| Dublin based band Tycho Brahe played a festival in Czechland this summer. Check out their website for more info. Great album. Of course we shall get a special on that as well, meanwhile this is what Donal had to say: "Hi Dominique The festival we play is the Spalicek festival in Valasske Mezirici in the East of the country near the border to Slovakia. On either the 20 or 21 of june (or both!). Can't wait! D" Donal@thetychobrahe.com ‘This Is??the stunning debut album from The Tycho Brahe - What do you get when you combine the startling intelligence and pop sensibility of the former Plague Monkeys with the wayward eclecticism of the nation’s best-known multi-instrumentalist? You get This Is, the tuneful, intelligent, high-spirited, staggeringly unpredictable debut from Dublin three-piece The Tycho Brahe. The Tycho Brahe are Donal O Mahony, Carol Keogh (The Plague Monkeys) and Diarmuid Mac Diarmada (David Kitt, The Jimmy Cake). What looks on paper like the latest Dublin supergroup, however, is in fact a continuation of a musical conversation begun years ago, when the three first worked together as Low Babies in 1995. It was when Diarmuid moved to Cork that the remaining pair formed the critically revered The Plague Monkeys. They released two albums over three years (Surface Tension and The Sunburn Index) as well as the score and soundtrack for Conor McPherson’s film Saltwater. Meanwhile, Diarmuid went on to plaudits bringing his singular sensibility ?not to mention ability to play almost anything ?to working with beloved beatbox-songwriter David Kitt and avant-rock iconoclasts The Jimmy Cake. Donal, Carol and Diarmuid only decided to musically reconvene as The Tycho Brahe as recently as February 2002, but once the decision was made, ideas tumbled together very rapidly. Self-assured without being chilly or exclusive, accomplished and brainy yet hugely engaging, and the most unpredictable debut you will hear this year, This Is was independently recorded and produced by Donal and Diarmuid between February and July 2002 in their home recording studios, free of the time and budgetary constraints a stint in a commercial studio would have inflicted ?and the relaxed camaraderie and sense of fun that resulted from the album’s home birth, is palpable on every track. More significantly perhaps, it also resulted in the album’s fearless eclecticism - a rare quality in a band these days - as their worry-free imaginations ran to post-hip-hop tunefulness (the tragicomic, acutely observed ‘Listless?; rolling string-laden sea shanties (the swollen ebb-tide of ‘Half Mast?; small, cherishable instrumentals that find melodies and surreptitiously-recorded found noises knitted gently together (‘Emily Is Going?; Bacharach-meets-Brian Eno toe-tappers (the deranged yet perfect pop of ‘Hooga Chakka?; echoes of Fleetwood Mac (‘Your House From Mine? and more?Guest musicians/co-conspirators on the album include Daniel Figgis (on processed harmonium) and string-player-about-town Kim Porcelli (on cello and double bass). The Tycho Brahe are a genuine cottage industry (of which they’re very proud). In keeping with their spirit of handmade, lovingly crafted music and absolute financial self-sufficiency, Donal also produced The Tycho Brahe’s first video (‘Half Mast? himself and supplied the band’s website. Meanwhile, Donal Dineen - a longtime fan of all three members?previous work as well as a known flag-flyer for Irish independent music - has filmed a video for ‘The Internal Life Of Animals? He will also be joining forces with The Tycho Brahe for a small nationwide tour, where the band will provide a live soundtrack to accompany his own short films. This tour begins in the Project Arts Centre, Dublin on the 16th and 17th of October. When Donal, Carol and Diarmuid decided to form The Tycho Brahe ?named after a Danish astronomer who lost his nose duelling over a scientific principle ?they decided they would make a record that was completely for themselves ?that is, purely for the joy of making, and then listening to, their music. It shows. Distribution is by RMG. For further information contact Niamh @ NB Publicity Tel: 01 4163008 / 4547477 Fax: 01 4163009 / 4547484 Email: niamh@nbpublicity.com hotpress - It’s a joy to hear this miniature cast of local luminaries weave such a wonderful web of avant-pop. The performances are delicate yet assuringly confident and brilliantly produced, mixed and mastered by O’Mahony and MacDiarmada. Carol’s voice is the crowning ace in a strong pack. Tony Clayton Lea ?Irish Times - 'The debut album is languidly adrift in a sea of its own making. Songs mix with instrumentals. Above everything is the blending of music from Donal and Diarmuid with the words and vocals from Carol.' day and night - irish independent - 'Keoghs singing is often sublime and there are plenty of delightful, intricate moments here.' event guide - '... a voice that is at once vulnerable, icy, edgy, angry and agile. The soundscapes of O'Mahony and Mac Diarmada are perfect accompaniments in this respect.' rte.ie - ‘It's an album that's both playful ('Hooga Chakka' 'Listless') and serious ('Your House From Mine', 'Unplanned') and has the intimacy big bands waste even bigger cheques trying to capture. There's no set sound or pieces and you get the feeling that this band can steer itself any way and with anyone its trio so desire. Definitely one to listen to and see stars. ?#060;/i> To this, I only add that I came across that band by chance, as I was writing about Bohemian librarian Max Brod and his novel published in 1914 called "Tycho Brahe Weg zu Gott", sadly not available in an English-speaking translation. This came a bit as a surprise, and indeed a wonderful one. Hence I totally rely on chance when selecting records for radioeuropa, the ones that I come across feature on it and then I like to check what some of the people are doing currently. And their music is very very good and of course I would like to know what their impression of the Spalicek festival was, and how come they got the invitation there in the first place - but then as I said, Tycho Brahe, the Danish astronomer made a big impression on Prague back in the Renaissance according to historians and Max Brod. I'll keep you posted. |