Tycho - Past is Prologue

Past is Prologue is Tycho's, aka Scott Hansen's, first album, and it's electronica dripping with delicious, shimmering soundscapes. Like the gorgeous artwork he has personally done for all his albums (he used to be a graphic designer), Past is impressively meticulous and beautiful.

The familiar, dark dreaminess of Boards of Canada echoes through various avenues of the album, but Scott Hansen sets himself apart from their work by livening the dreamy soundscapes with beats and grooves that have your foot tapping throughout. Including a strong presence of tempo was a smart move on his part; the tempo keeps the listener on his feet as the spaciness goes on, whereas other ambient works leave you floating aimlessly. That sort of floating can sound/feel amazing, but somehow having some sort of a beat thrown in the dreamy melodies make the tracks more... clear, or fresh.

Skillfully, Hansen stays safely away from a Techno/dance-club ecstasy sound. That sort of music tends to be far too one-track and in-your-face. Scott Hansen knows that the delicate tracks of Past (and of Tycho's entire discography) would be mangled and shredded like ribbons if he were to use a fat, stupid Techno beat. What he does use to enforce rhythm is a cool, sleek snare/bass affair that fits right in with the gentle, entrancing melodies.

Past is Prologue is not strikingly different from other ambient/electronic works, but it stands out by being groovy and mesmerizing as hell. Funky, refreshing, dreamy, hypnotizing. If you liked the Boards of Canada album that I posted, or if you like electronica stuff in general, you should definitely give this album a try. If you like it, I urge you to support this guy by buying his stuff. The artwork/ presentation of his CDs and LPs is probably the best tangible work made by a band/artist. On top of that, Tycho is not very well known, and I wanna see him make more music.

Best track to start out with:

Dictaphone's Lament

Pbs

Past is Prologue

The Disconnect

A Circular Reeducation