Jump to content
IGNORED

The Smallest Weird Number

Dragon

By Dragon
in Boards of Canada

Recommended Posts

Dragon Grand Master

Dragon

Posted
Posted

I was just listening to Geogaddi when this track came on. Aside from its perfect segue from Julie and Candy, listening to this track in my bed, in the dark, was absolutely mind-blowing. I've always thought this to be a very special track (hell, it even got first place in my Geogaddi best-to-worst thread) but tonight, it seriously, seriously struck me.

 

I'm just gonna go ahead and say it. The Smallest Weird Number has the most powerful melody I have ever heard. I have no idea if there are any more powerful melodies than this, but all I know is I've heard a lot of music in my life and, as far as single melodies go when played by themselves, I've never heard any more powerful than this.

 

I've had experiences with weird states of mind, and this is a perfect emulation of the kind of feelings you get when your brain is fucked up. It just sounds so evil and twisted, it completely surrounds you and doesn't let you go until you've reached an epiphany. Some music is so powerful that it can actually touch the soul, but this track completely takes control over it and tries to twist it for its own satanic purposes. Seriously, who, other than Boards of Canada, can make music that does this?

 

If they had created nothing whatsoever except this track, they would still be two of the greatest artists in history. I don't even care if they release another album, this track (and indeed the entire album) is pure gold (that's an understatement, I couldn't think of a better description).

 

This thread is dedicated to the melody in The Smallest Weird Number, and all the weird, wonderful, horrifying, claustrophobic, ecstatic and haunting emotions that are conjured with every listen.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
jeremymacgregor87 Grand Master

jeremymacgregor87

Posted
Posted

I'm just gonna go ahead and say it. The Smallest Weird Number has the most powerful melody I have ever heard. I have no idea if there are any more powerful melodies than this, but all I know is I've heard a lot of music in my life and, as far as single melodies go when played by themselves, I've never heard any more powerful than this.

 

Great track indeed, but I'm curious of this: would you replace this with say Roygbiv or Everything You Do Is A Balloon, had they been stripped to their core melody?

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Dragon Grand Master

Dragon

Posted
  • Author
Posted

I'm just gonna go ahead and say it. The Smallest Weird Number has the most powerful melody I have ever heard. I have no idea if there are any more powerful melodies than this, but all I know is I've heard a lot of music in my life and, as far as single melodies go when played by themselves, I've never heard any more powerful than this.

 

Great track indeed, but I'm curious of this: would you replace this with say Roygbiv or Everything You Do Is A Balloon, had they been stripped to their core melody?

 

Interesting. I guess I'd have to say that Roygbiv and EYDIAB are powerful the way they are, but not as powerful as The Smallest Weird Number. That shit really does stuff to your soul.

 

I mean usually, music doesn't have a significant amount of power until it has at least three or four different layers. Chords, percussion, multiple instruments etc. But we're talking about a track that has and incredible force using nothing but a melody with a simple backing, and THAT is talent.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
crono3 Proficient

crono3

Posted
Posted

Although I can't recall what The Smallest Weird Number sounds like right now in my head... In the Annexe has just as powerful an effect on me. It's only 1:22 but it almost brings me to tears every time I hear it... not sure why, my heart is just filled with this enormous sense of emptiness.

 

Powerful stuff on Geogaddi!

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Guest Calx Sherbet

Guest Calx Sherbet

Posted
Posted

i always visualised an old vhs tape with really shitty lo-fi film, depicting a shadowey figure of a man, but all very indistinguishable. a really creepy track

Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • 3 months later...
Guest ArbitersGround

Guest ArbitersGround

Posted
Posted

It's a good track. Not my favorite on Geogaddi, but a good 'un. My favorite "short track" by BoC is probably "Into The Rainbow Vein". But I also like The Campfire Headphase more than most people.

 

I find it kind of difficult to narrow down my favorite tracks on Geogaddi. Some tracks like "1969" or "Dawn Chorus" work well by themselves, but a lot of songs I feel don't really work as well by themselves, and they're much more enjoyable when looking at them in the entire context of the album itself, like taking a listen from start to finish. This would be tracks like "Opening The Mouth", "Ready Lets Go", "The Smallest Weird Number" and I'd even say "The Beach At Redpoint".

 

Geogaddi is sort of like a book to me. And the tracks are like chapters. Some chapters might not make as much sense or be as enjoyable if you skipped over and just wanted to read say the 7th chapter, but when you sit down and read the book from start to finish the chapters make much more sense and you get the context it's meant to be seen and taken as.

 

That's at least how I look at Geogaddi.

 

[/nerd fanboy]

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.