Tycho (musician)
{{Short description|American musician (born 1977)}}
{{peacock|date=March 2025}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Tycho
| image = Tycho 2012.jpg
| caption = Hansen performing in 2012
| alias = ISO50
| birth_name = Scott Hansen
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1977|2|7}} {{citation needed|date=March 2025}}
| origin = Sacramento, California,
United States
| genre = {{flatlist|
- Chillwave{{cite web | url=http://www.digitaltrends.com/music/interview-tycho-scott-hansen-on-touring-digital-vs-analog/ | title=Interview: Tycho (Scott Hansen) on touring, digital vs. analog | work=Digital Trends | first=Mike | last=Mettler | date=March 31, 2015 | access-date=December 29, 2016 | quote=Ambient chillwave maestro Tycho always has his head in the clouds — something the man also known as Scott Hansen takes as quite the compliment.}}{{cite web | url=https://badgerherald.com/artsetc/2015/03/25/tychos-ethereal-chill-wave-mesmerizes-majestic/ | title=Tycho's ethereal chill-wave mesmerizes Majestic | work=The Badger Herald | first=Aaron | last=Hathaway | date=March 25, 2015 | access-date=December 29, 2016}}{{cite web | url=http://theknow.denverpost.com/2016/09/19/photos-lotus-tycho-red-rocks-091716/121141/ | title=Photos: Lotus and Tycho at Red Rocks, 09/17/16 | work=The Denver Post | author= | date=September 19, 2016 | access-date=December 29, 2016 | quote=Electronic jam band Lotus and chillwave producer Tycho performed at Red Rocks on Saturday, September 17.}}
- ambient
- IDM
- downtempo
- post-rock
}}
| years_active = 2002–present
| label = {{flatlist|
- Mom + Pop
- Ninja Tune
- Ghostly International
- Merck
- Gammaphone
}}
| associated_acts =
| website = {{URL|tychomusic.com}}
}}
Scott Hansen (born February 7, 1977) is an American musician, record producer, composer, and songwriter. He is known professionally as Tycho ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|t|aɪ|k|oʊ}} {{respell|TY|koh}}), and ISO50 for his photographic and design work.{{cite web |date=2007-09-11 |title=About ISO50 » ISO50 Blog – The Blog of Scott Hansen (Tycho / ISO50) |url=http://blog.iso50.com/about/ |access-date=2017-01-20 |website=Blog.iso50.com}}{{cite web |title=ISO50 Portfolio - The Visual work of Scott Hansen |url=http://iso50.com/iso50.html |access-date=2017-01-20 |website=Iso50.com}} His music has been described as a blend of downtempo, ambient, and electronic styles, often incorporating analogue synthesizers and guitar.{{cite web |title=Tycho’s Sound: A Deep Dive Into the Music of Scott Hansen |url=https://www.xlr8r.com/features/tychos-sound-a-deep-dive |access-date=April 10, 2025 |website=XLR8R}} He is based in San Francisco.
The name Tycho is inspired by the Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe.{{cite web |date=16 March 2014 |title=Tycho: Music By A Visual Imagineer |url=https://www.npr.org/transcripts/289844499#:~:text=SCOTT%20HANSEN%3A%20Thanks.,astronomer%2C%20someone%20named%20Tycho%20Brahe |access-date=11 October 2024 |website=NPR.com}}
History
In 2002, Tycho's first EP, The Science of Patterns, was released. Tycho released the full-length debut Sunrise Projector in 2004, on Gammaphone Records.{{Cite web |title=Past Is Prologue |url=https://ghostly.com/products/tycho-past-is-prologue |access-date=2025-03-29 |website=ghostly.com |language=en}} Past Is Prologue, Tycho's first full-length album, was released as a solo project.{{Cite web |title=Tycho {{!}} Biography & History |url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/tycho-mn0000205959/biography |access-date=2020-03-16 |website=AllMusic |language=en-us}}
His fourth studio album, Epoch, was nominated for Best Dance/Electronic Album at the 2017 Grammy Awards.{{cite news |date=2016-12-06 |title=2017 Grammy Awards: Complete list of nominees |url=http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/music/la-et-ms-grammys-2017-nominations-winners-list-20161205-story.html |access-date=2017-01-20 |newspaper=Los Angeles Times}} Tycho signed to Mom+Pop{{Cite web|url=http://www.momandpopmusic.com/blog/2019/4/welcome-tycho-to-the-mom-pop-music-family|title=Welcome Tycho to the Mom + Pop Music Family!|website=Mom+Pop|language=en-US|access-date=2020-03-07}} and Ninja Tune{{Cite web|url=https://www.residentadvisor.net/news/43786|title=Tycho signs to Ninja Tune for vocal-heavy new album, Weather|website=Resident Advisor|access-date=2020-03-07}} in 2019, additionally also released music on Ghostly International, Merck Records, and on the Gammaphone Records.{{When|date=March 2020}}
At the 2020 Grammy Awards, Tycho received his second Grammy nomination in the Best Dance/Electronic Album for the fifth studio album Weather.{{Cite web|url=https://www.grammy.com/grammys/artists/tycho|title=Tycho|date=2019-11-26|website=GRAMMY.com|language=en|access-date=2020-02-19}} Tycho released Simulcast, an instrumental version in February 2020.{{Cite web|url=http://exclaim.ca/music/article/tycho-simulcast|title=Tycho Simulcast|website=exclaim.ca|language=en-ca|access-date=2020-03-16}}{{Cite web|url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/tycho-simulcast/|title=Tycho: Simulcast|website=Pitchfork|language=en|access-date=2020-03-16}}
Sound
{{BLP sources|date=March 2020|section}}
Hansen's music project, Tycho, has drawn comparisons to artists such as DJ Shadow, Ulrich Schnauss, and Boards of Canada.{{cite web |title=Tycho Is Back With a New Album and a New Purpose |url=https://pitchfork.com/thepitch/tycho-new-album-interview/ |access-date=April 10, 2025 |website=Pitchfork}} His style incorporates lo-fi analogue textures with electronic instrumentation, with themes of nostalgia and nature. His compositions commonly feature ambient textures and synthesizer layering.{{cite web |title=Tycho Talks Crafting Chillwave and Blending Design With Sound |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/tycho-chillwave-design-1123951/ |access-date=April 10, 2025 |website=Rolling Stone}}
Until the release of the album Dive, Hansen worked as a solo artist and used the Digital audio workstation Cakewalk Sonar to work with virtual analogue hardware, digital hardware, and VSTi synthesizers and samples derived from live instrumentation played by Hansen. While creating the album, he switched over to REAPER, a program he credits for enabling him to finish Dive.{{Citation needed|date=December 2016}} The album tour featured a live band for the first time.{{Citation needed|date=December 2016}} Hansen's performance approach often involves the concurrent use of guitar and foot-triggered samples.{{cite web |date=15 April 2013 |title=Tycho AMA |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/electronicmusic/comments/1cdpc5/i_am_scott_hansen_i_make_music_as_tycho_and/ |access-date=19 September 2014 |website=Reddit.com}} After touring, Hansen expanded the project, with collaborations in both live and studio settings and two other band members: Zac Brown on bass guitar and guitar, and Rory O’Connor on drums.{{Cite web |title=Interview: Tycho |url=https://www.stereofox.com/interviews/interview-tycho/ |access-date=2025-03-28 |website=Stereofox Music Blog |language=en}} As of 2024, the live band consists of Hansen leading synthesizers and guitar, Brown focusing on guitars, O’Connor on drums, and Billy Kim on bass and additional instrumentation.{{Cite web |title=Nature, fatherhood, synthesizers: Tycho's eternal balancing act |url=https://musictech.com/features/interviews/tycho-scott-hansen-infinite-health-devices-interview-2025/ |access-date=2025-03-28 |website=MusicTech |language=en-GB}}
Band members
File:Tycho performing at the Roadrunner, Boston, in 2022.jpg, Massachusetts, in 2022]]
- Scott Hansen – synthesizers, guitar, bass guitar, visuals, programming
- Zac Brown – bass guitar, guitar
- Rory O'Connor – drums, percussion
- Billy Kim (touring member) – bass guitar, keyboards, synthesizers, visuals
- Hannah Cottrell – vocals
Past members
- Joe Davancens (touring member) – bass guitar, keyboards, synthesizers, programming
Discography
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [http://tychomusic.com/ Official website]
- [https://www.wired.com/underwire/2011/11/tycho-synthesizers/?pid=5431&pageid=85096&viewall=true Wired Tours Tycho Studio]
{{Tycho}}
{{Authority control}}
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Category:21st-century American composers
Category:American ambient musicians
Category:American male composers
Category:Record producers from California
Category:Musicians from Sacramento, California
Category:21st-century American male musicians