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Without so much as a press release, Geogaddi's addition to the release schedule was enough to whip the music press into a chattering frenzy. Keeping the music and track titles locked away, Warp perpetuated the Chinese whispers until it premiered album number two in six churches; London, New York, Tokyo, Edinburgh, Paris and Berlin. Furthermore, by way of promotion the elusive Marcus Eoin and Michael Sandison conducted just one press interview (for the NME) via email.
Precious little is known about BOC as they tend to work tenaciously in geographical and cultural isolation. Aside from the fact their creative partnership is twenty years old and (having spent some time in Calgary as children) they took their name from The National Film Board of Canada, the world remains conveniently ignorant of biographical details. The onus is on the music, and quite right too.
The Boards of Canada approach is both chaotic and academic. Numbers (six, in particular) feature heavily in their thinking. They belong to an art collective named Turquoise Hexagon Sun and the album measures exactly 66 minutes and 6 seconds (as track 16 freely admits, "The Devil Is In The Details"). Cycling audio through the mechanics of a mathematical equation seems to be as valuable as hours of bashing drums and synthesisers. Who knows, they could be firing boiled sweets out of a nail gun for all we know but the effect is amazing nonetheless.
Geogaddi is a tapestry of strange contrasts. Sweeping synths, crunchy drum patterns and the distorted voices of children weave in and out to create a surreal 'third place'. The ruminant paranoia evident in "Dawn Chorus" is as hypnotic as it is disorienting. Loping beats wrestle with melodies possessed by a blatant disregard for time signature to generate a seasonally affected musicscape. This is electronica put out to graze on the hillsides for fifteen years.
At times BOC invite you to stand with them as they gaze out over the majestic, Scottish highlands surveying an early sunset as it explodes across the horizon. At others they leave you stranded in your flat at 3am wondering whether that strange noise is your speakers on the blink or the mayonnaise growling at you from inside the fridge. Either way, its unlikely you will have heard anything quite like this. Essential. --Christian Hopwood
Find more music at the BBC This link will take you off Amazon in a new window
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One thing BOC is notable for, is the way that time seems to slow down while the album is listened to. The longer 'full-length' tracks seem to go on for longer than they actually are, which is by no means a bad thing. Throughout the album, the music shifts and changes constantly, allbeit very slowly. Slowly enough, that it's easy to miss the transitions entirely without some careful listening.
The album comes across as child-like, characterised at first by the (limited edition) cardboard slip-case, which is styled like a childs picture book, with big, bold colouring and shapes. This goes hand-in-hand with the children's voices that appear on many of the tracks here.
The slow, methodical layering of sounds created by BOC, is just what you need after a long day, with its' 'soft rounded edges' sound, and graceful, powerful soothing effect - especially when played quietly - is almost enough to send you to sleep. This is what is meant by 'chill-out' music, not the down-tempo trance that's been churned out by the Ibiza cash factory.
If you bought Music Has... , then you should buy this. It's similar enough, yet different enough to warrant ownership. Who knows, listening to
the educational samples, you may even learn something in the process!
Boards Of Canada is quite a unique musical style (bears a resemblance to Electroacoustic style composition and synthesized but calm Dance in some tracks) which may not appeal to some people but it does overall have a great relaxing, easy going feel and even though some tracks feature quite a lot of activity in the background this blends itself effectively into the whole atmosphere of the piece whilst not giving the track a rushed appearance (as high activity over short periods can very frequently do).
My particular favourites on this album are Sunshine Recorder and Beach At Redpoint, which has an excellent setting and some great timbres and rhythms but even then the majority of the remaining tracks are all still superb listening and are rated just as highly.
the ideas of the debut. Read more
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