Tycho – Awake (Clear Vinyl, 10th Anniversary Edition)

Tycho's Awake arrived in 2014 as a key turning point for Scott Hansen's project: after years of being known primarily as a solo studio alias, Tycho expanded here into a three-piece band, bringing Zac Brown and drummer Rory O'Connor into a sound that feels more physical, rhythmic, and band-shaped. Released as Tycho's second album for Ghostly International and following 2011's Dive, it captures Hansen's attempt to translate the energy of the live show into the studio.

That shift matters to the music itself. The album leans further toward post-rock and streamlined guitar-led electronics than Tycho's earlier ambient drift, with live drums pushed to the front and the arrangements pared back into something more direct. Hansen described it as "the first true Tycho record," and songs such as "Awake" and "Montana" make the case: bright, propulsive pieces that keep the project's melodic glow while sounding more immediate and deliberate. Elsewhere, "Dye" helps bridge the new approach with the wistful atmosphere long-time listeners would recognise.

The result is a concise eight-track set that sharpened Tycho's identity rather than simply enlarging it. Contemporary reviews noted how the album opened up the project's range, from chiming guitars to more pronounced peaks and valleys, while still working best as a complete, flowing listen rather than a collection of isolated tracks. This edition brings that 2014 album to clear vinyl, a fitting match for one of Tycho's most clean-lined and immersive records.

Reviews

• Awake is the album where Scott Hansen, the San Francisco-based visual artist and musician who records as Tycho, expands into a far-reaching space. - Pitchfork
• With more peaks and valleys -- and polish -- than Tycho's previous music, Awake offers a sunset of moods. - AllMusic.com