From dis2 Sent Tue, Mar 24th 1998, 21:34
From dis2 Sent Tue, Mar 24th 1998, 21:34
I've just managed to get my hands on the Boards of Canada album. I was just in town on my weekly vinyl shop, when I found a promo of it going for a tenner - I didn't actually have any money to buy it, but it was too good to miss, so I switched it (after all, that's not real money, at least until they send you the bill) I know it's probably better to wait a while for it all to sink in before writing a review of it, but at the moment it seems pretty damn good. The only previous BoC releases I've heard were the Skampler tracks and the Mira Calix remix - I liked those, especially for the first few times I heard them, but I don't play them so much nowadays. Unlike stuff by Autechre (the nearest comparison), they didn't reveal themselves to me over a period of time. Most of it was all there on the first listen. Anyway, about the album, a lot of it is in a reasonably similar style to the two aforementioned tracks - there's no great departure, but hey, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. Like the phils or bolts in Black Dog albums, it's got lots of short tracks to connect the songs. A lot of the tracks have got these nice hiphop influenced beats or structures, and some, like Sixtyten, have got some good off-kilter scratching. I'm only on my third listen at the moment, but one of the favourite tracks so far is Telephastic Workshop, which has got lots of keynell style cut-up voices. There was a description in the press release talking about subliminal inserts in their songs, and there are similar bits throughout the album with voices scratched or cut up into single syllables. Bits I can make out include 'Boards of Canada', 'Eight', 'I Love Mum', 'Orange', 'Yeah, that's right'. Other standout tracks include Rue The Whirl, which sounds like something James Lavelle would have loved to release, Aquarius - the only good use of bass-slapping I've ever heard (very trippy in the bargain), Pete Standing Alone, which has got some amazing rhythms going throughout it, and Open The Light, which is just really nice and relaxing. Overall it seems like a really great chilled album, one of the best ones I've bought in a long while, and some of the melodies are just, well, lovely I guess would be the best word. Ideal for putting on after a hard night and listening along to. While I was blowing money I didn't have, I also picked up the B12 EP and an L Double promo. These are pretty good as well - guess it's been a good day for record buying. If anyone is desperate to hear this album, and can't wait until April 20th, then make me an offer - I could certainly do with the money. Dan. PS: I know this is non-IDM, but has anyone heard Mogwai Young Team? I heard a live track of theirs on a CD given away with the NME and can't stop playing it. Brings me right back to when I was 14 listening to Sonic Youth/MBV all the time. np: what else? Boards of Canada album.