boards of canada - the campfire headphase
3 albums in a decade. scene leaders of the ambient-techno genre. minimal knowledge of the duos methods. aural easter eggs. et cetera. et cetera. the legend and mythology that surrounds the boards of canada has almost been off putting for me over the years, i never felt part of the clan, i was not worthy to appreciate their art, didn't have the insider knowledge to penetrate the cover art, the track titles, meaning that whenever the various internet boards go into overdrive re these guys music i always clicked away. so, when i was sent the new album for review i nearly declined the invitation knowing that the band have some serious connections and a die-hard following.
well, as much as it pains me to say this, having tried on many occasions, i just don't get this album. the bands sound is, as ever, supposedly refined to a degree of perfection, with their 'sounds as if recorded on croaky old equipment and then sent into hyperspace' is very much in evidence throughout the 60 minutes, the music sounds gorgeous, with lots of lovely rich ambience, delicate drum loops, weird little sonic twists and turns and even guitars (a first i believe for the band). however, on each spin i have managed to absorb a few tracks before i find myself checking to see just how much longer there is to go - not a good sign.
basically, i get bored.
the constantly uninspired downtempo grooves (some even sound like they are just demo rhythm tracks as supplied with any basic drum machine) begin to become tiresome, and begin to propel the phrase 'second rate instrumental hip hop' around my head far too much. now, i like trip-hop. i will openly admit to this fact in these hardened times, so surely i should actually like this marriage of sublime melodies and deep sonic manipulation. well yes, there are certain aspects that i do really like, it's just that 6 minutes of a dead drum beat and a simple acoustic guitar plucking, 'satellite anthem icarus', really pushes the cliché to the extreme and tests the patience and the fact that this style is then repeated over and over with little in the way of any variation really drives it home. of course, a band of their stature and history, there are bound to be chunks of the album where they do manage to blend together emotional moods and studio creations with fitting results. for example, the final section of 'peacock tail', when the sound expands out, subtle vocal chants are stretched and manipulated is of particular wonder, and yes, the layered guitars, brian eno widescreen sci-fi soundtrack, and echoed drums of 'dayvan cowboy' can indeed sooth many a stressed out ipod'er. in fact, i think that the rot sets in following the epic glory of 'dayvan cowboy'. nothing in particular is wrong, it's just that the whole thing drags on and on, '84 pontiac dream' has a synthetic melody line lifted from some dreary travelogue program that just grates with some inner demon of mine, the stylised static of 'sherbert head' is clearly too clever for its own good and goes nowhere, birds tweet like its 94 over that drum loop (again!) on the drawn out 'oscar see through red eye', and it's very rare i make it to the twanged out 'hey saturday sun' as the appearance of that drum beat again just makes my head cave in.
the band have their sound, and there are obviously people who love it, and i can see why something as beautifully crafted as this can inspire such devotion, just that currently i dont subscribe to the bands laidback style, and so i shall bow out and go back to my state of blissful ignorance.
thank you.