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Up until the release of their 1998 album, "Music Has the Right to Children", Boards of Canada were relatively unknown.
However, that album was released to rave reviews in almost every magazine, and although it was not a huge seller overnight,
it seems that during the time since then they have become someting of a cult act, with a legion of fans utterly bewitched
by the album eagerly awaiting the release of something new. The first fruits of Boards of Canada's time spent working in the
studio is this EP, and never before has a title of a record so well fitted the actual music.
To people who have
not heard Boards of Canada's music before, it can be difficult to describe what they sound like. This is largely because they
sound like no other act around, and because it is often very difficult to describe instrumental music. Their music has been
desribed as "kiddie-tronica", but that label attaches notions of immaturity and irrelevance and has connotations
of annoying Bentley Rhythm Ace style juvenilia. This could not be further from the truth, of course. However, in a way it
is kind of an apt description, as listening to Boards of Canada is such a warm and pleasant experience that it sometimes feels
like being a child again, lying on the grass and looking up into the blue sky, feeling safe and innocent without a care in
the world. The music is soft, soothing, and caresses your mind with gorgeous muted synths and gentle beats. It is like regressing
to the womb, being surrounded by a sac of amniotic fluid, cushioned from the harsh realities of the outside world.
That was pretty much the template set on "Music Has the Right to Children", augmented by samples from old children's
television programs and the sound of children playing. On the especially beautiful track Aquarius, there was the sound of
a man repeatedly saying "Oraaange", and a woman reciting random numbers, for no reason other than that it sounds
nice. Anyone expecting a radical new sound on this new EP will be disappointed. But having said that it does seem that they
have progressed slightly - these four new tracks do sound a little different to the tracks on the album in a certain indefinable
way.
The opening track is called "Kid For Today", and is immediately recognisably Boards of Canada.
It features the trademark warm, muffled synths ushering in the gentlest of percussion. Graually more complicated drumbeats
materialise but the pace remains leisurely throughout. The next track - rather puzzlingly called "Amo Bishop Roden"
- is rather beautiful. Again, it features a lush synth accompanient, playing the same few notes over and over again, with
gentle beats. This goes on for approximately eight minutes, with very little variation. However, every second is a joy, as
you are transifixed by its beauty. Listen to this track and feel completely at peace with the world.
The third
track (the title track) is even better, and could be a contender for the best ever Boards of Canada track. It features a lovely
warm synth playing some minor chords over which you can hear the unusual and disturbing sound of a child's laughter looped.
The the electronic percussion kicks in. Over the top of all this is the sound of a computerised voice encouraging "Come
now...join the community in a beautiful place in the country". This may sound cheesy, but believe me it is beautiful.
This continues for another nine minutes or so, but once again you will find yourself not wanting it to end. The final track
is called "Zoetrope" and is actually slightly disappointing. It is kind of a minimalist piece and fetures only what
sounds like an electric piano or a harpsichord, playing a strident tune. It is nice enough, but does go on for far too long
for what it is.
This is an excellent EP, and overall it was well worth the wait. They have continued with the
sound that made "Music Has the Right To Children" one of the the best electronic albums of the nineties, but refined
it slightly so that they still sound fresh and ahead of the rest. Based on this evidence, the forthcoming album should be
superb.
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