Singles

ambient

No.1

Tycho "Awake" LP on Ghostly International
Release date: MARCH 18, 2014

Purchase "Awake": shop.iso50.com/collections/awake

formats:
CD/LP/DIGITAL

artwork by:
ISO50

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 has 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.

WEB - www.tychomusic.com 
TWITTER - www.twitter.com/iso50 
FB - www.facebook.com/tychomusic 
YOUTUBE: www.youtube.com/user/iso50 
INSTAGRAM - @iso50

Awake

Tycho "Awake" LP on Ghostly International
Release date: MARCH 18, 2014

Purchase "Awake": shop.iso50.com/collections/awake

formats:
CD/LP/DIGITAL

Design and layout by Scott Hansen

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 has 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.

WEB - http://www.tychomusic.com 
TWITTER - http://www.twitter.com/iso50 
FB - http://www.facebook.com/tychomusic 
YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/user/iso50 
INSTAGRAM - @iso50 


UPDATE: check out the great fan video made to the dub version by Progressive House 4Life (https://www.facebook.com/ProgressiveHouse8) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJe1DfY0qms Very cool and beautiful cinematography :)

Our remix of The Shore is finally out on Mango Alley along with the excellent rework by Mango and SEAWAVES. 

The original is a real emotional ballad so we wanted to stay true to that but give it a bit of a nostalgic feeling, like you're heading homeward on a journey. So we've added a groove, some original instrumentation and a little bit of euphoria too :)

We realize that you can just listen to it on here as many times as you like, such is the awesomeness of the internet! But if you'd like to say thanks and have a copy on your iPod or in a mix please feel free to head to Beatport (and soon iTunes) to download a copy.

http://www.beatport.com/release/the-shore/1289680 

Thanks for the support, and if you like the vocals make sure to check out the other @SEAWAVES tracks.

Mango & SEAWAVES - The Shore (We Are All Astronauts Remix)

After holding it back for what seems like forever, we can finally share this track with you now that it is released :)

We'll let the music do the talking, but we hope you enjoy the journey.

You can find some cool club remixes of this by Nick Hogendoorn on the Beatport release, as well as a faster "sunrise" version from us with a 4/4 beat. If you prefer iTunes then it will be available on there soon too. And of course, you can listen on repeat on here as many times as you wish! https://pro.beatport.com/release/cerulean-sky/1491092

Beatport

Cerulean Sky (Sunset Mix)

Written by: Jordan Leibel and Johanna Olson
Vocals: Johanna Olson
Piano: Jordan Leibel
Drums, Bass: Scott Melnyk (Urban Birds/Vareas Artists)
Recorded: Music City Studios, Kelowna BC
Mixing: Jordan Leibel and Casey VanWensem (Birds Companion Music)


Winds

Available on Bandcamp at: https://thebirdscompanion.bandcamp.com/track/ellipsis-single

This track is a special release for the first annual "Piano Day" (a new holiday invented by Nils Frahm). It incorporates sounds from my old Yamaha upright piano in a few different ways: First I played it (of course), then I sampled the piano and manipulated those samples to create some of the ambient effects you hear. Hopefully this helps you to hear the piano in new ways (as it did for me).

"Ellipsis" is based on the idea of waiting for something even though you don't know exactly what you're waiting for. Most of the elements for this piece were recorded during a trip to Kitimat in Northern BC. In many ways, Kitimat is a town in waiting – waiting for the city workers strike to end; waiting to see if new industries will come to the region or not; waiting for spring to finally arrive in full. This piece is my attempt to capture that feeling of collective waiting and anticipation. 

Ellipsis

Available on Bandcamp at: https://thebirdscompanion.bandcamp.com/track/refuge-single
 
This track is a special release for National Drone Day 2015, a day celebrating ambient, experimental, and drone music in Canada. 

I took this "holiday" as a chance to get a little more experimental than usual. All of the guitars in this piece were recorded in one take using a loop pedal, and the synth and electric piano were overdubbed later. 

The piece is based on the idea of resisting fear, even though the world around you seems terrifying. 

"Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way 
and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, 
though its waters roar and foam 
and the mountains quake with their surging." - Psalm 46:2-3

Refuge

The crackling noise is from some hydrophones placed under the sand under the seashore at night - the slow movement of the crackle is the tide moving the sand.

Download

IIII

To the nights we spend crying, only to realise that broken hearts don’t mend and people never change, hoping that the Elysian Fields were more than just Homer’s myths.

As always, up on all other stores in 2 days. 
Free download through bandcamp.

Missing You

New version of "The Number of the Stars" featuring vocals and lyrics by Piotr Trypus of Evening Mode and Starsabout.
https://eveningmode.bandcamp.com/releases 

The Number of the Stars (Lyric Version feat. Piotr Trypus)

From the Still Life EP, available on Bandcamp at: https://thebirdscompanion.bandcamp.com/album/still-life-ep

Negative Space

Lonesome Summer

buy the album here:
http://blakeewingmusic.com/store/wilderness

License this track

Muir

Purchase at: https://thebirdscompanion.bandcamp.com/track/how-near-how-far 
All proceeds from the sale of this track will be donated to the Kelowna Food Bank.

How Near, How Far

A Mosaic Of Squares

As love
that is
each day upon the twig
which may die
So springs your love
fresh up
lusty for the sun
the bird's companion—

The Number of the Stars (Lyric Version feat. Piotr Trypus)

The Bird's Companion