There’s a lot of excitement around this lot at the moment as it looks like they’re poised for their first official release since 2013, so, what better time for a listening club?
I’m going to give a week per release for chat and discussion, during which 2 polls will be open: rating out of 10 and best track.
We’ll be sticking to mainline releases only (LPs and EPs): I don’t want this to be a pain for people who don’t have access to some contested YouTube rip of something that might not be by them anyway. If you want to discuss interstitial stuff as we come to the appropriate era then fill your boots but it won’t have an official rating.
Polls will run until about lunchtime each Monday (or my AM free if I’m not on cover) at which point they’ll lock and the next one will go up.
If I’ve forgotten anything then shout; I’ve never run one of these before!
Schedule:
Week 1 (today until Monday 13th) - 1995 Twoism
Week 2 (13th to 20th of April) - 1996 Hi Scores
Week 3 (20th to 27th April) - 1998 Music Has the Right to Children
Week 4 (27th April to 4th May) - 2000 In a Beautiful Place Out in the Country
Week 5 (4th May to 11th May) - 2002 Geogaddi
Week 6 (11th May to 18th May) - 2005 Campfire Headphase
Week 7 (18th May to 25th May) - 2006 Trans Canada Highway
Week 8 (25th May to 1st of June) - 2013 Tomorrow’s Harvest
Week 9 (1st of June to 8th of June) - 2026 Untitled BOC Project
Something like that. Feel free to share any opinions positive or negative about the music but do be respectful of others.
The EP was initially pressed by Boards of Canada’s own Music70 label on cassette and vinyl in 1995.
Before Twoism was re-pressed in 2002, it was a highly sought-after item, being pressed in an edition of approximately 100 copies. It would often be exchanged from one person to the next for up to £800 (2001) (equivalent to £1,430.23 or US$1,827.97 in 2024)[6].[4][5]
Twoism is the only widely available Boards of Canada release with early third member Chris Horne, who was credited (as Chris H.) on the original release. However, his name was omitted on the 2002 Warp re-released version at his own request. According to credits from Canadian Musical Reproduction Rights Agency he only co-wrote “Melissa Juice”.
Twoism is great. When I used to struggle with their albums, this was my way in, found it way more digestible. Still probably reach for it most often for the same reason.
Still think Sixtyniner might be their best song, it was definitely the one that made them finally click for me.
Can’t remember when I first heard Twoism, but I know it wasn’t until I was pretty familiar with BoC, Geogaddi being my first exposure (more on that in a couple of weeks ). I may have got a less than official copy of Twoism off a certain sharing site that was all the rage at the time.
Imagine Sixtyniner being the first track you release. Absolutely outrageous. Completely nails the tone for this club. That warm, off-kilter goodness, the beat, the VIBE. DRENCH ME IN IT.
I’ve not listened to a lot of Twoism. I dripfeed myself with the early stuff/rarities/mixes so there’s something new/fairly unfamiliar to listen to each year. Not quite as much of a dilemma now with the new album (and maybe Bocset?) hopefully close!
Listening for the first time now! Iced Cooly made me laugh out loud when the squelchy burpy sound started, it was so unexpected. Like some G-funk out of nowhere
Not listened to Twoism in a quite a while, so it’s nice to have an excuse to revisit. It’s clearly less coherent than their albums but the tracks are all very worthwhile. I’d forgotten Basefree existed. It’s almost like a dubstep remix of one of their tracks, and Seeya Later has got a nice trip hoppy vibe. My favourite bits are definitely the warped haunting passages they’d hone over the next few years, and I’m glad they got better at programming drums. All of that said, it’s still a superb EP.
As an aside, I really like the career spanning artwork that came with the 2013 repress. Lovely mat outlines and gloss hexagons.
). I may have got a less than official copy of Twoism off a certain sharing site that was all the rage at the time.
