Tycho – Weather

A breath of fresh air

With lush, lowkey and atmospheric sonics, Tycho has become somewhat of a downtempo powerhouse since his breakout album Dive. Dive was a meditation in soft electronics, slow grooves, perfectly balanced with synthetic serenity and a nostalgic warm touch. Fast forward eight years and Tycho is out with Weather. Tycho features vocals from Saint Sinner to add more atmosphere and a human touch, likely hoping to draw in a wider audience. 

“Easy” sounds a lot like what you would expect from Tycho, he doesn’t necessarily experiment or excite, but the addition of vocal hymns from Sinner craft a solid downtempo tune with its fair share of pleasantries. “Pink and Blue” is not the most seamless collaboration, as the vocals sound slightly out of step with Tycho’s synth-heavy production. The album’s single “Japan” is much more successful, Sinner’s vocals land tastefully and the production energetic and washes over you like a crisp breeze. 

“Into The Woods” is vocal-less and probably the most successful track from production and song structure point of view. The melodies and organic embellishments craft a beautiful psychedelic foray into one of Tycho’s most complete and mystical songs. “Skate” brings Sinner right into the forefront. A simple electric guitar melody fits beautifully with her indie-pop vocals. While the lyrics are somewhat forgettable, her voice is dynamic and uses Tycho’s simplistic production effectively. “No Stress” features darker more bass-heavy production form Tycho. Sometimes there is too much going on for Sinner’s vocals to really shine, but the details and distorted textures Tycho fits around the vocals is a unique take for his sound. The closer “Weather” Is classic Tycho but with more melodic complexity and layering. The powerful synth pads and clean drum breaks create a sea of cathartic electronic voices that echo around your brain triggering nostalgic thoughts and relaxing memories. 

Tycho manages to improve his sound in many ways while also experimenting more with vocal features and how to fit that against his melodic and frequently busy production. He is less subtle on Weather, the experimentation is here, and there is a sense that he is trying hard to build on his strengths and success.