Tycho offered airy respite to the White Stage crowd on Friday, Scott Hansen and his four-piece live band playing a set that bookended with older favourites on either side of tracks from brand new album “Weather”.

Backed by a screen crashing waves, 70s street scenes and kaleidoscopic visuals, the older Tycho numbers moved through dreamy soundscapes notable for how they compare to songs from “Weather” – slower build-ups, plateaus and layered sonic vistas that may not have an immediate destination (but the journey is the point). What they do gain in a live performance, though, is an organic warmth exuded through woody bass timbre and punchy drums.

Meanwhile, songs from “Weather” presented a new step in Tycho’s musical evolution. With the introduction of singer Hannah Cottrell, the songs took on a more identifiable, shorter and traditional structure, lending them more direction and momentum than the heady meanderings of the earlier oeuvre – something that may initially alienate certain listeners while pulling in others. Cottrell’s vocals themselves were a perfect fit for Tycho – soft and ethereal, complementing rather than dominating the minimalist milieu, comforting even, especially as Tycho braves new territory.

This down-tempo ambient set was a much-needed aural and visual panacea to the Chemical Brothers set at the Green Stage and a perfect set-up for Thom Yorke headlining after Tycho. It will be interesting to see if Tycho’s tentative steps towards vocals accompanying the live band will play out into something more in the future.