\u201cYou retreat in time and space.\u201c<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s begin with a little gatekeeping: ambient music is under siege. It\u2019s especially susceptible to corporate greed and slop, as highlighted by the \u2018Perfect Fit Content\u2019 approach that Liz Pelly\u2019s Mood Machine brought into harsh light. But even before this, there was a creeping malaise: the vibes-ification of the genre. The function and aesthetic of ambient music has become its beginning and end; artistic process and merit reduced to a mere morsel. The ubiquity of buzzword playlists and \u2018beats to study to\u2019 streams allows listeners to go on autopilot and remain unchallenged, and platforms relish the \u201chigh engagement\u201d results, giving them no incentive to challenge their users. In turn, artists are forced to optimise towards banality in their sound, and eye-watering volume in their output.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Perhaps audiences can\u2019t be blamed for searching for \u201cbaby nap time piano\u201d instead of \u201cless weird Aphex Twin\u201d, but artists are certainly at fault for giving into the creative bankruptcy of \u2018lo fi\u2019 styles. For a moment in the 2010s the vaporwave movement might have been poised to revive the genre. Whilst a few classic albums (such as Birth of a New Day, I\u2019ll Try Living Like This, and \uc544\ubc84\uc9c0\u2019s Reflection) were produced in the process, many agree it was a missed opportunity that didn\u2019t break into the mainstream. There are many compelling electronic projects that are no-holds-barred explorations of sound: Onoethrix Point Never, Tim Hecker, Fennesz, Burial, and Autechre are all thoroughly active and gloriously irreverent, proving that there are still sonic boundaries to be conquered. However, there\u2019s good reason that the absolute titans of the genre remain unfelled, still compelling even as their discographies gather dust.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Boards of Canada have garnered respect and momentum since their work truly got going in the mid 90s. It\u2019s worth invoking \u2018hauntology\u2019 when discussing their sound; even in their early years they were both forward-thinking and nostalgic. Using their roster of pre-decayed synths and beats, they created music and junctures in time and space. Key features of the project are a sensation that each moment is handcrafted, full of coincidence and wonder, and that things are never overstuffed or lost to looperism. The legions of electronic musicians of today, whether involved thanks to genuine inspiration or simply easy access to DAWs, should all acknowledge Boards of Canada\u2019s influence on the genre \u2013 even the band\u2019s own biography calls their sound \u201cheavily copied\u201d. Every one of their LPs is a timeless classic, each with its own character and atmosphere. Today is the first in thirteen long years since a new record has landed, and Inferno is certainly a captivating new chapter.<\/p>\n
The overture \u201cIntroit\u201d is Boards of Canada\u2019s \u201cfuck yeah, we\u2019re back\u201d \u2013 an arpeggiating synth with that production style, providing a chipper opening that could take the record anywhere. The uninitiated will be quick to compare it to Kyle Dixon & Michael Stein\u2019s soundtracks for Stranger Things, not realising that the cultural memory of warped 80s VHS music is, by now, largely preserved through Boards of Canada\u2019s music itself. The subsequent single \u201cProphecy At 1420 MHz\u201d was thoroughly dissected upon release, somehow possessing every facet of the project\u2019s sound at once. The joyous Boards of Canada-isms include the snarl of the synth strings that roam around the edges of the mix; the deep sampled voices which feel alien and gratifying; and the lurching drums, which rely only on simple tricks to craft memorable turns. To begin with, the track makes for a strong parallel to \u201cReach For The Dead\u201d with its evil intent, but as the beat-driven part ebbs away, we\u2019re left with a pleasant aftermath.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The first half of the record brims with similarly high quality pieces. \u201cHydrogen Helium Lithium Leviathan\u201d also picks up where Tomorrow\u2019s Harvest left off, feeling sparse and ephemeral. All its synths will be immediately familiar to the fans, having popped up in the band\u2019s discography somewhere or other. Another immediate classic is \u201cNaraka\u201d, which begins with the simple pleasures of tambourines, then uses a Hindu chant sample in its second half to create a slice of paradise. For a throwback to The Campfire Headphase, \u201cInto The Magic Land\u201d is guitar focused yet dabbles in darkness, cohesive with Inferno\u2019s overall atmosphere. There\u2019s a spaghetti western quality to it, as if a desert mirage has swept into a half-lit saloon. <\/p>\n
Undoubtedly, Boards of Canada are operating in their post-Geogaddi style, with thoroughly focused songwriting defining their approach to each piece, often letting samples take centre stage. \u201cAge Of Capricorn\u201d has some all-timer samples that harken back to their best, such as \u201c1969\u201d and \u201cSixtyten\u201d. The way these samples converge and become the melodic driver of the track is perhaps unheard within the project. Similarly, \u201cFather And Son\u201d and \u201cThe Word Becomes Flesh\u201d emphasise the wonky qualities of the band whilst bringing these samples to the front and centre. It\u2019s so sample-oriented that the music practically steps out of the \u201cinstrumental\u201d category \u2013 the voices are chopped into real hip hop flows, alternating between lucid and lurid.\u00a0<\/p>\n
These tracks are set to be controversial in the context of the band. Never before have the samples been so clearly in the spotlight. They\u2019re processed in a way that optimises for rhythmic quality, entwining them within the track on a fundamental level. This is compelling in its own way, yet strikes out from the project\u2019s prior approach, which, more often than not, allowed samples to be generally indifferent to the rest of the soundscape. At least some spontaneity of the band\u2019s early discography is lost in this process as the tracks bend around their samples, and the listener is led more towards interpreting the voices than ever before.\u00a0<\/p>\n
As respected as the project is for its rhythmic pieces, Boards of Canada once again shine in the moments that are beat-free. \u201cActs Of Magic\u201d stitches together three or four synth patches that have seemingly gone wrong, bleeding straight into \u201cMemory Death\u201d which elongates vocal samples for something more heavenly. \u201cSomewhere Right Now In The Future\u201d brings us back to glorious oddball energy as its melodic lines, guitar and synth, move in perfectly dissonant opposition. \u201cDeep Time\u201d bubbles with Tomorrow\u2019s Harvest-esque euphoria with its subtly science fiction synths, though its mini orchestral swell is unfortunately corny, bordering on dungeon synth. As ever, these moments are striking because they set the mind pondering: what compels anyone to sign off on these cutting room floor titbits? Boards of Canada\u2018s talent for turning unexpected detritus into a cohesive sonic world has not worn off.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Having said all this, there are several tracks where Inferno\u2018s fire does not burn so strongly. \u201cAll Reason Departs\u201d does not deserve to be the longest track, let alone have its own overture in \u201cDeep Time\u201d. It fumbles as it tries to crescendo and then gets locked into a middling groove, though the Autechre-esque variations to the synths are somewhat intriguing. \u201cBlood In The Labyrinth\u201d starts promising but misses fairly hard with a sitar sound, which feels crass sound next to Boards of Canada\u2019s typically sublime selection of textures.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The second side of the album is not flawed, but it is less memorable. Pieces like \u201cArena Americanada\u201d and \u201cYou Retreat In Space And Time\u201d feel serviceable but not invaluable. Perhaps by now the key tricks of Boards of Canada\u2019s style have been exercised, resulting in more of a victory lap. The project is not renowned for its album closers \u2013 of course, their style isn\u2019t seeking a triumphant ending \u2013 but \u201cI Saw Through Platonia\u201d fails to recreate the magical ambiguity of prior endings, such as \u201cSemena Mertvykh\u201d or \u201cCorsair\u201d (let\u2019s not count \u201cMagic Window\u201d).\u00a0 There\u2019s also a general lack of attention grabbing samples at this end of the record, with exception for \u201cThe Process\u201d which makes for a very compelling ambient piece. Maybe there\u2019s been a deliberate omission by the band to make the back end more low-key, or to meet their conceptual vision (something that\u2019s already been over-speculated elsewhere, based on the choices of samples). But as all their prior records have cult favourite tracks appearing late in their runtimes, it\u2019s hard to say this decision doesn\u2019t make for a real flaw. <\/p>\n
As the gaps between their records have become scarily long, most Boards of Canada fans had likely given up hope that the project would meaningfully continue. As such, it\u2019s hard to imagine almost anyone will be disappointed by Inferno. The highs are as high as ever within an already fantastic discography. There are some small imperfections, but many will love the extended runtime and tongue in cheek sampling approaches. In terms of character, it\u2019s a marvellous cross between the doomed atmosphere of Tomorrow\u2019s Harvest and Geogaddi\u2019s big track-small track structure. Perhaps most importantly, the overall production of Inferno feels honest. It\u2019s the glossiest release by the project yet, and realistically, in 2026, that couldn\u2019t have gone any other way. But, unlike the lo-fi pretenders, it\u2019s not been artificially retrofied. As the grip of nostalgia shows no sign of loosening on popular culture, it\u2019s great to know that Boards of Canada are unbothered, still crossing the past, present, and future like none have done in the last thirteen years. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\u201cYou retreat in time and space.\u201c Let\u2019s begin with a little gatekeeping: ambient music is under siege. It\u2019s…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":66894,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[7859,17,8082,28155],"class_list":["post-66893","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-canada","tag-ambient","tag-canada","tag-electronic","tag-experimental"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/66893","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=66893"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/66893\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/66894"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=66893"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=66893"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=66893"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}