Report to the Dance Floor: Tachyon

I am surprised this project hails from New York as it has a much more sunny California vibe to it and is more pop inflected that experimental. These guys are no strangers to the industry having paid their rent as horn players backing up and  arranging for such music titans as Alicia Keys, Stevie Wonder, and Jon  Bon Jovi.  

There is chill laid back vibe, with smooth male vocals that glide over the bounce of the beats. The song builds in a very upbeat and pop manner , which if taken in context is tolerable as the commercial elements are not being shunned as this project has signed a licensing contract with Nickelodeon, and opened for Wu Tang Clan's  Cappadonna. There is vibe that makes me imagine this is what it would sound like if Ben Folds sang for Everything But the Girl. However the 90's feel isn't present in the production which takes a very modern approach with a sheen of auto tune plastic wrapping the vocals.

There is a more rock element to "Made Dreams". The vocals go up into a lilted falsetto and the chorus breaks away from the power chord in the bridge to an almost 80's thing that feels like Men At Work to me. The harpsichord skips along in the songs second half to give a more Sgt Peppers parade feel to it. 

"Aliens" has some pretty clever lyrics to the lazy beat that coasts underneath it . The smile etched on the vocal phrasing still reminds me of Ben Folds, though the music has a more experimental edge , it is put together in the same fashion that Danger Mouse crafts his projects with.The chorus is catchy without trying to be. The horns that chime in in the songs b section give a more organic warmth to the other wise cold and stiff beat that echoes under the melody. 

The piano riff to "Why Did I Leave You" gives it a similar sense of movement that Jamiroquai songs use to carry. The way the song grooves makes me think of "Bringing Sexy Back". This is much more quirky than anything Justin Timberlake would touch this side of Lonely Island. Their back ground as horn players makes sense in the way some of the song are accented in the same staccato pattern a horn section would follow.  

The nerdy Ben Folds feeling of "Time Machine" busts into a disco groove , with swirling synths and horns creating a dancing pop tornado. The arrangements are much smarter than any pop you would hear on American radio. I think with these guys industry connections and ability to fit their blend of songwriting into the current market of pop music , these guys could be getting heavy rotation on the air waves. If you have a happy side and want some pop music that doesn't dumb things down then these guys are worth your time. This might not appeal to  many of our readers , but  could easily become a guilty pleasure for others.