A crash course in Boards of Canada's history and discography to set up the upcoming deep dive.
A crash course in Boards of Canada's history and discography to set up the upcoming deep dive.
Ready Lets Go: BoC 101.
Hello and welcome to the very first episode of Turquoise Hexagon Podcast, part of the For Tune Telling music podcast series! I’m your host Elroy Gregory Biv, but you can call me Roy. I’ll be taking you down the rabbit hole that is the music duo known as Boards of Canada. I started this project because there is an absolutely massive amount of analysis and discussion to be done on this group’s music, and while there are some fantastic online resources out there - BOCpages, the Twoism forums, the BOC subreddit, and We Are The Music Makers, just for starters- there are no active podcasts looking at their work and its impact (the only previous podcast covering their work, BOCcast, is now defunct).
Now, I’m hoping this podcast is the sort of thing that you can listen to whether you’re a new fan of the group, wondering where to start and what to look for, or a fanatic who’s been analyzing every album track by track since the 90s. My goal with it is to explore the discography of Boards of Canada and look at the themes, symbolism, and of course the songwriting that defines their work. And as I alluded to before, it is one hell of a rabbit hole. Listening to their albums, packed with addictive music ranging from beautiful to eerie to ambient to complex and layered, is just the tip of the iceberg. Each release tells a story through song. But Boards of Canada don’t just hand that story to you on a silver platter. It has to be unravelled, pieced together with hints and clues hidden in the album artwork, in the tracks and the samples they use, in their interviews, anywhere you can find them. Their whole career has the feel of one big mystery. That mystery, in fact, is what I’m hoping to move closer to solving with this project, and it’s this: what does it all mean? Who are these guys, and what is it that they’re really trying to say with their art? My plan is to approach these questions with an investigative mindset; certainly nothing new for Boards of Canada fans, who have been known to dig through old interviews, e-mail people who may have had contact with the band to ask for clarification on certain topics, do extensive searching to find sample sources, and analyze songs second by second. As for myself, I’ll be open to speculation but will try not to do so wildly, and I’ll cite my sources in the notes for each episode. In another lifetime I worked as a private investigator, so this approach comes to me naturally, and I’m looking forward to applying my training towards something that I love - namely art, and the music of Boards of Canada in particular.
Now, going back to when I said that I want to “answer the question of who they are,” I obviously mean that in more of a metaphorical sense. We know that Boards of Canada (or BoC, as I’ll usually be referring to them going forward) is a Scottish electronic music duo composed of brothers Michael Sandison and Marcus Eoin, and is associated with an artistic collective of musicians, photographers, and filmmakers called Hexagon Sun, originating from the rural Pentland Hills outside Edinburgh. The two kept their actual relationship as brothers secret from the public until an interview with Pitchfork in 2005, purportedly because they wanted to avoid being compared with other sibling groups such as Orbital. This was also, really, part of a larger pattern of secrecy and seclusion that has only increased throughout their career - most of the biographical information we have on BoC has been pieced together from early interviews, when they were a little bit more open. We’ll go over some of that now, to provide some background, before we go to our Diving Station and really jump in the deep end.
The brothers were born in 1970 and 1971, respectively, with Michael being the slightly older of the two. They briefly lived in Canada from 79 to 80, and it was here they first encountered the documentaries, created by the National Film Boards of Canada, from which they would draw their name and artistic influence - their music is often cited as evoking feelings of childhood nostalgia by utilizing sounds and styles reminiscent of the soundtracks to these types of educational films, though as we’ll be seeing, it goes far, far beyond just that.
The brothers were playing instruments together and experimenting with recording techniques as young as 10 years old, and both played in various local bands. The group that would come to be known as "Boards of Canada" was formed in the late 80s when Mike invited Marcus to join his band. When they actually started using the name “Boards of Canada,” however, is somewhat unclear. The article “Two Aesthetes of Electronic Music,” published in Virgin Megaweb in 1998, quotes them as saying that the name had only been officially in use for 4 years, meaning since 1994. However, on the discography section of their old website, their earliest listed release is “Catalog 3,” dated 1987, and the art displayed for that album includes the name “Boards of Canada.” So, that makes things a little obscure. It is worth mentioning that, early on in their history, there were other people involved with the group, most notably a fellow member of the Hexagon Sun collective named Christopher Horne (who now records incredible music under the alias “Christ.”) and at one point may have used the name Wheeltower. Hexagon Sun were also known for hosting what they referred to as “Red Moon” parties in the forests of the Pentland Hills, where, according to Matador Records’ official BoC biography, “bonfires were accompanied by electronic music, processed television themes, films, projections and reversed speech tapes to create an exciting, if slightly threatening, atmosphere.” [This style of music is most apparent on two compilations of early Boards of Canada tracks leaked on file-sharing sites in the early 2000s, A Few Old Tunes and Old Tunes Vol. 2. These songs display a plunderphonics philosophy, liberally sampling from television, theme songs, advertisements, pornography, and other sources.]
Now, our next stop will be a brief overview of the discography to put everything in context and kind of set up the framework we’ll be exploring. Obviously there’s too much on each entry to cover them all in a single session, so I plan on giving each release its own in-depth look in future episodes.
The previously mentioned Catalog 3 was the first of several elusive and extremely rare recordings released privately to friends and relatives of the band on their self-operated Music70 label in the late 80s and early 90s - we’ll eventually be going over these in greater detail. The first to see any real public availability was the 1995 EP “Twoism,” which was obtainable through a website called EHX devoted to Edinburgh’s electronic music scene. The first pressing of Twoism was limited to a hundred copies and credited the aforementioned Christopher Horne as “Chris H.” His name was removed from subsequent re-issues at his own request, making the first edition copies that show his name extremely valuable collector’s items.
Around this time, Sean Booth of the electronic group Autechre took notice of BoC after receiving a demo from them, and helped connect them with the Skam Records label. Their first commercial release, Hi Scores, was distributed by Skam in 1996. Soon after, per the official Matador bio, the band “gave a few performances around the UK, notably including a performance at the Phoenix Festival in July 1997.” At these shows, the band used “onstage video visuals which cut from Super-8 movies to ‘blipvert’-style subliminal messaging.” Affecting listeners on a subliminal level is a long-running interest of Boards of Canada, a subject to which we will be returning.
In 1998, the band released their first commercially available full-length album, Music Has the Right to Children jointly on Warp and Skam records. “Music Has the Right…” combined ambient soundscapes, vintage synthesizers, and found, natural sounds that would be at home in the documentaries of their namesake, with labyrinthine rhythm sections, hip-hop influenced beats and innovative percussion techniques, mixing drum machines, live instrumentation, and chopped vocal samples to mind-bending effect. The interspersed use of children speaking and laughing on some tracks topped off the whole experience with a feeling of nostalgia for bygone nights on summer break spent playing outside, and at the same time, the occasional distortion of those voices evoked unsettling memories of staying awake after your mom turned out the lights, staring at the darkness in your closet.
The year 2000 saw the release of “In A Beautiful Place Out in the Country,” one of BOC’s early forays into elements for which they’d later become well known - namely, hidden messages and cult references. The 4-track EP includes one song called “Amo Bishop Roden,” which is named after a member of the Branch Davidian sect, known for their massacre at the hands of the FBI in Waco, TX in 1993, and the title track purportedly refers to a slogan used by Roden to advertise for their commune: “Come out and live with a religious community in a beautiful place out in the country.” There are some really interesting facts, rumors, and background info about this EP in particular that we’ll be looking at later.
BoC jumped way into the deep end with these themes and ideas in 2002 with their next album, Geogaddi. Loaded from front to back with Biblical references, subliminal messages, hidden samples, and allusions to the occult and Satanism, it has a distinctly dark and foreboding aesthetic. Michael described Geogaddi as “a record for some sort of trial-by-fire, a claustrophobic, twisting journey that takes you into some pretty dark experiences before you reach the open air again.” I personally have always thought of it as sort of an inner sound-track to a frightening acid trip, though when I have actually listened to it under the influence of psychedelics, it’s been nothing but a great experience. I’ve found Geogaddi to be an audio funhouse for my mind to wander through, getting lost in mirrored hallways, and going up and down stairways that lead nowhere, with the sinister undercurrents only adding to the thrill. It’s definitely a situation where set and setting are key. I mean, it’s important to have a positive mindset and be in a good place before any psychedelic experience, but particularly with the inclusion of music like Geogaddi, which is powerful and occasionally disturbing.
Musically, BoC took a step more towards the organic with Geogaddi, increasing their use of live instrumentation while retaining the hip-hop beats and sometimes feverish, driving rhythms of their previous work. [Not electronica - jockey slut interview] The dread-inducing textures of tracks like Music is Math and the Beach at Redpoint alternate with beautiful and sometimes hidden snippets of song - the track Dandelion, for example, which consists of documentary narration about a diving expedition and seemingly tuneless electronic synth tones, reveals a gorgeous, wistful melody when played in reverse. The sound-collage piece “A is to B as B is to C” makes as much sense played backwards as it does forwards, with fragments of speech and melody emerging whichever way you listen. This idea of tracks that can be played both forward and in reverse reflects the mirrored, kaleidoscopic album art of abandoned playgrounds and children’s faces. The whole work really doubles down on the contrast between childhood wonder and fears that had been touched on in Music Has the Right to Children.
In 2005, BoC explored new frontiers with The Campfire Headphase, moving away from the fever-dream darkness of Geogaddi towards a more pastoral take on their signature sound. The Campfire Headphase marked the introduction (or really, a re-introduction) of another instrument to their sonic palette: guitars, re-recorded, distorted and deteriorated to attain a sun-drenched psychedelic feel. They also moved more towards conventional song structures, stating in a contemporary interview that it was their first attempt at creating a pop record.
That said, Campfire Headphase is still classic Boards of Canada, an imagined soundtrack to a surreal road trip through the American west, or campfire music played by android cowboys, per the brothers themselves. If Geogaddi was a confrontation with the darkness, The Campfire Headphase is an escape from it. Michael said: "We decided to make an escapist soundtrack, like a kind of sanctuary; a day-glo vista you can visit by putting the record on." To me, it’s always felt like a timeless, warm summer afternoon, driving down a long, empty highway in South Dakota or Montana with the windows down. It’s not totally devoid of the unsettling moods that the band is known for - Michael described the scene he imagined accompanying the music as: “This character losing his mind at the campfire and compressing weeks of events into a few hours, in that time-stretching way that acid fucks with your perception.”
One of the primary ways I think they tried to create this time-stretching effect was by alternating between tracks completely stockpiled with layers of guitars, voices, radio transmission fragments, etc. and simple, minimalistic synth interludes that provide, you might say, moments of clarity. BoC have utilized this format to similar effect in their other releases as well, of course, but here they seem to have deliberately set out to mirror the format of a psychedelic trip.
On May 11, 2006, subscribers to Warp records received an e-mail with a link to the URL warprecords.com/666. Upon visiting the site, fans were greeted with a short video titled “Invocation,” accompanied by a collage of several short “interlude” tracks from BOC albums. The film consisted of video from nature documentaries and children’s TV shows, made to appear as home recording footage, with tape artifacts, a time counter, etc. BoC’s trademark subliminal messages were found in abundance throughout the video, with the word “KILL” periodically flashing at the bottom of the screen in place of the “TCR” time counter prefix, the numbers on the counter flashing to “06:06:06,” and porn spliced in at the end of the film in such a way that it takes you a minute to realize what you’re seeing. “Invocation” is notable because it’s probably the closest the general public has ever come to seeing the style of video BoC was notable for using in their early live performances and “Red Moon” events.
Following the video, the cover of the next BoC release was displayed - Trans Canada Highway. Headed off by Dayvan Cowboy, the EP also included two additional full-length new tracks, two interludes, and a lengthy remix of Dayvan Cowboy by American hip-hop producer Odd Nosdam. Trans Canada Highway was described by the band as visiting “a darker place, ‘a glacial place,’ away from the warmth and light of The Campfire Headphase.” Though Left Side Drive became a classic with the fanbase, Highway didn’t reach the same critical heights as the duo’s previous work.
And after Trans Canada Highway? A long period of silence - years. The fans grew restless and speculation ran amok about a potential new album on forums such as We Are the Music Makers and BoC fan site Twoism. This conjecture was eventually addressed by a poster on these boards by the name of Mark David Garrett, or MDG, a photographer and member of the Hexagon Sun collective, who confirmed that a new record was in the works and slated to be released in 2010.
Despite MDG’s statements about a new release, 2010 came and went, followed by 2011, and then 2012, with some fans believing there would never be another Boards of Canada record. Sporadically throughout this period, the band would tease fans with the promise of new material on their social media accounts, at one time updating their MySpace page to reflect that they were “In The Studio,” another responding to a fan asking on their Facebook page if there was any truth to rumors of a new album simply by saying “yes.”
Finally, on April 20th, 2013, Record Store Day (not to mention the 15th anniversary of Music Has the Right to Children’s release, and a holiday for another group of people), a vinyl record was discovered in a New York city music store, labeled “Boards of Canada,” and containing a short snippet of wistful, degraded synth tones, followed by a robotic voice reading out a series of numbers (the sound was highly reminiscent of numbers stations, mysterious radio stations broadcasting codes and music of unknown origin, but thought to be associated with international espionage).
This proved to be the trailhead setting off a long easter egg hunt or ARG (“alternate reality game”), involving videos on Adult Swim, broadcasts on the BBC, codes hidden in Youtube videos and even in the Twoism site banner, and finally culminating in the announcement of the fourth Boards of Canada studio album, Tomorrow’s Harvest. (This ARG is now known in the fan community as the “Record Store Day incident.”)
After a listening party held in an abandoned California water park, Tomorrow’s Harvest was first widely heard during a live streaming event on June 3rd, 2013. It represented another evolution in the band’s sound, harkening back to science fiction and disaster movies of the 70s and 80s with its dark, cinematic aesthetic and arpeggiated synths; at the same time, the beauty and degraded nostalgia of their previous work was unmistakably present. The album contained, per Marcus, a greater use of subliminals than any other record they’d ever done, as well as other surprises such as an audio palindrome and messages/references hidden in the album art, even on the physical CD itself. Even now, more than 8 years after release, fans are still finding previously overlooked details buried deep in the deceptively lush soundscapes.
Since 2013, Boards have remained relatively quiet, but not totally inactive, releasing four remixes - Sisters by Odd Nosdam in 2016, Mr. Mistake by Nevermen and Sometimes by the Sexual Objects in 2017, and Treat Em Right, also by Nevermen, in 2021 - as well as the Societas X Tape, a 2-hour mix aired on NTS radio for Warp’s 30th anniversary. What essentially amounted to a DJ set, Societas X mostly consisted of music by other artists, ranging from jazz to post-punk to experimental electronica, but included several interludes, a remix, and several as-yet unidentified tracks often considered to be Boards of Canada originals. The Societas X Tape has proven to be a goldmine of BoC influences and sample sources, guiding astute listeners to obscure library music labels and artists from which the brothers picked favored sounds, motifs, and inspiration. It deserves to be the subject of its own episode.
Following the release of the Societas X Tape, Boards have restricted their fan interaction almost exclusively to social media, sharing the occasional fan video and liking Twitter posts (many of which are in reference to new material, leading to speculation that an album is forthcoming).
In April 2021, a flurry of mysterious activity on several BOC-associated accounts led to heated speculation. Foremost among these was a Facebook account for Hell Interface, which shared a bizarre deepfake video where the melting Nazi from Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark appeared to be singing James Brown’s “I Feel Good,” and added a profile picture depicting a demonic Whitney Houston with rotten teeth. The account lacked the official Facebook “verified artist” designation, triggering debate across the BOC Fan communities as to whether or not the account actually belonged to the band. Further investigation showed that the Facebook account was created on the same day as the official Hell Interface YouTube channel, giving strong support to the Facebook page’s legitimacy. Boards of Canada have, as well, been known to eschew “official” or “verified” badges offered by social media giants - their Instagram account is not marked as verified, even though its legitimacy was confirmed when it was linked on their official Bandcamp page.
Meanwhile, Instagram and Twitter accounts under the names of Michael and Marcus had appeared, with Mike’s Twitter page sharing quotes from the Incredible String Band and Joni Mitchell. These pages followed the official BOC Transmission twitter page, but were not marked as “verified” or followed back, once again leaving their legitimacy unverified. All the while, the official BOC Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages continued to increase their activity, liking posts and sharing videos.
The purpose of this activity is unclear. Some fans think that none of the accounts are under the direct control of Boards of Canada, and that they are run by PR agents from Warp Records trying to keep fans interested and engaged. However, this seems to be countered by comments from MDG, indicating that while the band does have help managing their social media pages, this help comes from their close and trusted friends at Hexagon Sun rather than music industry representatives. In my view, claims that BOC have no involvement in managing their social media accounts originates largely from the misconception of Michael and Marcus as mysterious backwoods hermits who are above the business of interacting with their fans or using the internet, a view that has been attacked directly both by the band and by MDG throughout the years.
So, if it is the band running their social media pages, including the unverified Hell Interface account and personal profiles, what is their purpose? That’s a worthy question, but one that we don’t have time to investigate in this introductory review.
And with that, we’ve reached the modern era, circa 2021, a time of great hope and great uncertainty for Boards of Canada’s fans. With now more than 8 years elapsed since the release of Tomorrow’s Harvest, where the band will go from here is anyone’s guess.
As to where we’re going, next we’ll be taking a deep dive into the band’s releases, from the studio albums to the old tunes, before broadening our scope to look at themes of their work at large. Thanks for joining us, and tune in next week for another episode of Turquoise Hexagon Podcast.
(Turquoise Hexagon Podcast is a For Tune Telling project, hosted by Elroy G. Biv and sponsored by The Infinity Corporation).