Acclaimed IDM artists ‘Boards Of Canada’ consist of Scottish brothers Michael Sandison and Marcus Eoin Sandison, who have managed to operate under the radar of commercialism while generating a dedicated cult following from a broad fanbase.
Their sound is developed from a unique use of analog equipment and electronic and conventional instrumentation mixed with an elaborate layering of treated vocal samples and obscure ‘found’ sounds.
Their albums deal with recurring themes of childhood, nostalgia backed by an almost innocent melodic and harmonic structure, avoiding the coldness of modern electronica. The duo return again and again to visions of a retro-futuristic fifties America and an idyllic seventies childhood as portrayed by the mainstream media.
Though future releases would take this subject matter and add an unsettling, claustrophobic edge, 1998’s ‘Music has the right to children’ sounds like a long humid summer evening, shot through with psychedelic half-memories of experiences and conversations. The track ‘Telephasic Workshop’is a premier example of their jigsaw use of distorted samples and warm, evocative synth washes. A dizzying mix of vocal loops are cut together to create a vast cacophony of chattering voices emanating from a fractured radio. The brothers add a weighty beat which pulsates like a reassuring heartbeat.
The recording studio of the band, known as Hexagon Sun is said to be located somewhere in the Pentland Hills. Its existence has yet to be proven, which only deepens the mystique which surrounds the band and their music. Just as still waters run deep, their tranquil soundscapes contain bottomless complexities and subtle shadings.
Music has the right to children (1998)
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