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Original post

Posted by , 19.03.2012 - 17:40
If there's any non-metal band that could give any metal band a run for their money in pure perfection it would be Boards of Canada. Neither are they made of boards or are they from Canada, they are in fact a downtempo ambient and electronic duo from Scotland. They've been around since the mid-Eighties but only have 3 full lengths and a smattering of other tracks to their name but they're pretty much universally lauded for their unique, nostalgia-driven tones. In fact I've looked far and wide for artists and outfits that have a similar approach and the closest I've come is another Scottish artist called Christ. who actually collaborated with Boards of Canada for a long while (he's quite excellent too). Tycho is the only other artist I've heard that could be compared to them and he's only moderately similar. Aphex Twin's Selected Ambient Works... records do bear some similarity come to think of it. At any rate Boards of Canada are amazing and you should all give them your undivided attention, forever. Music Has The Right To Children and Geogaddi are regarded as the best releases from the duo but I also hold a soft spot for The Campfire Headphase which absorbed some post-rock influence into their sound. It's all great anyway, their music is varied, clever, relaxing but also contemplative. A couple of their tracks was also in the Until The Light Takes Us black metal documentary too (as well as numerous tracks featuring in the likes of Top Gear, Spaced etc. and on David Firth's awesome Salad Fingers animations). For the more illicit of you this is the ultimate come down band.

A particularly difficult band to Youtube clips from as each album traverses a number of varied electronic textures and approaches so odd tracks might seem rather disjointed. But a few favourites:





(hugely fun song)
03.06.2014 - 17:45
Ilham
Giant robot
Written by Guest on 03.06.2014 at 17:41

Yeah, you need stop doing that... contaminating me

Is it not on Grooveshark then?


Sure, but be careful what you wish for, if I stop interacting with you, you'll be back to fapping to Bible Black six times a day.

I err... Yeah it is Grooveshark. Ahem. *puts away the hook*
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03.06.2014 - 17:46
!J.O.O.E.!
Account deleted
Written by Demerzel on 03.06.2014 at 13:56


Tycho is good, but it comes of as really one-dimensional when compared to BoC. It's something I just take shot of every now and then to 'chillout'. Even in the context of the chillout genre it isn't anything special.

I kind of agree. I don't really play much Tycho. They need more songs like 'Sunrise Projector'
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03.06.2014 - 17:47
!J.O.O.E.!
Account deleted
Written by Ilham on 03.06.2014 at 17:45

Sure, but be careful what you wish for, if I stop interacting with you, you'll be back to fapping to Bible Black six times a day.

I err... Yeah it is Grooveshark. Ahem. *puts away the hook*

You grossly underestimate my ability to multitask.

It's ok, I wasn't having a go. I illicitly download what I cannot stream or don't own
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03.06.2014 - 17:54
Ilham
Giant robot
Written by Troy Killjoy on 03.06.2014 at 17:35

Only when it comes to music, I swear! Otherwise I'm a pretty chill/easygoing/laidback kind of guy.

I'll likely download the entire discog and weed out the ones I don't like in time, although it'll probably take me a year just to give it all the attention it deserves.


Haha, alright, I'll take your word for it, but I was just poking you. Wow, you're committed. I had it easy, I listened to them as they were released, I discovered the guy in 2003.
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03.06.2014 - 18:07
Ilham
Giant robot
Written by Guest on 03.06.2014 at 17:47

You grossly underestimate my ability to multitask.

I'll pretend not to understand.
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03.06.2014 - 19:16
X-Ray Rod
Skandino
Daaaaaaaaaaaaamn that Amon Tobi track is giving me a musical-gasm. Seriously, at some points (specially with the sax) I got some goosebumps.

Thanks for the recommendation.
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Written by BloodTears on 19.08.2011 at 18:29
Like you could kiss my ass
Written by Milena on 20.06.2012 at 10:49
Rod, let me love you.
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03.06.2014 - 19:45
Ilham
Giant robot
Written by X-Ray Rod on 03.06.2014 at 19:16

Daaaaaaaaaaaaamn that Amon Tobin track is giving me a musical-gasm. Seriously, at some points (specially with the sax) I got some goosebumps.
Thanks for the recommendation.


I know right? As I already said up there, I really spent entire days listening to only this track. I can only imagine myself floating in an isolation tank, or in deep space while listening to this. And if don't end up wasting my days in reveries with this as a soundtrack, I still can't play it just once. I find it impossible. The shuffle button of my player gets extremely mad when I have those Easy Muffin relapses. It happens at least once every couple of months, since two thousand fucking three. It's easily in the top 5 of my favourite songs ever.
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03.06.2014 - 20:43
X-Ray Rod
Skandino
Written by Ilham on 03.06.2014 at 19:45
I know right? As I already said up there, I really spent entire days listening to only this track. I can only imagine myself floating in an isolation tank, or in deep space while listening to this. And if don't end up wasting my days in reveries with this as a soundtrack, I still can't play it just once. I find it impossible. The shuffle button of my player gets extremely mad when I have those Easy Muffin relapses. It happens at least once every couple of months, since two thousand fucking three. It's easily in the top 5 of my favourite songs ever.


I totally get you. This definitely has an addictive vibe to it.
I love trip-hop, well... At least what I've heard from the genre which is mostly the classic bands like Portishead and Massive Attack. Gotta expand that world a little bit.

These type of tracks are fucking dangerous to me. I'm trying to slow down my cigarette/day amount in order to not go too insane when I finally decide to quit... ...But when I discover shit like this I end up having those tracks in my cellphone ready to smoke them. D: Fortunately I'm managing with 1-3 cigarettes/day just fine for now.
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Written by BloodTears on 19.08.2011 at 18:29
Like you could kiss my ass
Written by Milena on 20.06.2012 at 10:49
Rod, let me love you.
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03.06.2014 - 21:55
Ilham
Giant robot
Written by X-Ray Rod on 03.06.2014 at 20:43

I totally get you. This definitely has an addictive vibe to it.
I love trip-hop, well... At least what I've heard from the genre which is mostly the classic bands like Portishead and Massive Attack. Gotta expand that world a little bit.

These type of tracks are fucking dangerous to me. I'm trying to slow down my cigarette/day amount in order to not go too insane when I finally decide to quit... ...But when I discover shit like this I end up having those tracks in my cellphone ready to smoke them. D: Fortunately I'm managing with 1-3 cigarettes/day just fine for now.

Okay, it feels like I'm spamming to the max now while Joe doesn't want me here. But I came here to say that:

1- I have a very addictive nature as well, that's why I refuse to smoke, and do addictive drugs. I refuse myself many pleasures, like video-games and sugar, for the same reason. There is another big name, that you must know, The Chemical Brothers, but they're too much techno for your taste I suppose. Morcheeba and Archive could suit you better though.

2- I listened to that album, Music Has The Right To Children. And it's great. I did get bored with it at the end, it's actually very long, and well, the nature of the music exacerbates that impression. But all in all, it has the qualities I look for in trip-hoppy/chillwave stuff. So I'll form a better opinion when I listen to another release.
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03.06.2014 - 22:46
!J.O.O.E.!
Account deleted
Hey it's fine guys. I'll go make my own thread. With Blackjack. And Hookers.

Oh wait, this is my thread. You lot better deal some cards and shed some clothes.
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05.06.2014 - 14:54
Demerzel

Written by Ilham on 03.06.2014 at 21:55

2- I listened to that album, Music Has The Right To Children. And it's great. I did get bored with it at the end, it's actually very long, and well, the nature of the music exacerbates that impression. But all in all, it has the qualities I look for in trip-hoppy/chillwave stuff. So I'll form a better opinion when I listen to another release.


You might prefer this EP:


MHTRTC-era Boards of Canada distilled into 25 minutes. Possibly even their best release.
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05.06.2014 - 15:41
Ilham
Giant robot
Written by X-Ray Rod on 03.06.2014 at 20:43

I love trip-hop, well... At least what I've heard from the genre which is mostly the classic bands like Portishead and Massive Attack. Gotta expand that world a little bit.

Back to polluting this thread. Sorry Joe. I just had to, because I thought about you Rod when listening to this :



This one is a lot more energetic than what they usually do, but if you like trip-Hop/electro, this is the stuff to listen to. It's a pain to describe what they do, because there are bits of everything. Downtempo, prog rock, post-rock, a wee bit of rap in a song or two, industrial, dark ambient, pure noise, classical etc, etc. They're crazy. EZ3kiel is a project that goes beyond music. They did a wonderful art exhibition that attracted thousands of people. There were paintings and interactive musical machines, all in the dreamy/steampunk/surrealistic universe. I was lucky to be in town when they came to Montpellier.



Now, this is merely an intro to their (awesome) album Barba4ry, but it was a track I'd listen to just before going to bed, every night, for almost six months after it was released. Just to show you how diametrically different their stuff can be.



Nothing is representative. I can only show you different bits from different albums. I say start with Barb4ry, if you need to listen to one album to get an idea.


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Written by Demerzel on 05.06.2014 at 14:54

You might prefer this EP:
MHTRTC-era Boards of Canada distilled into 25 minutes. Possibly even their best release.


I think it's the long format of the album that didn't suit me. Not the music. I found myself enjoying this just as much as the first 9 songs of Music Has Blabla, maybe I should get my hands on EPs rather than full lengths, indeed.
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07.06.2014 - 13:05
!J.O.O.E.!
Account deleted
Written by Ilham on 05.06.2014 at 15:41

EZ3kiel

So this sounds pretty great. Will definitely have a jam of this stuff today.
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07.06.2014 - 15:37
Ilham
Giant robot
Written by Guest on 07.06.2014 at 13:05

So this sounds pretty great. Will definitely have a jam of this stuff today.


Great, I posted that for Rod, and I didn't hear from the little bitch. But I'm glad you like it. Barb4ry, Battlefield and Naphtaline are my favourite albums.
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07.06.2014 - 17:01
moonflash

Probably the greatest band in existence. I really feel lucky to have discovered them and when I did, I literally listened to nothing else but their discography on repeat for almost a year on my daily commuter train. Their music transcends time and space and achieves an unparalleled atmosphere, warm, like a bright Sunday morning yet cold. Cold as a godforsaken blue planet hanging in the middle of nothingness, spending its time in oblivion. Their music makes me start feeling nostalgic for memories that I don't even have, it is quite wonderful and bizarre yet immensely satisfying, all at the same time.
Also the fan made videos of BoC tracks on YouTube are some of my favourite videos ever, like that Koyaanisqatsi/Turquoise Hexagon Sun rendition posted earlier. Olson/Cowboy Bepop (linked below) is quite simply the most beautiful thing I've ever seen on YouTube.

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[http://atthematinee.files.wordpress.com/2014/03/voyagedans.jpg]
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07.06.2014 - 17:14
Karlabos
Meat and Potatos
Written by moonflash on 07.06.2014 at 17:01

Probably the greatest band in existence. I really feel lucky to have discovered them and when I did, I literally listened to nothing else but their discography on repeat for almost a year on my daily commuter train. Their music transcends time and space and achieves an unparalleled atmosphere, warm, like a bright Sunday morning yet cold. Cold as a godforsaken blue planet hanging in the middle of nothingness, spending its time in oblivion. Their music makes me start feeling nostalgic for memories that I don't even have, it is quite wonderful and bizarre yet immensely satisfying, all at the same time.

Have you ever considered writing reviews?
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"Aah! The cat turned into a cat!"
- Reimu Hakurei
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07.06.2014 - 17:35
moonflash

Written by Karlabos on 07.06.2014 at 17:14

Written by moonflash on 07.06.2014 at 17:01


Have you ever considered writing reviews?


I have, but I never seem to find enough time off studying to do the research for and write any reviews.
Maybe I'll get some time off this summer and submit my first review on MS.
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[http://atthematinee.files.wordpress.com/2014/03/voyagedans.jpg]
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08.06.2014 - 13:24
Cynic Metalhead
Paisa Vich Nasha
I don't know it might sound negative or downtrodding but I always put "Roygbiv" track to put me in deep and relaxing sleep.

As for BOC, great band. I'm not much into them but what I've heard so far, they're great.

Why anyone here didn't mention about "Hi Scores"(EP)?

It was because of that EP, BBC noticed their work and put up on program when debut came out.
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03.07.2014 - 20:53
InnerSelf
proofread free
Turquoise Hexagon Sun and Roygbiv are sex (actually the whole album is). Will have a go at the rest of their stuff soon.
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He who is not bold enough
to be stared at from across the abyss
is not bold enough
to stare into it himself.
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26.08.2016 - 19:18
Metren
Dreadrealm
I first heard of Boards Of Canada in a Steven Wilson interview, where he listed them as an influence and a favorite band. Haven't taken the time to check them out before today, but I'm currently listening to Tomorrow's Harvest (2013). It's quality stuff, not what I normally listen to, but I can certainly understand why Steven (and a lot of other people) like them so much.
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My one-man project's Bandcamp with free downloads: https://dreadrealm.bandcamp.com/
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27.08.2016 - 11:25
DualHelix

This band always weirded me out and actually disturbed me a little since there was always something about them that was "off". Plus I found them years ago whenever I looked up what the music playing during those Salad Fingers videos were. Creepy stuff
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13.09.2016 - 01:09
3rdWorld
China was a neat
I remember going into MHTRTC expecting something in the vein of Aphex Twin, Autechre etc. and getting pretty fucking disappointed. Haven't bothered much about them since, maybe will try some of that YT vids which the real Joe has posted in the OP.
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