From Jacob Arnold Sent Tue, Oct 20th 1998, 17:19
From Jacob Arnold Sent Tue, Oct 20th 1998, 17:19
I finally got around to writing a review of _Music Has the Right to Children_. This review and many others are available on my Web site at <http://www.ithaca.edu/shp/shp99/jarnold1/>. I had high expectations for Boards of Canada's _Music Has the Right to Children_. Now that I have it, I have to admit I'm a bit underwhelmed. There are a few really nice tracks on this LP, but there are also a lot of short, annoying fillers. The intro's all right, and the album starts strong with "An Eagle in Your Mind." I love the creepy sample of a man saying "I love you" before the beat kicks in. I find the next track, a short piece called "The Color of the Fire" irritating. It's over a minute of echoey, whiney child voices. Luckily "Telephasic Workshop" picks up the pace again, with lots of subtle murmurings bubbling out of a catchy, typically-Boards of Canada melody. Next is the waste of time "Triangles & Rhombuses" followed by the lengthy but unsatisfying "Sixtyten." "Turquoise Hexagon Sun" is another good one, though. "Kaini Industries" is another forgettable short track, but it's followed by the catchy "Bocuma." Probably the high point of the album is "roygbiv" though it clocks in at under two minutes. A catchy synth line and chunky beats accompany a playful sample for upbeat bliss. This track sounds like it's right out of a '70s promotional video. At first "Rue the Whirl" seems like a good concept, but I find its repetition tiring. The melody's not complex enough to support the samples. "Acquarius" is quite good though. Trippy samples of a man saying "orange" and a woman counting accompany a satisfying bass line and occasional laughter. The next track of note is "Pete Standing Alone." The melody reminds me of some Mike Paradinas songs and the crunchy beats are probably Autechre-inspired. There are a few more throw-away tracks with pitch bending that I have trouble bearing. Then on US copies, there's the bonus track "Happy Cycling." This ends the album on a positive note. The beats are fun and the sea gull-like sounds enhance the simple melody. This album is worth buying for seven of its eighteen tracks. Just be prepared to hit the track skip button on your CD player a few times. I guess I've been spoiled by recent Autechre albums on which every cut's a winner. Jacob Arnold -- TechHop <http://www.ithaca.edu/shp/shp99/jarnold1/techhop.html> The IDM Ring <http://www.ithaca.edu/shp/shp99/jarnold1/idmring.html>