Boards Of Canada: The Campfire Headphase - Mini review

I got this today cause I'm a very special boy. Warp did manage to send me the CD instead of the LP though which I'm quite annoyed about.
The packaging uses a small section of the cover picture on Music Has The Right to Children for some reason, not sure why yet.
I've wondered how they were going to follow up 2002's Geogaddi since I heard it, its one of my all time favs but it was political where as Music Has the Right... and anything they'd done before was just beautiful music, no real message other than everything is lovely
They haven't dissapointed me. Its awesome. Listening to it first time its really easy to see how they got here, it goes back to the beauty of everything before Geogaddi (but there is still the darker elements like there was on Twoism) but with the absolutely breath taking production of geogaddi (and earth quake bass). This time they've made the guitars recognisable though, its quite a guitary album for alot of it (they have been using them for a while- most obviously on their remix of cLOUDDEAD's Dead Dogs Two and their remix of Last walk round mirror lake by Boom Bip). Speaking of cLOUDDEAD, if anyone has heard their first album, the BOC remix of Dead Dogs, Hymies Basement or 'Fi' by Bibio (which funnily enough was described as BOC with guitars) think of them played over the top of Music Has the right and geogaddi and your kind of there. The guitar stuff is all quite basic, take a lovely riff, process it and loop it over some typical boards electronic sound scapes. Its fantastic, works so well. I guess thats what the title is referring to, campfire guitar with electronic lysergic headphasing
I assume they moved away from the darkness of geogaddi as one of them had a baby not long after that came out. Its certainly a good move I reckon, they've done the politics (REALLY well) and now they've gone back to what they do best. Theres far less voice going on in this one though, the other two LPs, a beautiful place in the country and some of the remixes are full of vocals, geogaddi particularly had loads, alot of them reversed and about satan, the Branch Davidians and the song teddy bears picnic (which sounds incredibly creepy it was meant to be them seeing what they could get away with).
Anyway, I've lost my thread a bit :MILD: so to sum up, if you like and kind of psychadelia, its for you. Mind blowing electronic sounds, huge bass, things flying all over the place, lovely looping acoustic/clean electric (for all but one track) guitars, great drums and general all round awesome trippy production. With a couple of months to go I'm pretty sure this is my album of the year. I'm off to listen again. Its out on monday for those who are interested.

 

Got my LP copy from Warp this morning and it is very good indeed, and I'm sure repeated listening will reveal even more. Lovely gatefold and pictured record sleeves. BOC are a favourite, a very individual sound in electronica. Like Aphex they artificially 'age' their music (and the artwork photos) so that in a way it doesn't sound new, and therefore the music won't date like a lot of other 'modern' stuff, and apparently it keeps the copycats of the trail too. There is a good interview with BOC in the current (October) issue of The Wire.

Warp managed to mix up an order of mine too, a couple of weeks back they sent me 'Smash' by Jackson And His Computer Band on CD instead of LP. Probably some new employee in the packing department. Tit.

 

Its odd they're sending stuff out early, I don't understand why they don't just move the release dates to tuesdays or wednesdays, then they could still guarantee delivery on the release date without people getting it days before its officially released. There was a good review on pitchfork too, they're brothers apparantly. Which does explain alot actually, if you read the thing on the back of the poster that comes from warp it talks about one of them moving between scotland, canada and england yet somehow they're both still there
I played it 4 times last night I think, fantastic. Is the pressing good cuz the last track fades down after about 2 mins but then runs on for another 7 or 8, I was wondering if it still works on LP?

EDIT: Have you got Fi by Bibio? I think you'd like it. Think you'd like the cLOUDDEAD stuff if you've not heard that too, both albums are great but the first one (self titled) is absolutely awesome, that has the artificial ageing thing going on cuz its all recorded badly for effect, works really well. Nice LP set too, 3 discs.

 

Thanks for the headsup. This is one of my favorite bands too, and I shall definitely be getting it. www.thewire.co.uk should not be confused with the other mag. It doesn't seem to have the interview online, but it's worth subscribing to IMO to keep track of avant garde music in electronica, jazz etc.

 

The pressing is very good overall, nice and quiet, except for the fade out section, where my copy gets a little noisy and spoils it a bit. Perhaps yours will be quieter...

 

I thought I was alone in listening to boc. My girlfriend thinks I'm mad. Do you guys like substrata too?

 

You mean Biosphere? If so, yes, bloody love it

 

I've got a boc cd - it's title is something to do with children...it's ok, couldn't really get into it tho...

 

No keep hearing about it, will have to pick it up

 

Did they sort it out ok? I mailed them straight back last week but still haven't heard anything from them, they've not replyed to 2 emails

 

Still waiting...

 

that doesn't bode well them. I've had problems with them in the past, when I got the cLOUDDEAD LP and an Amon Tobin one they both turned up with ripped sleeves at the top and bottom where the records had come through, but no damage to card packing sleeve so it had obviously been done before packing. I think they dropped them on the floor when putting them in the mailer or something then sent them out anyway.

EDIT: Just nagged them got a reply straight away and they're sending the LP tomorrow

EDITEDIT: HOPEFULLY sending the LP anyway

 

Excellent. So is there anything else out there like boc and biosphere? I need some more oddities like this to chill to. :MILD:

 

You could try Aphex Twin, 'Selected Ambient Works 85-92'. The Pop Ambient series (2001 to 2005) on the Kompakt label is awesome, 2003 being my favourite. Yagya's 'The Rhythm of Snow' comes with my highest recommendation, but is probably unavailable now...although if you pm me I could send you a copy if you'd like

 

I seen some good acts last night.Machine Records had a couple of acts doing there thing in Newport. I missed the first one, but caught Redfalls, and Orcop.

As soon as Redfalls started I was thinking BOC. Two guys behind the electronics doing a nice downtempo set. One to nod your head along to. Didn't seem to be much of a live influence to the set, a bit click play and stand back. But some interesting sounds still. Well worth further investigation!

Orcop was just the one guy. There's a link from the machine site to www.orcop.org.uk where there's a few older tunes to DL. WOW! This guy was shit hot! The first tune had a guitar loop and grabbed attention straight away. MOre upbeat and with an obvious live influence on the tune. I've seen a few people using Chaos Pads now, and when talking to them, they've said it's one of the best gizMO's they've got their hands on. I'll definitely be following this up with some purchases. There's a quote on the flyer saying "Those into the likes of Warp, Ninja, and MO-Wax should give this a listen", which is pretty accurate. Some really interesting sounds and beats.

If these two are anything to go by, then the label seems like one to watch. Winner of best label at the Welsh music awards 2004.

 

Stuff on rythm & sound, Planet E and some of the Basic Channel stuff, mainly Cyrus is all good. The bass is huge, you have to have the right equipment to play it on, they don't seem to care too much about cheap speakers etc. I tried to play some in the car once and it really didn't like it. Its awesome stuff, really really sparse reggae, techno and ambient type stuff, most of it is a bassline, minimal drums and a delayed synth or roulette ball sound etc. Makes you feel on drugs without being on drugs. http://www.basicchannel.com/

 

If you look at http://www.music-map.com/boards+of+canada.html you will see what people who listen to BOC also listen to

 

yeah, I mainly use that kind of service on amazon.co.uk when someone has bought this record has also bought...

and I cherck out the ambient section on ebay - and check out the reviews on amazon...

 

Thanks for the pointers. I've only just got around to ordering a load of tunes. Damn Amazon & music maps cost me a fortune.

 

tell me about it, that and ebay...lol!