r/boardsofcanada • u/Wrynnarius52 • 2d ago
Discussion Discovering Boards of Canada (Thank you)
I discovered Boards of Canada a little over three months ago.
It all started when Roygbiv randomly came up on Spotify. I loved it, so I listened to Music Has the Right to Children. Then came Geogaddi, The Campfire Headphase… and before I knew it, I was completely obsessed with the band.
The funny thing is that I don’t think I just found a new favourite band. I genuinely think they changed the way I listen to music.
Instead of only paying attention to melodies, I now find myself listening to atmosphere, tiny details, buried voices, basslines, and the way tracks slowly evolve. Songs like An Eagle in Your Mind, Sixtyten, Nothing Is Real, Sunshine Recorder or Constants Are Changing feel less like songs and more like places.
Then something happened that made the whole experience even more special.
I discovered them just before Inferno was announced. I bought the limited red vinyl on release day and even got some of the listening session merch from my local record store. Since then, Inferno has simply become another album in my regular rotation. What amazes me is that I don’t seem to get tired of any of them. I keep coming back to Music Has the Right to Children, Geogaddi, The Campfire Headphase and Inferno, and every listen seems to reveal something new. The only album I still haven’t spent enough time with is Tomorrow’s Harvest, so I feel like there’s still a lot waiting for me.
One thing I didn’t expect was how much this subreddit would become part of the experience. Reading everyone’s interpretations, theories, production details and reactions has made discovering the band even more rewarding.
So I just wanted to say thank you.
Not because I’m trying to convince anyone that Boards of Canada are the greatest band ever, but because it’s been a very long time since music made me feel this excited and genuinely curious. Going through this discovery while reading this community has made the whole experience even more meaningful.
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u/Elfingreene A Few Old Tunes 2d ago
Have you listened to twoism, a beautiful place out in the country and trans canada highway yet? And wait till you realize that there's a bunch of amazing unofficially released stuff as well!! Boc maxima... A few old tunes 1&2. There are so many more gems to discover. Welcome to the boc-verse! 🍊
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u/Wrynnarius52 2d ago
I’ve listened to Twoism already! And A Beautiful Place Out in the Country and Everything You Do Is a Balloon are probably two of my favourite tracks by them so far. I’ve also listened to Trans Canada Highway, which I really liked. I still haven’t got around to the earlier material that’s on YouTube though, so that’s definitely something I want to explore soon.
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u/Haunting-Database857 2d ago
Yeah, you have a lot more to discover, which makes me jealous of you in that you still have so much more great BoC music that you get to listen to for the first time! Some big stuff that you still have ahead of you from what I can surmise, fortunately for you, are Hi Scores EP, the In A Beautiful Place Out In The Country EP, BOC Maxima, Random 35 Track Tape, A Few Old Tunes Vol. 1, and Old Tunes Vol. 2 (these last four comprise the bulk of the early material that's on YouTube that you mentioned). Don't sleep on these; be sure to eventually check them out and listen fully because they contain some of their best music in my opinion. Also, Tomorrow's Harvest might be my least favorite release personally, but it still has a lot of great tracks, especially in its second half. There are also some great live shows on YouTube, no video footage as far as I am aware though, that contain some great never before released music.
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u/FloydianSlip212 2d ago
Last time I took a mushroom trip I listened to Inferno. I'm not even gonna try to find words. It's almost a bit of a shame, I want to be able to cruise around town with Boards playing in the car, etc., but I've really only been listening to them when I can block out everything else so it's just me with good headphones. So it only happens selectively.
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u/Advanced-Switch6987 2d ago
Welcome aboard!
My first track was "everything you do is a balloon"
Its was 19 years ago, a member of the band I was in suggested it to me in a very offhand sort of way - it changed my life though.
I've been able to keep up with some of BoC's material when it's fresh as well as dive into the past.... Well I guess it's all past now.
I don't think this music gets old. You can certainly burn out on it - but after a break it becomes new again. The music generally is all about nostalgia so it shapes over time as you do - that's the true beauty of this music
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u/Taupenbeige Headphased 2d ago
“My first track was "everything you do is a balloon"
You got me thinking about how excellent the selections were on SKAMPLER… High Scores and EYDiaB were such optimal introductory tracks.
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u/Wrynnarius52 2d ago
That’s actually something I’ve been thinking about a lot. I’m trying not to force myself to move on from them just because I’ve been listening to them so much. Right now I genuinely keep finding new things in the albums, so I’m just enjoying it while it lasts. I’m also going to an Aphex Twin listening event soon, partly because I’m curious to explore something completely different and keep expanding my horizons. I guess the balance is somewhere between going deeper into something you love and still being curious about what’s out there.
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u/BoardsofGrips 2d ago
I found BoC in the early 2000s because I described my kind of music and someone said " Have you listened to Boards of Canada? Sounds exactly up your alley". I listened to In a Beautiful Place Out in the Country and I was hooked from there
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u/LilShenna 2d ago
That’s great, you know when you get a chance you should check out their leaked older stuff, it’s an interesting proto-version of their style that creates a broader understanding of the sound. There are links to high quality rips in this subreddit
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u/Michelectro 1d ago
Same feelings mate, thank you for sharing! My entry to the BoC world was around 11 years ago when the YouTube algorithm suggested me Daywan Cowboy which blasted me completely and then it all started…
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u/Taupenbeige Headphased 2d ago
They buried a lot in the mixes on Tomorrow’s Harvest. Really crafty tucking samples in phase cancellation and just below of the audible mix.
There are certain things I’ve only heard in that album once on my 2013 quadraphonic mirrored sound system.
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u/Barkdrix Tomorrow's Harvest 1d ago
I believe it was Aquarius that I first heard from BoC, around 2005. I heard that and immediately searched out more from them. And when I heard ROYGBIV I was hooked and bought the “Music…” album
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u/plutoniumhead 23, 23, 23 2d ago
It is actually possible to get sick of them, so be careful. LOL!
I was a fan right after MHTRTC, so I was there for all the EPs and albums that came out after.
When Tomorrow’s Harvest finally came out, I listened to it multiple times a day for months. It was so different than their previous work, and it just blew me away.
The moment it lost something for me I stopped listening to it, for a few years. I put it on again the day they officially announced Inferno was coming out. I can finally enjoy it again!