Awake Remixes: How Nine Producers Refracted Tycho's Vision Into a Kaleidoscope of Sound

The Album at a Glance

In December 2015, Scott Hansen announced that his acclaimed 2014 album Awake would receive a full companion piece: a nine-track remix album featuring reinterpretations from a carefully assembled cast of producers and multi-instrumentalists. Awake Remixes was released digitally on January 15, 2016, on Ghostly International (catalog number GI-269), with a physical vinyl edition following on May 20, 2016. The album peaked at number 3 on the Billboard US Dance/Electronic Albums chart and reached number 42 on the US Independent Albums chart, according to Wikipedia’s entry on the Awake album.

But the project did not materialize overnight. Several of these remixes had been circulating individually long before the full album dropped. The Com Truise remix of the title track “Awake” first surfaced as a standalone single on June 25, 2014, released on Ghostly International as Awake Remix (Beatport). By December 2014, four remixes – from Com Truise, Christopher Willits, Bibio, and Beacon – were bundled alongside the original eight tracks for Awake (Deluxe Version), a digital-only expanded reissue released December 16, 2014 (The Line of Best Fit; Northern Transmissions). The remaining five remixes (Dusty Brown, Nitemoves, RJD2, Baio, and Few Nolder) were completed in 2015, enabling the full standalone remix album to be announced in December of that year and released the following month.

This phased rollout matters. It means the question of whether Awake Remixes is a “2015” or “2016” release has a nuanced answer: the individual remixes began appearing in mid-2014, the deluxe version consolidated the first four in late 2014, and the complete nine-track remix album was released in January 2016. The full album – the definitive collection – is a 2016 release.

The Complete Tracklist

The album runs 46 minutes and 26 seconds across nine tracks. Every track from the original Awake receives one remix, with “Montana” earning the distinction of being reinterpreted twice – once by Christopher Willits and once by Few Nolder. The track titled “Awake” itself receives one remix. The full sequence, confirmed via Tycho’s Bandcamp page and Wikipedia:

Note: Wikipedia lists the final track at 3:17, while Bandcamp lists it at 5:52. This discrepancy likely reflects differences between the digital and vinyl masters, or an error in one source. The Bandcamp figure is sourced from the artist’s own page.

Correction regarding Poolside: The first-wave agent’s finding is confirmed. Poolside does NOT appear on Awake Remixes. Poolside remixed “Horizon,” a track from the subsequent album Epoch (2016). That remix was released as a standalone single on May 11, 2018, on Ghostly International (Bandcamp; Dancing Astronaut). It has no connection to the Awake Remixes project.

The Nine Remixers: Who They Are and What They Did

1. Com Truise – “Awake”

Com Truise is the project of Seth Haley, a producer and designer originally from upstate New York who relocated to Los Angeles. His stage name is a spoonerism of the actor Tom Cruise. Previously releasing music under the names Sarin Sunday, SYSTM, and Airliner, Haley debuted as Com Truise with the Cyanide Sisters EP in 2010, initially a free download later reissued by Ghostly International (Wikipedia). His debut album Galactic Melt followed in 2011 on Ghostly, and he describes his sound as “mid-fi synthwave slow-motion funk,” drawing on influences from Joy Division, New Order, and the Cocteau Twins (The Hundreds; Wikipedia).

Crucially, Com Truise is a Ghostly International labelmate of Tycho – making this a family affair from the very first track. His remix of “Awake” was the first to be released, appearing as a single in June 2014 (Beatport). Stereogum noted that the remix “retains the original’s sun-dazed flavor” while adding texture that is “a lot more coarse than the original, but no less colorful and grandiose.” The Georgetown Voice described it as “synthier” with “heavier undertones,” observing that Com Truise “funks up what Tycho began with.” Northern Transmissions characterized it as slowing the track considerably and merging “80s style synths with the present.”

2. Christopher Willits – “Montana”

Christopher Willits is a San Francisco-based artist who has been a core member of the Ghostly International roster since the early 2000s (Ghostly International artist page). A graduate of Mills College with a master’s degree in electronic music – where he studied under Pauline Oliveros and Fred Frith – Willits is known for using self-designed software to “paint with his guitar,” a technique he calls “folding”: real-time non-linear indexing, cutting, and re-sampling of guitar and voice (Guitar Moderne; Ghostly International). His collaborators include Ryuichi Sakamoto, Matmos, Zach Hill of Death Grips/Hella, Taylor Deupree, and notably Tycho himself (Ghostly International).

His remix of “Montana” is the longest track on the album at 8:05. Northern Transmissions described it as “spiritual and passionate,” an ethereal journey that “crescendos into powerful bass, then retreats into ambient tranquility.” Willits takes the guitar-driven original and disassembles it into its constituent harmonic particles, rebuilding it as a slowly evolving soundscape that emphasizes texture over melody. As another Ghostly roster artist with deep personal ties to Hansen, Willits was a natural choice for the project.

3. Dusty Brown – “L”

Dusty Brown is a Sacramento, California-based producer described as “one of the best electronic acts to have ever called Sacramento home” (Sacramento News & Review). His profile rose significantly in 2013 when Karen X. Cheng used his music to accompany her viral time-lapse video “Girl Learns to Dance in a Year,” which garnered over five million views. Brown’s approach blends computer-based beat production with live instrumentation – guitar, synthesizer, and piano – and he imposes self-imposed creative restrictions to keep his process fresh even as software becomes more intuitive (Sacramento News & Review).

His remix of “L” was highlighted by the Stereofox review as a standout, one of the “new tracks that are not included in the Deluxe Version” that helped justify the full remix album’s existence. At 4:24, it is among the more concise reinterpretations, taking the pulsing energy of the original and reshaping it through Brown’s characteristically emotive instrumental lens.

4. Nitemoves – “Dye”

Nitemoves is the project of Rory O’Connor, a lifelong drummer who began recording with a four-track and an Arp Odyssey over a decade before this remix (Last.fm). O’Connor quietly composed his debut release Longlines in three-to-six-hour chunks in the back seat of a moving car (Last.fm). He has a direct connection to the Tycho live operation: O’Connor has augmented both Com Truise and Tycho on stages around the world (Last.fm). His releases include Longlines (2012), Themes (2013), Don’t Ask! (2016), and indoor voices (2023), spanning a range from trip-hop to jungle to ambient.

O’Connor’s remix of “Dye” runs 5:32 and reflects his rhythmic instincts as a percussionist. The fact that Nitemoves also served as a touring support act on Tycho’s February 2016 U.S. tour – announced alongside the remix album (Music Times) – underscores how tight-knit this creative circle was. Nitemoves was not merely a remixer but a performing member of the extended Tycho live universe.

5. Beacon – “See”

Beacon is the Brooklyn duo of Thomas Mullarney III and Jacob Gossett, who met at the Pratt Institute where they studied sculpture and painting, respectively (Wikipedia; AllMusic). They self-released their first singles on Bandcamp before making their debut in November 2011 with the No Body EP on the Ghostly International-affiliated Moodgadget label (AllMusic). They became one of the most consistent artists on the Ghostly International label throughout the 2010s, releasing The Ways We Separate (2013), Escapements (2016), and Gravity Pairs (2018) on Ghostly (AllMusic).

Beacon’s remix of “See” is the shortest track on the album at 3:54. Northern Transmissions rated it “arguably the strongest offering” among the remixes, noting that Beacon adds vocal elements to deliver a “sultry and moody” interpretation with an R&B-leaning electronic quality, maintaining the bass-heavy foundation while layering “dreamy background” atmospherics. As Ghostly International artists themselves, Beacon represent another in-house collaboration on this project.

6. RJD2 – “Apogee”

Ramble Jon Krohn, known as RJD2, is an American musician and record producer based in Columbus, Ohio, born in Eugene, Oregon in 1976 (Wikipedia). His stage name derives from the Star Wars droid R2-D2. After winning the 1997 Ohio Hip-Hop Expo DJ battle, he joined the underground collective MHz as its DJ and producer. His 2002 debut album Deadringer on Definitive Jux brought him widespread acclaim. He later collaborated with rapper Blueprint as Soul Position and formed the duo Icebird with Aaron Livingston. He runs his own label, RJ’s Electrical Connections (Wikipedia).

RJD2 is the most high-profile name on the remix album and one of the few remixers who is not a Ghostly International artist. Circuit Sweet described his remix of “Apogee” as transforming “the swift-kicking original” into “tranquil instrumental funk.” Where Hansen’s original “Apogee” is one of the most propulsive tracks on Awake, RJD2 strips out the urgency and replaces it with a laid-back, sample-heavy groove informed by his hip-hop production roots. The RJD2 remix of “Apogee” was one of the last tracks shared before the album’s release, serving as a lead promotional single in early January 2016 (Circuit Sweet).

7. Bibio – “Spectre”

Bibio is the moniker of Stephen Wilkinson, a producer and multi-instrumentalist from the West Midlands of England. Known for his analog, lo-fi aesthetic, Wilkinson signed to Warp Records in 2008 after the track “Ambivalence Avenue” caught the attention of Steve Beckett (Wikipedia). His discography spans a remarkably wide range, and he creates the majority of his own album artwork as an avid film photographer (Wikipedia).

Bibio is the other major “outside” name on the remix album – an artist signed to Warp, not Ghostly. His remix of “Spectre” runs 4:18 and was one of the first four remixes released as part of the December 2014 deluxe edition. Northern Transmissions wrote that Bibio “deconstructs the original by removing bass and introducing lo-fi elements with warping effects,” evoking My Bloody Valentine’s “Only Shallow” before shifting into “whimsical, minimal territory with darker undertones.” The Georgetown Voice called it “hauntingly present,” praising its “distorted echoes and subtle background elements.” Clash Magazine described it as “a guitar-effect take” and “a true meeting of minds” – a fitting assessment given that both Bibio and Tycho share a deep commitment to analog warmth and tactile sonic textures.

8. Baio – “Plains”

Baio is the solo project of Chris Baio, the bassist and backing vocalist of Vampire Weekend (Wikipedia). Under his own surname, Baio released the EPs Mira and Sunburn before his debut album The Names arrived on Glassnote Records in September 2015 (Billboard). Subsequent solo albums include Man of the World (2017) and Dead Hand Control (2021).

Baio’s inclusion on the remix album is notable because he is neither a Ghostly artist nor someone who operates in the same sonic territory as the other remixers. Clash Magazine described his remix of “Plains” as “a slightly Balearic take,” injecting a sun-kissed, Mediterranean-club-leaning energy into one of the more understated tracks from the original album. At 4:36, the remix suggests a late-afternoon poolside atmosphere – a distinct contrast to the deep introspection of Hansen’s original. The ISO50 blog confirmed the Baio remix in a post announcing the project (ISO50 Blog).

9. Few Nolder – “Montana”

Few Nolder is the stage name of Linas Strockis, a Vilnius, Lithuania-based artist who first emerged in 2006 when the Lithuanian label Partyzanai released his debut Patterns EP (Last.fm; Resident Advisor). His next release No Mo was picked up by Mike Paradinas’s Planet Mu label, and a self-titled debut album followed in 2009 to critical acclaim (Last.fm). Strockis has been involved in numerous side projects including XYZ Opera (a collaboration between Lithuanian opera singers and electronic composers), the slow Balearic disco project New Found Land, and the pop electronic duo Dunes of Gold (Last.fm).

Few Nolder closes the album with a second interpretation of “Montana,” creating a bookend effect with Christopher Willits’s version at track two. The Stereofox review singled out Few Nolder’s contribution as a “techno/electro rendition of Montana,” while Clash Magazine described it as a “closing dancefloor rework.” Where Willits takes “Montana” into meditative territory, Few Nolder drives it toward the club – a perfect illustration of how the same source material can yield radically different results depending on who is holding the tools.

Ghostly International’s Gravitational Pull

One of the most striking aspects of Awake Remixes is how many of its contributors share a connection to Ghostly International, the Ann Arbor, Michigan-based label founded by Sam Valenti IV in 1999. Of the nine remixers:

• Com Truise has released multiple albums on Ghostly, including Galactic Melt (2011) and Iteration (2017).
• Christopher Willits has been a core Ghostly artist since the early 2000s, with a collaborative history that includes working directly with Tycho.
• Nitemoves released on the Ghostly-affiliated Moodgadget label and served as a touring member of the extended Tycho and Com Truise live operations.
• Beacon debuted on Moodgadget and became one of the most consistent Ghostly artists of the 2010s.

That accounts for four of the nine remixers with direct Ghostly ties. RJD2, Bibio (Warp Records), Baio (Glassnote), Dusty Brown, and Few Nolder represent the wider world beyond the label’s walls. This split – roughly half inside the family, half outside – gives the album both the coherence of a shared aesthetic vocabulary and the unpredictability of genuinely outside perspectives.

No public interview has surfaced in which Hansen details his exact selection criteria for the remixers. But the pattern speaks for itself: artists he has toured with (Nitemoves), artists he has collaborated with (Christopher Willits), artists who share his label (Com Truise, Beacon), and artists whose work he admires from adjacent scenes (Bibio, RJD2, Baio). The selection is personal rather than algorithmic.

How the Album Was Conceived and Released

The project unfolded in two distinct phases. Phase one was the Awake (Deluxe Version), released digitally on December 16, 2014. This bundled the original eight tracks with four remixes: Com Truise’s “Awake,” Christopher Willits’s “Montana,” Bibio’s “Spectre,” and Beacon’s “See.” This deluxe edition received an 8.8 out of 10 from Northern Transmissions, with reviewer Sharmaine Lindahl praising the way each remixer brought a distinct perspective while maintaining emotional resonance.

Phase two was the complete Awake Remixes album, announced in December 2015 alongside a nine-date U.S. tour launching in February 2016, with shows in Denver, San Diego, Los Angeles, Miami, Washington D.C., Brooklyn, Chicago, and Detroit. Nitemoves and Autograf joined as support on select dates (Music Times). The digital album dropped on January 15, 2016, with the physical vinyl following on May 20, 2016.

Circuit Sweet noted that the original Awake was “in many ways the first true Tycho record,” marking the moment Hansen announced Tycho as a full live band with a sound emphasizing drums and live energy. The remix album, then, was a way of dispersing that live-band energy back through the prism of studio-based production – handing the raw materials to nine different craftspeople and seeing what they built.

The Vinyl Edition

The physical release appeared as a limited edition deep blue colored vinyl LP pressed on Ghostly International (catalog number GI-269), available with a digital download code. The blue vinyl was widely described by collectors and retailers as visually striking – a fitting complement to Hansen’s design sensibility as ISO50, his visual art and graphic design practice.

The album was pressed as a single LP with tracks distributed across two sides. Retailers including Shugar Records and Experience Vinyl listed it as a new LP record, and it was also available through specialist outlets like Bleep and Denovali. As of this writing, copies regularly appear on the secondary market through Discogs and eBay, where they command collector-level prices.

No additional vinyl variants (such as a standard black pressing or a later repress) have been documented in the Discogs database. The deep blue pressing appears to be the sole vinyl edition.

Critical Reception

Awake Remixes received a moderate but generally warm critical response:

Clash Magazine (Robin Murray) gave it a 6 out of 10, calling it “both fascinating and slightly uneven” and noting that the collection lacked the cohesion of the original album due to the diversity of its interpreters. Murray described it as “a nice between-meals snack for Tycho fans, and a curious introductory point for those new to the Ghostly producer’s work.” He singled out Com Truise’s “glitzy dancefloor direction,” Baio’s “slightly Balearic take,” Bibio’s “guitar-effect take” as “a true meeting of minds,” and Few Nolder’s closing dancefloor rework.

Stereofox (reviewer Ivo) offered unqualified praise, highlighting “the very polar vibes from various remixes” as a strength rather than a weakness. The review called out Dusty Brown’s “L,” Nitemoves’s “Dye,” and Few Nolder’s “Montana” as new standouts not previously available on the deluxe edition, and concluded that the remixers collectively “explore a whole new album.”

The Georgetown Voice framed the album as “a kind of homage to Tycho” in which nine artists demonstrate their respect for Hansen’s work while bringing their own signatures. The review praised Com Truise’s “heavier undertones” and Bibio’s “hauntingly present vibe” as particular high points.

Northern Transmissions reviewed the earlier deluxe version rather than the full remix album, awarding it an 8.8 out of 10 and praising the Beacon remix as “arguably the strongest offering.” The review noted the Bibio remix’s evocation of My Bloody Valentine and the “spiritual and passionate” quality of the Willits contribution.

The album did not receive a dedicated review from Pitchfork. Resident Advisor reviewed the original Awake but not the remix album. AllMusic listed the album with a rating of approximately 70 (out of 100) but without a full editorial review.

On the Billboard charts, however, the album performed impressively for a remix compilation: it reached number 3 on the US Dance/Electronic Albums chart and number 42 on the US Independent Albums chart, according to Wikipedia.

What Scott Hansen Has Said

Specific interview quotes from Hansen about the Awake Remixes project are scarce in the public record. Hansen’s ISO50 blog carried brief posts announcing individual remixes – including the Baio remix – but these were functional release announcements rather than extended reflections on the curatorial process.

What is documented is Hansen’s social media activity around the project. A December 2014 tweet from the official @ISO50 account read: “Stream the entire Awake (Deluxe Version) now at @SoundCloud feat remixes @Willits @Bibio @comtruise @beaconband” – tagging each remixer directly and suggesting a personal, collegial relationship with the contributors rather than a transactional one.

The broader press materials from Ghostly International described the album as one in which producers “re-interpreted [Hansen’s] songs while retaining all of their core elements” (Circuit Sweet; Shugar Records). This framing – reinterpretation with retention – suggests that the remixers were given significant creative latitude but with a shared understanding that the emotional core of the originals should remain intact.

Hansen’s general philosophy on collaboration, as expressed across multiple interviews over the years, has consistently emphasized trust and artistic autonomy. In his interview with The Fader around the original Awake release, he described the album as “the first true Tycho record” – a statement that makes the remix album a particularly revealing document, showing what happens when that singular vision is deliberately handed over to others.

The Bigger Picture

Awake Remixes occupies an unusual position in Tycho’s catalog. It is not a quick cash-in or a contractual obligation; its two-year gestation period, phased release strategy, and carefully chosen roster suggest a project that Hansen approached with the same intentionality he brings to his own records. It functions simultaneously as a celebration of the Ghostly International community, a survey of adjacent creative worlds (Warp, Glassnote, independent), and a testament to the structural integrity of the Awake compositions themselves – songs sturdy enough to survive nine radically different reinterpretations and still feel recognizably Tycho.

The album also serves as a bridge in the Tycho discography. Released between Awake (2014) and Epoch (2016), it kept Hansen’s name in circulation during a period when he was otherwise focused on writing and recording his next album. And for listeners who discovered Tycho through the remix album, the nine contributing artists collectively served as a map of the broader creative ecosystem in which Hansen operates – an invitation to explore outward from a single point of origin.

Sources: - Awake Remixes – Tycho Bandcamp - Awake (Tycho album) – Wikipedia - Tycho Announces Awake Remix Album – Music Times - Tycho Awake Remixes – Clash Magazine Review - Tycho Awake Remixes – Stereofox Review - Awake Deluxe Version – Northern Transmissions Review - Halftime Reviews: Awake Remixes – Georgetown Voice - Tycho Apogee RJD2 Remix – Circuit Sweet - Tycho Awake Com Truise Remix – Stereogum - Horizon Poolside Remix – Dancing Astronaut - Com Truise – Wikipedia - Christopher Willits – Ghostly International - Nitemoves – Last.fm - Beacon – Wikipedia - RJD2 – Wikipedia - Bibio – Wikipedia - Chris Baio – Wikipedia - Few Nolder – Last.fm - Baio Remixes Tycho – ISO50 Blog - Tycho Awake Deluxe Announcement – The Line of Best Fit - Awake Remixes – Ghostly International - Awake Remix Single – Beatport - Tycho @ISO50 Tweet