Review Summary: In strict comparison to electronic goliaths like Board of Canada, Tycho’s Past Is Prologue stands on its own.
What exactly is obvious of any electronic band with developing soundscapes that only draws you in? Boards of Canada, despite their repetitive sampling aren’t anything truly awe-inspiring, but what is easily described as electronic can only be heard with your ears only – that is too truly understand the sound they produce. Tycho’s
Past Is Prologue mixes various sampling with ambient techno atmospheres a la Board of Canada and even ambient artists such as Eno (not as limited).
Past Is Prologue isn’t something understood on first listens. Like other ambient or electronic artists it isn’t understood completely including the type of environment that is actually being developed towards the listener. “From Home” could be compared to the majority of Port Blue’s wondrous
The Airship. The overall feeling or attribute that the track gains is the feeling of floating on air or ‘riding the wind’ so to speak. Tracks like “Sunrise Projector”, “Dictaphones Lament”, and “PBS” can their characteristics from Boards of Canada. For one their overall sound is truly given off by the experience of electronic looping and drum tactics only to invigorate and relax the listener. The second release by Scott Hansen is surely to show what’s to come for his future discography.
Hansen’s diverse usage of distributing ambient and electronic samples in the background in “Send and Receive” bring the variety that is interesting and appealing, but the rainy “Brother” despite its short sequence is extremely pleasing and can be seen as a ‘brother’ to Monolake’s discography. As much as I praise many of these songs there are a few road bumps along the way. ¾ into the album some of the material becomes stagnant with “A Circular Reeducation”. The same could be said for “Past Is Prologue” and “Cloud Generator”, unlike most of the album the repetition in electronic loops or the interchanging atmospheres towards ambient and electronic become boring in some stages. The conclusion amounts to a few remixes of “Circular Reeducation”, “Send and Receive”, and “Sunrise Projector”. The latter of the two are the not necessarily improvements towards the originals, but they add a subtle difference in each track. All in all,
Past Is Prologue is an excellent addition to any ambient or electronic fan (more so towards Boards of Canada fans). It surely will not disappoint.
