about
Brisbane band Tycho Brahe has a progressive powersynth sound created by Ken Evans, Georgina Emery and Andy Walls (more: profiles).
Seasoned veterans of the live music scene, Tycho regularly gig around Brisbane and beyond. Between shows they retire to the Tycho Room, a bunker full of synthesisers, beat machines and science fiction merchandise.
Tycho have released several records, traded remixes with a number of bands and appeared on compilations the world over (more: releases).
latest news
tycho meets arthur barrow in LA
"Arthur who," I hear you say...? Arthur is best known for his time as Frank Zappa's bass player and clonemeister, but at Tycho Central he is revered as Giorgio Moroder's mid '80s keyboard guy, Linndrum programmer, bass player and go-to guy. He's worked with heaps of famous names from Diana Ross to Irene Cara to Berlin to Billy Idol and was also seen in Oliver Stone's movie "The Doors" playing the Hammond. Arthur is a living legend and is also a lovely guy who makes a great coffee. Here's me with Arthur last week at his Los Angeles studio, "Lotek", with his tasty Serge modular synth in the background. Arthur will be contributing some keyboard, bass and guitar parts to a special remix of "1985", when his Jupiter 8 synth is back from the repair shop! It was a privilege to meet Arthur, all the more so since the Tycho Linndrum is named after him ("Arthur Linndrum").
human league tour report
Do you want to know of the terror/elation of being offered an interstate tour support with your idolised band with only 96 hours notice and no rehearsal time?
This was the astounding situation Tycho found themselves in earlier this year when a Human League support was offered out of left field. To the credit of all Tycho crew involved, we not only managed to play these shows, but we seriously *kicked ass*!!! The tour report is now up with photos, and you'll see that we don't take ourselves *too* seriously :-) Settle in with a cuppa (or a beersky), and have a read here: http://www.tycho.com.au/events/200903-omg-tour.html
tycho brahe with pseudo echo
It's difficult to believe, but it's been over 10 years since Tycho Brahe first played a show with Aussie synthpop icons Pseudo Echo, who are heading north once again.
Initially we had hoped to hook up with our southern mates for all four upcoming Queensland shows but due to other committments we could only do two of these shows - Victoria Point (Brisbane) and Coolangatta.
This time through, Pseudo Echo has the "Funkytown" era line-up that most of us Countdown kids would be familiar with - Sir Brian Canham, Pierre Pierre and the Leigh brothers. It's always a great singalong night with the Pseuds, we hope to see you there.
Tycho will be opening for the following shows:
Sat 30th May, 9pm. Victoria Point Sharks Sporting Club, 325 Colburn Avenue Victoria Point. Cost $25.
Sun 31 May, 7pm. Coolangatta Hotel, Cnr Warner Street & Marine Parade Coolangatta $12 + bf, on sale now at venue and OzTix outlets www.oztix.com.au 1300 762 545 (Ticket price will be more at the door) 18+, ID required.
Cheers!
schmoozing with tycho
[schmooze (shmooz) - verb. To converse casually, especially in order to gain an advantage or make a social connection.]
After threatening to do so for several months, I've started a new photo album on our Myspace called "Schmoozing With Tycho". Its basically happy snaps of various Tycho members conversing casually with other assorted muso types, gaining advantages and, errrm, making social connections. There are only a handful of photos up at this time, but the album will be added to regularly over the next few days/ weeks.
You may have also noticed a few photos have appeared in the main Myspace album, these are courtesy of Angus Young, taken during the recent Sydney show with The Human League. Some photos from the Melbourne show are also on the way, when they're all sorted out I'll see that they're posted and let you know...
gig saturday april 18th
There's no rest for the wicked! Having barely recovered from our interstate supports with The Human League, we are playing a show at Brisbane club Atmosphere with local lads Leaders of Men. Depending on how things go at rehearsal, we are hoping to give a couple of new songs their live debut, and maybe dust off a couple of oldies that haven't been performed live for years. This will be an intimate gig in a relaxed atmosphere (no pun intended), and we'll be playing for a little longer than usual.
Where: Atmosphere at the Tank Hotel, 371 Queen St, Brisbane
When: Saturday 18th April, doors open 8pm, Leaders of Men early, Tycho Brahe 11pm.
How much: $12
There will also be giveaways of the new Depeche Mode album "Sounds of the Universe", and it's Robert Smith's 50th birthday, so trowel on that eyeliner and wear something dark!
tycho returns
It would have seemed inconceivable in the early days of Tycho that we would someday be touring with the world's most successful synthpop band, The Human League. Not only have we now done so, but we acquitted ourselves very well under logistically near-impossible circumstances, with band members and equipment at times spread across 3 states. Once we've gathered our wits a full tour report will be posted, but to summarize - we kicked arse!
tycho brahe opening for human league
A quick news flash from Ken, on the email list:
News just confirmed - Tycho Brahe will be opening for Human League in Sydney Tuesday 31/03 and Melbourne Friday 03/04!
We are scrambling with last minute logistics, more details to follow when I get the time to post them.
That's just a couple of days away, people! Make your plans now! :) Note that the gig has moved from the original venues in both cities.
sydney
The Metro: THE HUMAN LEAGUE - Licensed All Ages | Metro Theatre.
melbourne
Billboard: Human League (tickets through Ticketmaster).
tycho meets numan
The last 12 months have been amazing, I have been lucky enough to see shows by John Foxx, DEVO, Human League, ABC, Heaven 17, Covenant, VNV Nation (again), Howard Jones and now Gary Numan.....the John Foxx crew were the best drinkers though ;-)
club night - bushfire appeal
Saturday 28th February is a special night for Brisbane dark alternative club Atmosphere at the Tank Hotel, 371 Queen St, Brisbane, with $1 per entry going to the Victorian Bushfire Appeal. There will be many door prizes on the night including Tycho Brahe CDs, some of them signed by Yours Truly and Co amongst other goodies. Click on the picture (left) for more info....
bushfires
All of you here in Australia and many of you in other countries would be aware of the devastating bushfires in the state of Victoria over the last few days. At the time of writing, over 180 people are confirmed dead, many more are injured with dreadful burns, and over 5000 are homeless. The toll is expected to rise. The magnitude and sheer horror of this, Australia's worst natural disaster, is difficult to comprehend; the emotional, psychological, economic and environmental repercussions will be felt for years to come.
I am unsure as to what can be done from overseas, however here in Australia at least, monetary donations from individuals and businesses can be made to the Australian Red Cross Victorian Bushfire Appeal. This can be done securely online or by telephone, Red Cross will not deduct any funds from this appeal for administration costs. All funds received will be kept in a Trust Fund set up by the Victorian Government, donations over $2 are tax deductible.
In addition to this, the Victorian Bushfire Public Accommodation donation line is coordinating donations of billeting/housing and accommodation within Victoria. If you can assist with accommodation and reside within Victoria, phone 1800 006 468.
Red Cross site:
http://www.redcross.org.au/vic/services_emergencyservices_victorian-bushfires-appeal-2009.htm
tycho vs brand new day
A while back I was honoured to be invited to contribute some guest vocals for US electronic pop act Brand New Day. The result is "Take Cover", the title track of the new Brand New Day double album due for a March release in the US. The project enabled me to think outside the Tycho box a little, and I ended up taking it a bit EBM :-0
If anyone can guess what I based the lyrics on, I'll put them on the guestlist for the next Tycho show and buy them a beer ;-)
Click HERE to listen to the song and get some info on Brand New Day...
Cheers,
the sheffield pilgrimage
I will be back at Tycho Central within a few days now, freshly inspired to move things along with Tycho and get some new material out. I spent today visiting the headquarters of the greatest synthpop band in the world, the band that personally started it all for me...here's a photo of yours truly with Philip Oakey of the Human League, taken at HL Studios earlier today....
r.i.p. max the studio cat
Some very sad news from Tycho Central... Max the Studio Cat has passed away at the grand old age of 18. Max disappeared a couple of weeks ago and due to his poor health, the Tychos have had to assume the worst.
Credited in the notes for every release, Max was Ken's constant studio companion... and critic! As Ken once put it: "I know if Max walks out, it's crap..."
Max is the eyes on the front cover and liner notes of Tasty. He's also responsible for the purring and slurping at the end of the CD - if you've ever wondered what that was, it was Max eating some cheese (his favourite food).
Faithful family pet and a part of the Tycho mythos, Max the Studio Cat will be sadly missed. In Ken's words: Max, wherever you are, you will be missed but will live on in our memories. Thanks for 18 great years my little friend, RIP.
ken in the uk
Things are a little quiet in Tycho land at the moment due to Ken being in the UK, schmoozing it up on the Steel City Tour with The Human League, ABC and Heaven 17. Here's a photo of Ken with Human League founder and Heaven 17 supremo, Mr Martyn Ware.
The tour is amazing, with all three bands delivering mind blowingly great sets - Heaven 17 backing vocalist Billie Godfrey is stunning audiences with her amazing powerful vocal performance on Temptation, unbelievably great stuff that words cannot convey. Human League's huge LED set is also something that must be seen to be believed. I will post some photos somewhere at a later date for those who are interested....
tour report now up
They came, they played, steam came off the top of Ken's Head.
The F 5000 Booty Juice Tour brought Tycho to Sydney to play with Covenant and a host of others, as part of the Under the Blue Moon festival.
In their adventures the Tychsters observed the wonders of Darlinghurst's locals; discovered the joys of driving a renter with full cover; debated the rock'n'roll-ness of Sydney Harbour; played the gig; drank the rider; then headed home...
For the full story, check out the The F 5000 Booty Juice Tour report, including photos and video!
tycho baby news
Some non-musical yet happy news....
Ex-Tycho bass keyboard player Alison Barclay and drummer Stephen Birt celebrated the arrival of their baby boy on October 31st (Halloween). Mum and baby are both doing well after an eventful delivery.
Stephen and Alison first met as members of Tycho Brahe, and have named their boy Noah Brahe as a nod to the band. Of course, this is a great honour and we here at Tycho Central are delighted!
Congratulations Stephen and Alison, and welcome to the world baby Noah :-)
best review ever?
Ken reports: Ok folks - this would come close to being my favourite ever Tycho review, despite us playing virtually nothing on the night :-)
The night of burning dead stars begins with a near-epic bummer where one cannot help but feel for local synthpop stalwarts Tycho Brahe, who have to curtail their set in the middle of the second song due to a malfunctioning laptop. Frontman Ken Evans is however able to extract humour from the rather dour situation, brandishing his bass like a weapon and extorting "This is as hard as a rock, baby!" to the crowd's cheers.
Full review in Brisbane's Rave Magazine: http://www.ravemagazine.com.au/content/view/11767/82/
tycho spotting
Roving Tycho photographer and local scenester Mil Clayton was recently snapped on Tanzania's Mt Kilimanjaro wearing the latest fashion "must have", a Tycho T-shirt (2008 issue).
These have been selling like the proverbial hot-cakes at the last few shows, and despite having had two runs of these printed we have (as of the ill fated Covenant show) run out of medium sizes. We have a handful of small, large, and XL left.
To get a better look at these stylish garments check out the photos over at the Tycho Myspace where you can see a close-up of the front and back designs. The back features the "secret" logos from all CD releases to date.
We currently have no direct sales system set up, but I'm sure if you really wanted one of these we could organise a Paypal transaction. Price is AUD$30 plus postage.
catastrophe!
Well, last night's show with Covenant didn't go quite as planned. We suffered a catastrophic equipment failure, which resulted in Georgina's keyboard, Andy's keytar, most of Stephen's electronic percussion and all sequenced sections going down. We attempted a fix three times but had to abandon the show after playing half of Free and half of Avarice. Those who got there early may have heard half of Dislocation as a soundcheck :-)
The equipment failure may have been due in part to the mishandled roadcase on the Qantas flight back from Sydney on the weekend (it was smashed by the baggage handlers), but there were some software driver issues that also became apparent. Probably a bit of each, maybe? Either way, we'll work towards having some additional backup systems in place for future shows to avoid this happening again. I have to say, it's a first for me - I've never had to abandon a show completely before, and I've been doing this for quite a while now!
There were quite a few disappointed people in the audience who spoke to me afterwards - thankyou again to those people for your kind and supportive comments. We play for your enjoyment (and ours) and we're disappointed that we couldn't deliver for you.
Anyhoo, onwards and upwards - it may be a while before the next show but there are some exciting projects on the boil with Tycho, so please stay tuned and we'll see you at the next show!
Cheers,Ken.
gigs + remixes + farewell, rowdy mcstix
There are a few things going on in Tycho land, here's the deal...
gigs! sydney and brisbane
sunday october 5th @ the gaelic, sydney
Tycho are performing in Sydney at the Under The Blue Moon festival, a huge gig with a massive lineup - headlined by Covenant and also featuring Ikon and Diary of Dreams.
This festival has been getting a bit of online press attention, for example you can find some info including a short interview with Ken in the Under The Blue Moon aticle on liveguide.com.au.
- When?
- Sunday October 5th, doors at 4:30pm, Tycho at 5:30pm, followed by Ikon.
- Where?
- The Gaelic, 64 Devonshire St, Surry Hills NSW 2010
- Tickets and more info?
- Tickets and further info can be found at the Under the Blue Moon site or The Gaelic - UTBM event listing.
thursday october 9th @ the step inn, brisbane
On Thursday October 9th Tycho will be back in Brisbane as opening act for Covenant at the Step Inn. Note the early start time, since it is a school night!
- When?
- Thursday October 9th, doors at 6pm, Tycho at 7:40pm
- Where?
- The Step Inn, 186 Brunswick St, Fortitude Valley QLD 4006
- Tickets?
- Online via Oztix or in store at Rockinghorse Records.
tycho remix for parralox
From Ken:
Fellow Aussie synth act Parralox is causing quite a stir – I've been privileged to have been an inside observer to this creation from its inception only a few months ago. The opening song from Electricity, Parralox's debut album, is called Europa and a Tycho Brahe remix of this song has now been completed for release at a later date.
Visit Parralox on MySpace here: http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=330761846
I will be attending their album launch in London in November, so if anyone on this list is going to be there be sure to say "Hi!" to me :-)
francis leaving tycho
Last but certainly not least, Ken has confirmed what many already suspected - Francis Tohill has officially left the band, after four years behind the drums for Tycho. His final show with Tycho was the Assemblage 23 show in January.
Francis will still turn up around the traps as part of the covers band Karma Nova, giving us all a chance to yell "Hoots!" at him and request Dreams of Dying.
Stephen Birt will continue to perform with Tycho on a show by show basis, combining his energetic style with Tycho's fantabulous red Simmons drum kit. Stephen was a full time Tycho member from March 1998 to September 2003.
1985 - new song uploaded to myspace
A new Tycho song has been uploaded to the Tycho Myspace page. It's called "1985" and it made it's live debut at the VNV Nation gig a couple of weeks ago. The recorded version available on Myspace is unmastered (so it may be a little quieter than other tracks) and it *may* change a little before it's official release on the next Tycho album.
Click on the "1985 Sleeve" (left) to go to the Tycho Myspace page and hear the new song. Hope you like it!
photos from vnv nation gig
Mil Clayton has posted some photos online of Tycho opening for VNV Nation last Thursday night. Due to the tiny stage at the Step Inn, the lighting conditions and ban on flash photography these are a bit limited - there are no photos of Andy and if you squint you can *just* make out Georgina in one shot :-)
Anyhoo - a big "THANKS!" to Mil for posting these pix, which can be seen by clicking on the photo at left - (L to R) Ken, Mark, Ronan and Stephen backstage.
vnv nation + tycho brahe + junk circuit gig details
Tycho Brahe will be opening for the mighty VNV Nation this Thursday night at the Step Inn, along with Sydney's Junk Circuit. I'm not sure of exact running times yet but it *is* a school night so we will be on very early, so get there when the doors open otherwise you might miss us.
Stephen Birt will once again be drumming for us on the Simmons drum kit, and we will be debuting a brand new song that we're very excited about called "1985". It's got cowbells, it's got handclaps, it's 130bpm, what more does any Hi-NRG throwback need?
Also, for the first time in many years, we will have some brand new Tycho T-shirts available! These will be priced at $30, available in black with a new logo design on the front and all of the CD logos on the back. Rats, tridents, stars and broken hearts!
Gig details:
Step Inn, 186 Brunswick St, Fortitude Valley, Thursday 14th August, 8pm.
Tycho Brahe first, Junk Circuit (Sydney) second, then VNV Nation.
This is an 18+ event, ID required, tickets are $53.50 thru: http://www.oztix.com.au/ or $54.50 from Rockinghorse Records
vnv nation & devo!
Half of Tycho is currently cavorting around the countryside having caught a couple of shows from the mighty DEVO! Some photos will be posted soon (probably on Myspace), including some from backstage at Melbourne and some from a secret Adelaide location where we had some beers and pizza etc with the guys...
Tycho will be playing an early set this Thursday at the Step Inn with our old mates VNV Nation. We'll be going on super early at about 7:30pm I believe, Stephen Birt will again be joining us on drums, and we *finally* have some brand new Tycho T-shirts if you want 'em, so hopefully we'll see you there. Full details will be posted shortly :-)
rebound (tycho brahe retro remix) video
A video has appeared on Youtube for the Tycho remix of The Human League's "Rebound". This remix has proven to be quite popular with fans of the mighty League, you can watch it by clicking on "Rebound" (left), and the mixes are still available for download here.
more news...
See the news archive for earlier news; or 
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