Tycho at The Forum

Tycho at The Forum | Live review

5^th October 2014

5 October 2014

Friday 3^rd October saw Tycho descend upon The Forum in Kentish Town to a full venue of excitable fans. Instrumental mellow synth electro is perhaps a difficult genre to translate to live performance, especially in a relatively large venue but this was helped by stunning visuals that emphasised the meaning of each song. Recurring themes included suns, seas, deserts, clouds and lone women wandering. Some songs from their latest album Awake have a perhaps a more progressive electro sound than the ethereal retro vibes of their earlier music. The images to go along with these songs were more about geometric shapes and colours rather than the more natural images that accompanied earlier songs. These well-crafted images helped evoke a juxtaposition of emotion pairing ideas of love, loss, desolation, loneliness and isolation with hope, escape, autonomy over oneself and freedom.

Tycho expressed how delighted they were to have one of their musical idols Ulrich Schnauss performing on the same billing: “It’s such an honor to be able to share the stage with someone whose work has made such an impact on my life.” This excitement was evident in the performance: the guys seem to enjoy live performance and being onstage. This is echoed in their between song banter, which was minimal but still conveyed an enthusiasm to be doing what they love.

The band had a difficult day with some of their equipment not arriving with their flight, but they managed to perform impressively and effortlessly with borrowed instruments. They transitioned easily, showing their musical dexterity and the well-honed unity between the band, particularly in their finale. It felt like they were playing to each other but rather than alienating the audience, it brought the whole show to a fitting close and immersed us further in their sound and passion.

It can be questioned whether a live performance adds much to this style of music; it could be argued that it might be better enjoyed at home with your headphones on, where you can interpret the songs for yourself. However, seeing it performed live not only enables you to appreciate their musical talent, but allows you to venture into the vision of Tycho – this certainly adds to the experience and understanding of the songs from their perspective.

★★★★★

Yassine Senghor
Photos: Melissa Harper

For further information about Tycho and future events visit here.