'chill-out' music. The words 'coffee table' spring to mind.
It reminds me of Ullrich Schnauss who I can't get into either.
But that's just my two cents.
I do think its a stronger release than his previous album. The production is very good and I'm enjoying it from that technical standpoint. I don't know that its something I'll come back to again and again but maybe when the mood strikes me.
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This is a very well written post. I can agree with most of what you are saying! I can totally feel the California/SF vibe.machinea wrote:I just got it. I'm breaking in new speakers so wanted to listen to material I'm familiar with this morning. But so far I actually like Dive, Hours, Costal Brake, and Elegy the best. The hip hop beats are mostly gone and there is a lot more guitar work which I think works for this music. It's almost Balearic.
I'm definitely a fan of his graphic art more than I am his music but I would still like to see him live. Probably great visuals.
ETA: I've given the album a proper listen. Here is my feedback for anyone who may care.
This album far outperforms his earlier release for several reasons. Firstly it's as if he hit his stride with what he was aiming for in his first release 7 years ago. The mixes are far more dense and sun drenched and the rhythms work better. His programming of drums or actual use of real drums in some cases is a benefit to his music. His studio has grown in the last 7 years and it is evident here. He also had it mixed properly at a professional studio for vinyl which was an excellent decision if not a necessary one. There is so much happening in the same frequency range that having someone suss out the stereo image and eq it properly is essential imo. Monster Labs (http://monsterlabaudio.com/) was used for this final stage and you know what it shows. Just take a look at that console.
I've never been convinced that Tycho was a Boc imitator. I think he was one of the first people other than BoC to be aiming for some of the lofi sound that has become ubiquitous with people like Toro y Moi, Neon Indian, Bibio. He was also a state sider and I think that hindered people's opinions of him at the time. As usual it takes America time to catch up with the experimentation that goes on across the pond. We aren't known as innovators in electronic music (historically we've only built a fair portion of it)
More to the point, I've lived in the vicinity where Scott grew up. The images he uses in his art work and that drive much of the music are embedded in me. The haze of the CA coast line on sunny days, the surfers in the water year round, the openness of the rolling hills and trees (that graced the cover of his first release) are part of the imagery that gives the sunny, fluid feeling this album evokes.
One of the things that remains the same about this album with regard to his earlier work is the lofi square wave set to a slow release the make up the bulk of his melody lines. It blends better for me because of the amount of guitar work he adds. It softens the effect and allows for more drift emotionally and otherwise.
That's just my take. I think its a very good release. It holds my attention better than his first album which conceptually I liked but found myself tiring of before I got to the end. My only complaint is it would have been a better summer album. Perfect for driving up the 101.
Thanks for reading Lost. What is your take? added or differing opinions. I'm curious.
by the way, just as an aside, I took a DIY class yesterday, my first ever. One of the guys helping us out had a past is prologue shirt. I said hey.. I just listened to his new album. He was like... wooow.. I don't know anybody who knows who he is.
by the way, just as an aside, I took a DIY class yesterday, my first ever. One of the guys helping us out had a past is prologue shirt. I said hey.. I just listened to his new album. He was like... wooow.. I don't know anybody who knows who he is.
For what it's worth, just saw this article in Wired, interviewing Tycho on his equipment: http://www.wired.com/underwire/2011/11/ ... thesizers/
After listening to the album more , i've come to like it more than at first.machinea wrote:I think that makes complete sense. If you don't like Ulrich much I can see why you'd pass on this and I think it's a very fair comparison. I do like Dive and Hours for some of the movement. It makes good driving music. A little too much movement for coffee table chillout stuff for me. Actually if I were out surfing in the morning .. and this were blaring over the waves it would seem rather perfect.Naal wrote:machinea wrote:It's almost Balearic.This is somewhat why I'm not really digging this.Saakki wrote:The whole " drifting on the coast" feeling of it.
I mean he's a skilled musician for sure and the production on this album is great and sounds very spacious.
But I'm not feeling it. It sounds too clean in some ways. It meanders along too much. It's almost 'chill-out' music. The words 'coffee table' spring to mind.
It reminds me of Ullrich Schnauss who I can't get into either.
But that's just my two cents.
I do think its a stronger release than his previous album. The production is very good and I'm enjoying it from that technical standpoint. I don't know that its something I'll come back to again and again but maybe when the mood strikes me.
It's really not a bad album at all, but I still feel that a bit more variation could have made this better.
The tracks all sound too much alike.