Tycho joins up with Death Cab front man Ben Gibbard on ephemeral indietronica selection, ‘Only Love’

July 13, 2021

470

Revered ambient/downtempo artist Tycho has enlisted the unmistakable vocals of Ben Gibbard (of Death Cab for Cutie, and formerly the Postal Service) for a mellow, airy track titled “Only Love.” The song arrived on Mom + Pop Music / Ninja Tune, along with a visualizer designed by Tycho, featuring his signature colorful aesthetic and basic shapes. When it came to the two artists working together on a track, it had been a long time coming. The two have been collaborating since 2016. according to Scott Hansen, aka Tycho. He continued in a press statement:

“I had been a fan of Ben’s work for a long time when, in 2016, I had the chance to do a remix for Death Cab for Cutie’s track ‘The Ghosts of Beverly Drive. Ben’s voice was a very inspiring element to work with from a production standpoint; I felt it really meshed well with the kinds of sounds and instrumentation I gravitate toward.”
– Tycho

Gibbard’s iconic indie tone, with its signature bit of apathy, but somber tone always tinged with deep sadness if perfect for the track. “Ben’s voice was a very inspiring element to work with from a production standpoint, I felt it really meshed well with the kinds of sounds and instrumentation I gravitate towards,” says Tycho in a press statement.

‘Only Love’ started life as an instrumental, but something was missing. I sent a rough demo to Ben and he recorded some vocals over it,” Hansen explained. “The first time I heard the rough vocals the whole song suddenly made sense and the arrangement flowed out of that.”

“In 2014 while reading This Changes Everything: Capitalism vs. The Climate by Naomi Klein, I came across a quote from Montanan goat rancher and environmentalist Alexis Bonogofsky that moved me immensely,” added Gibbard. “Speaking about the fight to protect public lands in southeastern Montana from the mining company Arch Coal, she said: ‘(The) connection to this place and the love people have for it, that’s what Arch Coal doesn’t get. They underestimate that. They don’t understand it so they disregard it. And that’s what in the end will save that place. It’s not the hatred for the coal companies or anger, but love will save this place.’ When Scott sent me the music for ‘Only Love,’ it seemed perfect for this statement.”

Also, be sure to check out the “Only Love” visualizer below.