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Boards of Canada is overrated


Trance2MoveU

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I had a long day of hiking and I needed some slow tunes to relax. I'm listening to their music and this is what I wrote on Discogs...

 

"I can describe this outfit very simply. Minimal repetitive loops strung together by non-sensical interludes over trip-hop beats."

 

Sure, they have some cool melodies, but there is no evolution in any of their tracks. It's the same loop all the way through. They surely know their way around a drum machine, as I find a lot of their beats funky. And the interludes...they don't add anything to the listening experience.

 

Just my .02

 

Mdk

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I had a long day of hiking and I needed some slow tunes to relax. I'm listening to their music and this is what I wrote on Discogs...

 

"I can describe this outfit very simply. Minimal repetitive loops strung together by non-sensical interludes over trip-hop beats."

 

Sure, they have some cool melodies, but there is no evolution in any of their tracks. It's the same loop all the way through. They surely know their way around a drum machine, as I find a lot of their beats funky. And the interludes...they don't add anything to the listening experience.

 

Just my .02

 

Mdk

 

P.s. I don't even know if I should put this in this forum...or maybe into other electronica.

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Your opinion sucks!

 

:)

 

And yes, since this isn't psytrance at all, it should've gone in the Other Subforum, but who cares?

 

What album were you listening to? I find your review very meaningless when put like this.

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I mostly agree. Yes, their stuff is shockingly repetitive. It's as if they're missing that third band member whose purpose is to fill the music out.

 

Still there's something about their music that has spurned a genre that keeps going and going, and there are few reviews of melodic IDM albums by other artists that don't mention their name. I find this both frustrating and fascinating at the same time.

 

There's something vital to their music. Or at least there was. Music Has the Right to Children just did something really interesting to people, listeners and music-makers alike. Although I'm reluctant to say it, that album in the late '90s changed my life somehow, permanently. And somehow Geogaddi managed to become the listeners' favorite.

 

There's almost something subconscious going on in their stuff, because the surface elements, under close inspection, are not overtly impressive.

 

I don't know how many times I've had to alter my own music because it sounded too BoC-ish. So frustrating. But telling.

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I think they are relevant. No question they can evoke some powerful emotions with their melodies and beats. I've read where a lot of people have said this music changed their lives in some fashion. That said, I like how you described the missing band member. That is exactly how I feel.

 

I would put a lot of the downtempo albums in the psy genre over any album by BOC. As I explained not only does their melody work lack evolution but those ridiculous interludes serve what purpose? Just to switch gears?

 

They aren't bad, and I have heard worse music of course, but the Discogs ratings are ridiculously inflated. Like this music was the soundtrack to peoples lives. Maybe it was and they remember a time that was really special.

 

Mdk

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One thing I don't like about their music, especially with their later stuff, is how, after the few minutes of signature repetition, even if it's a great track, they feel the need to append the tracks with a couple of minutes of noise, as if that was their solution to the emptiness. The two or three really good tracks on Geogaddi do this ("Music is Math," "1969," "Alpha and Omega"). Annoying. Whereas

on MHtRtC was perfect in its brevity.

 

On the other hand, what I love about their sound is its ability to take one on a ride to a not-so-distant, fantastical time, specifically to childhood. Crucial. It's one of those "I wish I'd thought of that" things.

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I agree with most what has already been said.

They have a nice sound, which was new in the 90's. And as a listening experience it is nice to hear the whole cd. But if you listen closely to all the tracks i find them lacking in interest. Only a few tracks that are good and playable as a dj.

 

So yes.. Imho they are overrated.

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Since this seems to be the thread for people who agree with T2MU:

 

yes, I agree. I found Music has the Right to Children pleasant enough, but given how much more interesting stuff there is out there I never feel the need to listen to it any more, and haven't done for years (except Roygbiv, which rules). What I heard of Geogaddi just seemed like more of the same. Also Fran Healy likes BoC, and he sucks.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I had a long day of hiking~tripping ..

 

Just my .02

 

nice dive

http-~~-//www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrBZeWjGjl8

 

http-~~-//www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1LPwPdJsPk

 

.anyway overrated, no way! Their amazing (read brilliant) because they sound like Boards of Canada But sometimes it just doesnt fit with the mood', becomes too much or smth

 

2ish

 

::

 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tow8WBuX1wc

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Also Fran Healy likes BoC, and he sucks.

 

I love this thinking.

 

About BoC they have a consistent and illusive soundscape which echoes through both production, choice of samples, melody and timing. Not many electronic artists can do this while still holding attention (on the top of my head is Kraftwerk, Autechre, Plaid, Hallucinogen and not many others). However, BoC could be a lot better at evolving musical concepts and taking the listener somewhere.

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  • 5 years later...

I finally sold Tomorrow's Harvest on Discogs about a month ago. Holy fuck that album was dull, it's like:

 

*fade in

*tinker with some random synths/loops/whathaveyous for a few minutes

*fade out

*repeat 17 times, oh hey look, we have an album!

 

I have Music Has The Right To Children too for sale, there's just about 2-3 OK tracks on it (Turquoise Hexagon Sun and Aquarius IIRC, maybe Roygbiv too, can't remember exactly).

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  • 3 years later...

Couldnt agree more. Their music is SO uninteresting. I have tried a lot of times to like it, but i cant. Drump loop, repeptitive stuff x10: theres an album. They dont even seem to have any talent regarding melodies and music in general. Well i guess it is a talent to find som drum loops, and put som crap around it.

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  • 2 months later...

They're boring and basically just pimp their  nostalgia gimmick. I first heard Music has the Right... back in '03 and was deeply touched by it, but the feeling was short lived because it's shallow music. 

Autechre is Warp's underrated champion (outside of the small boost in notoriety they've received because of Radiohead). Better and more interesting than BoC and Aphex Twin combined). 

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