Oh, god, how much to write? Fuck it, I’ve got nothing else on.
No musical artist has ever and will ever change my life as much as BoC. Ready Let’s Go.
My introduction to them came from the front of another album that said “you’ll love this if you like Boards of Canada”, so I went the other way, and went to Boards of Canada. I listened to Music Has the Right to Children for the first time in 2004, and it blew my fucking mind away. I was still listening religiously to Snow Patrol’s Final Straw, for fucks sake, and picking up the CD in Fopp and sliding it into my Discman, I had literally no idea what was about to happen.
That moment is like the origin story of not just my musical taste, but my introduction to a whole shifting sand of artists that I’d been sworn off. Throughout the late 1990s I’d been pushed away from electronic music thanks in part to my dad who said “where’s the lyrics?” and “real instruments?” stuff, which fed into my feelings. I liked a lot of music I heard around that time but never ever found a way into it, because none of my friends at the time liked anything like it. I had Ministry Sound annuals, but hid them from friends like people would hide guilty pleasures, and I cannot fathom why I resisted so much.
I remember, at uni, seeing the adverts around the city for Campfire Headphase in 2005 and I had to buy it, and got it day one. I loved it. I missed Geogaddi for fucks sake! I didn’t know they had another album!
Then, in Fopp, a guy who had seen me buying TCH and pointed me in the direction of a lovely orange coloured cover and I was taken in…
But it wasn’t truly until I move to Aberdeen and broke up with my girlfriend where they took over my life entirely. I remember being on a coach from Aberdeen to Glasgow via Dundee and listening to MHTRTC and reading a Murakami novel and it just clicking so hard with my mood. It felt like a change beyond all changes that music has ever undergone after a first pass of loved listens. It was transformic, in my view, and changed me view of everything. Not long after this, i followed their through line to Orbital, Aphex Twin, Biosphere, Loscil, Tycho… and the rest is history.
I wouldn’t have my podcast if it weren’t for them. I wouldn’t be on this forum if it wasn’t for them.
Music Has the Right to Children
I can put this on at any time of the day, at any moment, I can still find new things to enjoy. Aboslutely a stunner.
Geogaddi
This is my allrounder favourite, and I feel like it’s a classic again. Truly masters of the craft.
The Campfire Headphase
I discounted this for so so long, and now it’s the one I return to most at the moment, as I love the acoustic guitar and the higher band and warmer tones. Really impressive.
Tomorrow’s Harvest
It feels like 2013 was yesterday, but it wasn’t. It was pre-marriage, pre-two-kids… and I still feel like I am trying to “get” this album, and each time it is played I hear new things more and more.
Obviously, I am deep into the lore as well. I’ve got all the bootlegs that folk seriously consider to be them for real, so Old Tunes Vol 1, Vol 2, 35 Random Track Tape and, my favourite, BoC Maxima.
And i’ve made fake albums of their other bootlegged stuff;
Favourite tracks, not posted:
Also, want to heard me talking shit about their debut on my podcast?
Not sure why Mixcloud isn’t embedding anymore, but here’s the link.
And then there’s the Twoism Records series of One on Twoism stuff, which on them there are some absolutely excellent pastiches, but also really good music from artists that’d go on to be better, like our own @manches
True.
So, in summary; 1/5, don’t bother your arse.
