by Ben Hogwood
James Braddell has been remarkably prolific under this pseudonym – so with plenty more to explore, I’ll leave a high point from his Fast Asleep album on Ninja Tune from 2002. Very deep indeed…
The Funki Porcini Bandcamp page appears to be fully up to date, and has a very impressive discography
Published post no.2,968 – Tuesday 4 August 2026
by Ben Hogwood, using the Ninja Tune press release. Picture (c) Scott Hansen
2x GRAMMY® Award–nominated electronic icon Tycho has joined forces with acclaimed dreampop artist Sea Lemon for the oceanic new single, Anotherwave available today via Mom + Pop in the U.S. and Ninja Tune for the rest of the world.
As you will hear, it is another hot weather beauty from an ever-reliable source:
“I was driving late one night on a road trip through the California Central Valley when I first heard Sea Lemon’s music,” says Tycho’s Scott Hansen. “Eraser came on and immediately clicked; I think I listened to Close Up about four times in a row. I started imagining Natalie’s vocals on this new song I had been working on; the lush textures felt like a perfect match for the sound. So at the next stop, I reached out and sent some demos. I was really happy when she picked the particular song I had in mind; that’s usually a good sign. We started bouncing ideas back and forth, and pretty soon thereafter, Natalie tracked the vocals at her place. The track was originally a sparse, synth-driven piece, but once I got the vocals in place, I realized something was missing from the overall composition. So Zac came over and tracked some guitars, and it all came into focus quickly. This was one of those songs where I never really had to fight anything; it all just flowed, and those are the most fulfilling projects to work on. It was really an honor to work with such a talented artist as Natalie, and I’m very proud of what we created together.”
”When Scott (Tycho) reached out to me and shared this song, I instantly felt a connection to the underwater-like quality of the sounds and textures,” says Sea Lemon (a.k.a. Seattle, WA-based musician Natalie Lew). “I started writing lyrics about being ‘caught in another wave,’ which turned into sort of the anthemic lyrics that get repeated throughout the song. I’ve been such a fan of Tycho for years, and getting the chance to work with him on a track is a total dream. Scott has an extremely creative, collaborative way of working, which makes coming together on a track like this a huge joy.”
Anotherwave marks the latest in an ongoing series of diverse collaborations for Tycho, including previous alliances with artists spanning ODESZA, Maggie Rogers, Little Dragon, Leon Bridges, Death Cab for Cutie, and more. The track follows the release earlier this year of Forge, a compelling instrumental companion piece to 2025’s Boundary Rider, a collaboration with Interpol’s Paul Banks. 2024 saw Tycho continuing to expand the parameters and possibilities of electronic music with its engrossing sixth album, Infinite Health, co-produced by Hansen with Grizzly Bear’s Chris Taylor with backing from guitarist Zac Brown and drummer Rory O’Connor.
Published post no.2,934 – Wednesday 1 July 2026
by Ben Hogwood, with text lifted from the press release
Tycho has announced and released Forge, the follow-up to (and early incarnation of) Boundary Rider, his recent collaboration with Paul Banks of Interpol.
Speaking about the track, Tycho (aka Scott Hansen) says: “Boundary Rider started life as a demo called Forge, a driving open-ended extension of the Epoch-era sound. I originally sent a pretty stripped back version to Paul Banks to see if he was interested in contributing vocals, which later informed the direction of that arrangement. After completing that version, I revisited the original to see if I could draw a compelling instrumental out of it. This is sometimes difficult with a song written with vocals in mind — it’s hard to find the elements to tie it all together once the vocals are gone. But with this one it ended up feeling nicely balanced just by pushing Zac’s guitars to the front a bit, retaining the isolated sound of the vocal version while opening up more space for the instrumentation to breathe.”
As you will hear while listening to the track below, Hansen’s point is proved with music of warmth and poise, yet also positive energy – such as that felt with the onset of Spring-like weather here in Britain!
Published post no.2,820 – Thursday 5 March 2026
adapted from the press release by Ben Hogwood
Tycho – project of celebrated San Francisco songwriter, musician and producer Scott Hansen – announces Boundary Rider, his new collaboration with Paul Banks of Interpol.
With Interpol cited by Hansen as a key touchstone on his own productions Boundary Rider sees Tycho in a decidedly post-rock mode, with Banks’ yearning vocals delivered over crisp percussion, swirling guitar riffs and fleeting synths. Watch below:
“Interpol has long been one of my biggest influences so I jumped at the opportunity to collaborate with Paul on a song,” explains Hansen. “Boundary Rider started life as an atmospheric instrumental song titled “Forge” that I had been working on here and there for a couple of years. When I met Paul and started thinking about what songs might connect with his voice, Forge immediately came to mind.”
“I sent him a demo along with the prompt “Boundary Rider”. I had been reading about the lives of Boundary Riders during the 1930’s, people who patrolled and maintained fences in the vast expanse of the Western Australian outback. There was something about this solitary existence that I felt resonated with the song and the deep sense of isolation in Paul’s lyrics brought this into focus.”
Published post no.2,696 – Thursday 23 October 2025
from the press release, edited by Ben Hogwood
TAKKUUK is a new immersive installation from BICEP, visual artist Zak Norman and filmmaker Charlie Miller that explores the lives, communities and challenges facing artists Indigenous to the Arctic Region. TAKKUUK will feature on the giant floor to ceiling wrap around screens at Outernet London, one of the UKs most visited cultural attractions.
Created in partnership with the charity In Place of War, as part of their EarthSonic programme, the installation sees the renowned Northern Irish electronic duo — otherwise known as Andy Ferguson and Matthew McBriar — collaborating with a number of Indigenous vocalists, including Katarina Barruk, Andachan, Sebastian Enequist (from Sound of the Damned), Tarrak, Nuija, Niilas and Silla. The music was recorded in 2024 by Detroit-based producer and musician Matthew Dear in Árni Árnason from The Vaccines studio, during Iceland Airwaves festival in Reykjavík.
The resulting demos, combined with additional field recordings taken by Ferguson from the Russell Glacier in Greenland, form the backbone of this unique soundtrack set to accompany the remarkable TAKKUUK visual installation which premiers on July 3rd at Outernet London, before touring venues and festivals across the globe over the coming year.
The initial spark for the project came when BICEP travelled to Greenland in 2023, in which they began learning about the various issues facing local artists and their communities. It then came to life over the following two years, growing to eventually incorporate a striking visual element shot by Zak Norman (who has previously worked on visuals for BICEP, Squarepusher and Africa Express) and Bristol-based filmmaker Charlie Miller (whose documentary work with In Place of War has taken him to some of the world’s most marginalised and remote communities.)
Across its immersive presentation, TAKKUUK sees Norman and Miller introduce each of the Indigenous musicians and their communities. In scenes from Greenland, Sweden, Norway and Canada, attendees will witness the impact of their changing worlds, giving us an insight into their everyday lives and exploring not just the direct environmental consequences of a changing climate, but also the displacement of people and the marginalisation of their communities — resulting in the erosion of ancient cultures, languages, traditions and more.
Through highlighting these individual stories, the project hopes to raise awareness of the existential issues facing Indigenous people across the Arctic region. TAKKUUK reflects In Place of War and EarthSonic’s mission to use music to tell the stories associated with climate change, amplifying the voices of Indigenous artists on its frontlines. Through their music, words, and lived realities, this project shines a light on the deep connection these Indigenous communities have with their environment, while revealing the challenges they face as their lands, languages, and traditions come under threat.
“Takkuuk (pronounced tuck-kook) is the Inuktitut word which translates to literally ‘look’ but has the connotation that you’re urging someone to look at something closely. The Arctic climate is changing rapidly, so in context of the larger project, it’s a ‘hey look at this, the adverse effects of climate change are obvious,’ but also, ‘hey look at how cool Inuit culture is’.” – Charlotte Qamaniq (AKA Silla)
“This is a global story, and we all have a role to play. Join the movement by pledging to one or more of our six climate actions, and become an EarthSonic Champion. Together, we can make meaningful steps towards a more climate-conscious future.” – Ruth Daniel, CEO In Place of War/EarthSonic. Read more at earthsonic.org/6-acts
“Creativity and music are both powerful forces that can shine a light on global issues that need to be addressed. As a trustee of In Place of War the Earthsonic project with Bicep and artists Indigenous to the Arctic Region was something we really wanted to support. The work that has been created will be showcased across the Outernet screens and I know it is going to have a real impact and look and sound beautiful.” Philip O’Ferrall CEO Outernet
‘TAKKUUK’ Tracklist:
1. Niuja & Bicep – Sikorsuit
2. Niilas & Bicep – Alit
3. Tarrak & Bicep – Taarsitillugu
4. Andachan & Bicep – Aappoq
5. Niuja & Bicep – Qimuttoq
6. Sebastian & Bicep – Alloriqigit
7. Silla & Bicep – Takkuuk
8. Niuja & Bicep – Aallartilerpoq
9. Katarina Barruk & Bicep – Dárbbuo
10. Niuja & Bicep – Nipaassuseq
TAKKUUK Installation Tour Dates:
LONDON – OUTERNET – 03/07/2025
GHENT, BELGIUM – Wintercircus – 01-07/09/2025
MILAN, ITALY – Act in Synch Summit at Linecheck – 17-22/11/2025 TBC
OULU, FINLAND – Deep Space at Museum & Science Center – 02/2026
NUUK, GREENLAND – NUUK Snow Festival – February 2026
UMMANNAQ, GREENLAND – Iceberg Projection – February 2026
SISIMIUT, GREENLAND – Arctic Sounds – 04/05/2026
BELFAST, NI – Ulster Museum – May – July 2026 TBC
LINZ, AUSTRIA – Ars Electronica – Dates TBC
LONDON, U.K. – Frameless – Dates TBC
BERLIN, GERMANY – Quantum Gallery – TBC
BARCELONA, SPAIN – Mira Festival – TBC DUBAI, UAE – IMS – TBC
SÃO PAULO, BRAZIL – CCBB Gallery – TBC BELFAST, N.I – AVA Festival – TBC GIJÓN, SPAIN – LEV Festival – TBC
Published post no.2,566 – Tuesday 17 June 2025
Arcana.fm 