That’s the most stunning part of Tycho: the largely synth-heavy work is exquisitely detailed and layered, but it expresses visuals the same way the soundtrack for Stranger Things does.

Because it’s synth-heavy, many people call Tycho background noise. I don’t think the music has ever been purely background noise. It’s layered sounds and intricate mixing — as well as Hansen’s attention to detail — demand closer listening. That’s truer than ever on Epoch.

Epoch is a harsher record than Dive or Awake, but not in a negative fashion. The album is more percussive. “Horizon” has a stronger backbeat than any of the previous work, and the synth elements take on a more drum-like intensity.

None of that is to say that the music is darker or more sinister than it used to be. Tracks like “Receiver” are familiar and pleasant — and there are many songs like it throughout the record. But Epoch does feel more percussive overall.

Scott Hansen’s work continues to stand out and succeed because of its optimism. Unlike so many of his contemporaries, Hansen’s vision of the world is uplifting and positive. His music feels like a positive force in the world. While it occupies the same mental space as Trent Reznor’s instrumental work, it occupies an entirely different emotional space.

Because Epoch carries this same tradition, there isn’t a noticeable slump in quality. Listening to Dive, Awake, and Epoch as a whole feels like a single vision. It’s three albums, but they’re all sharing the same vision for our society. They all have the same values.

As an addition to Tycho’s repertoire, Epoch is a can’t-miss for fans and newcomers alike. Whether Hansen considers this an ending to a trilogy or a single step in an ongoing journey is unclear, but it’s obvious that he hasn’t run out of things to say — even while remaining completely wordless.

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With No Better Time Than Now, it feels like Shinto is finally willing to be his own man. Allowing his music to breathe more than ever before, it feels like a nearly celebratory record for him. Big beats and dark tonal flourishes decorate what ends up being a surprisingly decadent record perfect for work and play.

Detroit Part 1 makes no bones about this being a darker record than you’d expect, and Perfect Crime follows that up with constant shifts in beat and melody that sound original and memorable compared to Shigeto’s peers.

Miss U is the most popular track and the most well-reviewed track on the record, perhaps for good reason — it’s a serious earworm. I love the opening beat. From what I’ve seen a lot of people say about tracks like Silver Lining the record is creatively stimulating — and perhaps that’s because of the steps Shinto is taking to expand his own creative identity.

There are old theories about how you can perceive the artist’s emotions through their work. No Better Time Than Now makes the case for that: one feels Saginaw working through his creative inspiration to try and find something original to say, something new. And although he’s not redefining the genre, it feels safe to say that Shigeto has now begun exploring his own identity. No Better Time Than Now is proof not just that Saginaw has something to say, but that he’s worth listening to.

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