Boards of Canada have had an enormous influence on the ambient, downtempo and IDM scenes. They have frequently made reference to the warm, scratchy, artificial sounds of 1970s television. Indeed, the Sandison brothers admit to being inspired by the documentary films of the National Film Board of Canada, from which they take their name. The duo have recorded a few minor works under the name Hell Interface. Boards of Canada’s music has been used in several CSI episodes and on Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim interlude shorts; small bits of their music have been used on the BBC program Top Gear for transitional music.
Early Boards of Canada (1970s-1995)
Growing up in a musical family, brothers Mike Sandison and Marcus Eoin began playing instruments at a young age. They experimented with recording techniques at around the age of 10, using tape machines to layer cut-up samples of found sounds over compositions of their own. In their teens they participated in a number of amateur bands, however, it wasn't until 1986 when Marcus was invited to Mike’s band that Boards of Canada was born.
By 1989, the band had been reduced to Sandison, Eoin and Christopher Horne. In the early 1990s, a number of collaborations took place and the band put on small, fairly regular shows among the “Hexagon Sun” collective.
In early 2000, the official website for the band, Music70.com (now boardsofcanada.com) removed the early discography of Boards of Canada, although some information has been preserved by fans. Early tape releases by Boards of Canada include "Play by Numbers", "Acid Memories", "Hooper Bay", and the earliest known release by the band is titled "Catalog 3". None of the material from those days is readily available, and since official Boards of Canada sources ignore the existence of this material, there seems to be little chance for this early material to ever resurface.
Boards of Canada from Twoism (1995-present)
In 1995, the band released the first work from the Hexagon Sun studio, the EP "Twoism". Like earlier Music70 releases, it was produced in a self-financed limited run and was privately distributed, primarily to friends and labels. Unlike previous releases though, a small number of copies were also released to the public through the IDM mailing list. Though not a widespread commercial release, it was considered of such high quality to be subsequently re-pressed in 2002 and serves as a demarcation point into more professional releases.
The precursor to "Music Has the Right to Children" was released in 1996. Titled "Boc Maxima", it was a semi-private release that is notable for being a full-length album. Boc Maxima’s work was later used for "Music Has the Right to Children", with which it shares many tracks.
Boards of Canada’s first commercial release occurred after attracting the attention of Autechre’s Sean Booth of the English label Skam Records, one of many people sent a demo EP. Skam released what was considered Boards of Canada’s first "findable" work, "Hi Scores", in 1996.
"Music Has the Right to Children" was released in 1998. Many fans consider this record to be a masterpiece. The popularity of the record was substantial enough to start a wave of sound-alikes.
John Peel featured Boards of Canada on his BBC Radio 1 program in January of 1998. The session featured two remixes from "Music Has the Right to Children" — "Aquarius (Version 3)" and "Olson (Version 3)" — along with the tracks "Happy Cycling" and “XYZ”. Excluding “XYZ”, the set was released on a Warp Records CD titled "Peel Session TX 21/07/1998". The session was later reissued in 2019 which released "XYZ" in an official manner for the first time.
Though never an actively touring band, Boards of Canada did perform a handful of shows. Early shows saw them supporting Warp label-mates Seefeel and Autechre in a scattering of UK dates. They also participated in a few festivals and multi-artist bills, including two Warp parties: Warp’s 10th Anniversary Party in 1999 and The Incredible Warp Lighthouse Party almost one year later. They made their most prominent showing in 2001 as one of the headliners at the Tortoise-curated All Tomorrow’s Parties festival. They have not performed a live show since.
Boards of Canada released a four-track EP, "In a Beautiful Place Out in the Country", in November 2000, their first original release in two years.
The full-length album "Geogaddi" was released in 2002. It was described by Sandison as ”a record for some sort of trial-by-fire, a claustrophobic, twisting journey that takes you into some pretty dark experiences before you reach the open air again.”
Throughout most of their career, Mike and Marcus chose not to publicize their brotherhood and were simply portrayed as childhood friends. Their kinship was finally revealed in a 2005 Pitchfork interview. Mike explained that they concealed the fact to avoid comparisons to Orbital, another well-known UK electronic group composed of two brothers.
Their third album for Warp Records, "The Campfire Headphase", was released on 17 October 2005. The album covers much of the same musical territory as their previous works and featured fifteen tracks, including “Peacock Tail”, “Chromakey Dreamcoat”, and “Dayvan Cowboy”. Two versions of “Dayvan Cowboy” — the original and a remix by Odd Nosdam — are on the six-track EP, "Trans Canada Highway", which was released on 26 May 2006.
Sound and methods
Brief songs or “vignettes” feature prominently in their music. Such songs are often weaving melodies or speech accompanied by atmospherics to capture a specific moment or mood. They often last less than two minutes, but, as Sandison says, “those short tracks you mention, we write far more of those than the so-called ‘full on’ tracks, and in a way, they are our own favorites”.
Boards of Canada have written an enormous number of song fragments and songs, most of which will never be released. It does not appear that music is made exclusively for commercial release. Rather, albums seem to be the result of selecting complementary songs from current work, which is a compositional technique shared by many electronic or experimental artists such as Nightmares on Wax, Canabrism and King Crimson. Geogaddi’s development involved the creation of 400 song fragments and 64 complete songs, of which 23 were selected, one of which is silence.
Subliminal messages, symbolism, and religion
Marcus and Mike have both expressed a strong interest in the power of subliminal messaging and their work is full of cryptic messages.
Some critics refuse to listen to their music on account that they are positive the band is trying to brainwash their listeners for unknown motivations, citing references to David Koresh and occult symbols as proof. Others approach these facts from the skeptical angle, saying it is nothing but a bunch of “cute tricks” and an ironic gesture towards people who take such things seriously (and some would say, as a bit of a similar gesture towards their own body of work in later releases, such as "Geogaddi").
From One Source All Things Depend
Boards of Canada Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures"
"... glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost ... "
"... Baruch atta Adonai Eloheynu melech ha-olam asher kid-shanu ..."
"... Hail Mary, full of Grace. The Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women ..."
"... now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep, if I die before I wake ..."
"... our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy Kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven, give us this day, our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil Amen"
"... God bless my mother, my father, by brother, Eloise, all my aunts, all my uncles ..."
"Who is God? Well, it's an invisible person, and he lives up in heaven, up there"
"God is somebody who rules the world. He's sort of like a spirit, I guess up in outer space"
"He kind of started all the plants growing, and he started people. Well I guess he's kind of big and fat"
"He can see us wherever we do, whatever we do, he has such powerful eyes, he has to have millions and thousands and billions, and he can still see us when we're bad"
"He could be sitting on the table right now, but you can't see him"
"If he was a bad man, he would make everything bad, and we wouldn't have electricity, he wouldn't make people, that's what would happen if God wasn't nice"
"... he's not though, what - a lot of people think he's just a feeling - but I think he's a real person"
"Well, I think that God, um, isn't a person, but he's up in the heavens, and he's watching over us right now"
From One Source All Things Depend is a mysterious and haunting track that incorporates various religious elements and voices of children answering profound questions about the nature of God. The lyrics are a montage of prayers, scripture, and children's responses to questions about God. The religious phrases used in the track are from different faiths and spiritual practices. The words of the prayers are repeated throughout the song, creating a sense of timelessness and universality. The track starts with the lines, "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want / He maketh me to lie down in green pastures," which are taken from Psalm 23 in the Old Testament. This could be seen as an acknowledgment of the presence of God in nature and the world around us, and a reminder of the comfort and safety that can be found in that presence.
The children's responses to the question of who God is are innocent and unfiltered, reflecting a child's perspective on the concept of God. Their answers range from describing God as an invisible person who lives in heaven to a spirit that rules the world. The children also describe God as someone who has started all the plants growing and started people. Overall, their answers reveal a sense of awe and wonder at the mystery and power of God.
From One Source All Things Depend is a deeply contemplative and reflective track, combining elements from different religions and faiths. The lyrics invite the listener to reflect on the nature of God and their own beliefs about spirituality and religion.
Line by Line Meaning
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want
God guides and protects me, and I lack nothing in His care
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures
God ensures I have a place of rest and abundance
"... glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost ... "
Praising and recognizing the Holy Trinity
"... Baruch atta Adonai Eloheynu melech ha-olam asher kid-shanu ..."
Blessing God and expressing gratitude for His holiness
"... Hail Mary, full of Grace. The Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women ..."
Honoring the Virgin Mary and asking for her intercession
"... now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep, if I die before I wake ..."
Seeking God's protection and mercy as one prepares for sleep
"... our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy Kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven, give us this day, our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil Amen"
The Lord's prayer, asking for God's provision, guidance, and forgiveness
"... God bless my mother, my father, by brother, Eloise, all my aunts, all my uncles ..."
Asking God to bless and watch over loved ones
"Who is God? Well, it's an invisible person, and he lives up in heaven, up there"
A child's understanding of God as a person who lives in heaven and cannot be seen
"God is somebody who rules the world. He's sort of like a spirit, I guess up in outer space"
Another child's understanding of God as a powerful spirit who governs the world from a distant location
"He kind of started all the plants growing, and he started people. Well I guess he's kind of big and fat"
A child recognizing God as the Creator of all living things, but with a humorous interpretation of His appearance
"He can see us wherever we do, whatever we do, he has such powerful eyes, he has to have millions and thousands and billions, and he can still see us when we're bad"
A child's belief in God's omnipotence and omniscience, and the fear of His judgment
"He could be sitting on the table right now, but you can't see him"
Another child recognizing God's invisibility and mysterious nature
"If he was a bad man, he would make everything bad, and we wouldn't have electricity, he wouldn't make people, that's what would happen if God wasn't nice"
A child's realization of God's role in creating a good world, and the consequences of having an evil deity
"... he's not though, what - a lot of people think he's just a feeling - but I think he's a real person"
Acknowledging the diversity of beliefs about God, but expressing a personal conviction in His existence as an actual being
"Well, I think that God, um, isn't a person, but he's up in the heavens, and he's watching over us right now"
Another child's belief in God's watchful presence, but with a different interpretation of His nature
Contributed by Nathaniel I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Program 7
@Ellijah No, but i already explained the difference between gloryfing and mentioning. Also their track named ''peacock tail'' is with a satanic hint because the peacock tail is in association with the ''all seeing eye'' (also known as the eye of horus). It's just another symbol for that since the end of the peacock feather looks like an eye. That's why you see this also by some other prominent figures on photos. It's a part of this egyptian theme that the satanists all love so much, because in the biblical times they practiced magic in egypt. It's explained in that video by circa 1:40:20
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFOd9q3Lvq4
Attention: This video is from another channel that certainly soon will be closed on youtube, so it will be wise to watch some of his videos yet until youtube shut him down! He seem to make good and long researches which i prefer alot and i recommend his channel. Btw, if you also watch boc's ''peacock tail boards of canada music art print''… What do we see there? Again the one eye symbolism.
https://www.etsy.com/de/listing/538559332/pfauenschwanz-boards-of-canada-musik
Isn't that strange? Yes i know what comes now… ''It's all one big show!''. But if it's all a show then why is it always the same recurring boring theme? That just doesn't make sense. Otherwise all those prominent people would do the exact same show, which is difficult to believe for me. Still at the end the readers decide by themselfs if they want to make research or not.
Program 7
Notice: I distance myself from the artist’s obvious satanic belief. From now on this upload is only here to inform about that.
Program 7
@Daniel Richard You also don't need to write the name anymore, i've written the name enough already. God bless.
Program 7
@Noor Ali You right, that's destiny. Sometimes i really wish i had made a channel like this before mentioned ''jeremiah cohen''. But i unfortunetaly started out with this channel and so i of course have many people without any interest in this particular theme here, unlike the jermiah cohen. Honestly, it ain't easy if you have to explain this all to rookies. That's why i always recommend you to make research by yourself. My task is it only to inform about certain musicians. Everything above that is simply ''good will''... And there you also can see that i absolutely mean it good with you all for i explained so far alot more as i had to.
Program 7
@Ellijah No, but i already explained the difference between gloryfing and mentioning. Also their track named ''peacock tail'' is with a satanic hint because the peacock tail is in association with the ''all seeing eye'' (also known as the eye of horus). It's just another symbol for that since the end of the peacock feather looks like an eye. That's why you see this also by some other prominent figures on photos. It's a part of this egyptian theme that the satanists all love so much, because in the biblical times they practiced magic in egypt. It's explained in that video by circa 1:40:20
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFOd9q3Lvq4
Attention: This video is from another channel that certainly soon will be closed on youtube, so it will be wise to watch some of his videos yet until youtube shut him down! He seem to make good and long researches which i prefer alot and i recommend his channel. Btw, if you also watch boc's ''peacock tail boards of canada music art print''… What do we see there? Again the one eye symbolism.
https://www.etsy.com/de/listing/538559332/pfauenschwanz-boards-of-canada-musik
Isn't that strange? Yes i know what comes now… ''It's all one big show!''. But if it's all a show then why is it always the same recurring boring theme? That just doesn't make sense. Otherwise all those prominent people would do the exact same show, which is difficult to believe for me. Still at the end the readers decide by themselfs if they want to make research or not.
ॐ
@Program 7 I was about to say something but everyone already went in on you hah
OOGA BOOGA BIG SCARY DEVIL!!! 👹 👹
Chow Yun Fat
Thoughts like these are why we don't have flying cars currently.
Mossflower League
"God is somebody who rues the whirl"
I spit out my drink when I first found out that was what they were actually saying
Artifacts187
ruls the whurl
Colin Outloudly
@Behornedhorse rue the whirl .. its a track on music has the right to children .. I think that's what the poster is saying
Behornedhorse
I think the kid says Rules the world.