Entranced.FM - Boards Of Canada

#	Track Listing	Length	Played
01	Sixtyniner Boards Of Canada	5:17	90
02	Oirectine Boards Of Canada	5:11	73
03	Iced Cooly Boards Of Canada	2:22	73
04	Basefree Boards Of Canada	6:31	70
05	Twoism Boards Of Canada	6:05	97
06	Seeya Later Boards Of Canada	4:33	78
07	Melissa Juice Boards Of Canada	1:33	70
08	Smokes Quantity / 1986 Summer Fire Boards Of Canada	4:48	75

Hint: Hover over buttons and album/artist name next to the cover for more info.

Reviewers Rating

1 review done for this album.

Twoism (Needs help)

By:	Max
Date:	23 Jan 2012
Rating:

This is a really bleak album, more than even Geogaddi, which has a backbone of aggression that keeps it from becoming depressing. Not that fans expect upbeat, but usually there's a Nlogax, ROYGBIV, Aquarius, or Dawn Chorus to leaven the mood. Here Iced Cooly plays that role, but the synths are distorted to the point that the effect is more queasy than whimsical. For me a hallmark of the BoC sound is emotional ambivalence - innocence with a menacing undercurrent, psychedelia with a hint of madness - but the cumulative effect of these tracks is just dour.

A case in point would be the opener, Sixtyniner. The twinkling, autumnal synths are great, until this oboe-like sound and plodding beat come in and make it sound almost comically sad. The highlights of the album for me are Oirectine and Melissa Juice. The former is the epitome of minimalist composition; the opening tones alone vibrate at the perfect pitch to make your flesh creep and your hair stand on end. The reverb and distortion make the song sound as if it was recorded in a culvert or train tunnel; towards the end, a backward, loping beat is introduced that gives it a sinister, funky intensity. Totally eerie and unclassifiable. Melissa Juice is a slight composition that captures a nostalgic feeling in the way only BoC can.

Of course BoC completists have to have this EP; in fact, thanks to the miracle of filesharing, most of them already do. As far as I can tell the remastering is great and definitely justifies a purchase if you already know you like the material. And despite the downer mood it induces, there is a sense of vast open space on this album that makes it stand out when compared to, say, the more self-conscious and fanatically detailed Geogaddi. Still, for those new to the music of BoC, I would start with the superior Hi Scores EP, or either full length album, Music... or Geogaddi.

I still do not fully understand the music of B.O.C.

Max

3 of 3 found this review helpful

Please log in to vote on this review

Please log in to write reviews and submit corrections.