Feeling musically adventurous? Boards of Canada


I've gotten so much great musical advice from the experts here on the 'gon, that I figured I'd do my best to make some recommendations. While my knowledge of jazz, classical, and classic rock can't compare to that of my fellow 'goners, I think I may be pretty well suited to make some non-traditional recommendations.

Before I give my recommendation, I should let you know what kind of music I like, and have liked, so that you can know if we have any common ground.

Right now, I'm listening to a lot of small group jazz, with artists like Wynton Marsalis, Miles Davis, and Tomasz Stanko getting heavy rotation. I love experimental rock acts like the Grateful Dead, Phish, String Cheese Incident, and Widespread Panic. I can listen to some hip-hop, but it has to pass muster. I am a drum n' bass dj, as well, favoring the more beat oriented, funky side of things. Hell, I pretty much like everything. But I have cut my teeth in the electronic scene, getting mostly into the jazz flavored abstractions of Photek and the ilk...On with the recommendation...


My first recommendation is by a 2 man electronic outfit called Boards of Canada. Their album "Music Has the Right to Children" came out in 1998, and is simply one of my favorite electronic albums ever, and I have a few ; )

It is incredibly organic electronica. With song titles like "Wild Life Analysis", it's evident that BOC are not trying to fit in with the Euro Jet Setter Crowd. Describing this album is really difficult, although I've listened to it over 100 times. They play with time a lot by subtly shifting rhythms, lagging their synthesizers somehow, and having songs of many different lenghts. Their music is very jazzy in the sense that it seems to be a result of synergy and experimentation.

I would categorize BOC as downtempo/triphop. You won't be annoyed by the repetitive 4/4 beats, because there aren't any. Their use of rhythm and sampling just has to be heard to believed. Beautiful warm washes of sound, vocal snippets cut to the beat, haunting melodies. All cliche, but all BOC at their best in this album.

I always called Boards of Canada "headphone music", but it may very well be audiophile music, not because it was recorded in a certain way, but simply because there are SO MANY layers to their music, that most systems have a resolving them. The layers are all poignant as well. It's not as if they add things just to fill frequency ranges as an after-sights. My test for my system is that if I can clearly hear the chopped up vocals on track 4, then I'd say my system is pretty good at resolving details, as I'd only heard the vocals on Etymotic ER-4S's previously.

Caveat emptor: I would firmly plant BOC in the "Handshake Music" group. Handshake music is a term I've coined for groups that don't extend their music all the way out to you, rather, they meet you half way. If you want to enjoy BOC, you might have to listen to the album 5 or 6 times, just to let their M.O. soak in (at least that's what it took me...I expect that the more seasoned musicphiles might "get it" quicker. It's worth the effort to meet this group halfway, though.

Hope some of you check out and enjoy this supreme effort by two of the most unique electronic musicians around.
dubzilla
Dubzilla I've been wearing out Music Has...Twoism & Geogaddi lately. These albums might not smack you in the face on the first go round but after repeated listenings they just embed themselves into your brain. Great stuff!
Nice to hear, Synthfreek. If you like Music..., then I can safely bet that you will also like a group (I think) called E*Vax. They are on the Audio Dregs label @ www.audiodregs.com

Their album, "Parking Lot Music" is just so damn lovely. I compare them to Boards of Canada, but less abstract, and a lot warmer. They are still a good bit "deeper" than Kruder Dorfmeister and other such Loungists.

Also, on a bit more minimal tip is my favorite discovery, the German ~scape label @ www.scape-music.de. I haven't been able to find any of their releases stateside yet, so I'm resigned to listening to the mp3s I have of theirs. I even e-mailed the label asking where I can buy their cds, but no luck. The stuff I have on ~Scape is more on the dubby/housey tip, but it's really minimal, and oh so excellent. If you'd like to hear some of their mp3s and then join me in the quest for finding their cds, I'd be glad to hook you up with a copy.

I have tons of other recommendations as well, if you're interested. Happy listening.

Oh yeah, I thought BOC had an album coming out early this year...oh well.
I ,too am a big fan of the BOC's Music album.
I have a vinyl copy on the way right now.

Although very different (within the same realm of "feeling" however) is Air. I can't get enough of those dudes.

I saw them in ATL a few months ago, and it was awesome.
I'm jealous of the BOC vinyl G13! BTW, great screenname...I think I might remember what G13 means. ;)

Oh yeah, Air is cool.

If you like Air, you *might* like Royksopp's "Melody A.M". Kind of similar. Very feel good stuff.
I enjoy the band too. Especially songs like "Dawn Chorus". If you like that song, try out something such as Waldeck "Slaapwagen", or Electric Skychurch "Heaven".

They are recorded without much compression and sound great. I use electrostats and love detail.
I'm a big fan of Children Have The Right and the A Beautiful Place In The Country e.p however Geogaddi was a major major disappointment to me.

And of course they are Scottish,just like myself
I always assumed they were Canadian. That's what I get for assuming. haha.

Geogaddi was a let-down for me as well, but I recently got into it after giving it a bunch of listens.
The new Air album "Talkie Walkie" is stunning and almost up to "Moon Safari" standards. If you're into electronic music, I recommend it. The sonics are excellent too.
Don't forget the peel session's.

the scape label is great as well. I have almost all of the releases.

You can email for me a couple of seller's in the usa.

If you are Feeling musically adventurous he is a list of links to great labels who makes excellent music.

I would recommend the following labels

http://www.morrmusic.com/
http://www.neoouija.com/neo/home
http://www.warprecords.com/
http://www.hydrogendukebox.com/
http://www.plugresearch.com/
http://www.stereodeluxe.com/
http://www.deluxerecs.com/
http://www.max-ernst.de/
http://www.u-cover.com
http://www.planet-mu.com/
http://compost-records.com/
http://www.fat-cat.co.uk/fatcat/home.php
http://ninjatune.com/home/
http://www.dakinirecords.com/~English/DAK_news.html
http://www.rottersgolfclub.co.uk/
http://posteverything.com/
http://www.touchmusic.org.uk/
http://www.twisted.co.uk

enjoy donald
thanks ben
but the leaf label is only online through posteverything.
so I got you covered. posteverything also is great for wire and its label
swim~
my personal faves on leaf
310
four tet
murcof
sofa surfers

on swim~
colin newman
dol=lop
immersion
malka spigel
oracle
symptons

thanks again ben