Boards of Canada Boards of Canada - Tomorrow's Harvest

[oscillik]

Wow, £8.99 for the FLAC which is the same as a physical CD, and £2 more for the 24bit WAV.

 

Proof that digital distribution is more expensive than producing physical copies!

funny - Exai 24bit is same price as 16bit

[futureimage]

 

Wow, £8.99 for the FLAC which is the same as a physical CD, and £2 more for the 24bit WAV.

 

Proof that digital distribution is more expensive than producing physical copies!

funny - Exai 24bit is same price as 16bit

 

Because it makes sweet fuck all difference?

[oscillik]

 

Wow, £8.99 for the FLAC which is the same as a physical CD, and £2 more for the 24bit WAV.

 

Proof that digital distribution is more expensive than producing physical copies!

funny - Exai 24bit is same price as 16bit

 

Because it makes sweet fuck all difference?

so why are bleep charging more for it?

[Alzado]

 

I didn't go into detail because I went to bed.

 

If you would like, I would go into detail about why I found the album disappointing when I finish work tonight. But I see it as completely pointless, because WATMM.

 

Also, it's cool that you read inbetween the lines and figured out that I have 'utter contempt and disdain' for the album after one listen. That is completely false, and would be apparent if you read what I had said and hadn't inferred your own opinion about me into it. But hey, internet.

That's the impression you give dude. That's what I'm saying.

[oscillik]

 

I didn't go into detail because I went to bed.

 

If you would like, I would go into detail about why I found the album disappointing when I finish work tonight. But I see it as completely pointless, because WATMM.

 

Also, it's cool that you read inbetween the lines and figured out that I have 'utter contempt and disdain' for the album after one listen. That is completely false, and would be apparent if you read what I had said and hadn't inferred your own opinion about me into it. But hey, internet.

That's the impression you give dude. That's what I'm saying.

no, that's the impression you inferred. as I said, I'll go into detail after work. trying to write an essay from a phone is highly frustrating, as I'm sure you can agree.

[goDel]

Yes, lets discuss about impressions.

 

Hey, osc. what kind of impressions did the initial listenings to TH give you?

 

 

impression |ɪmˈprɛʃ(ə)n|

noun

1 an idea, feeling, or opinion about something or someone, especially one formed without conscious thought or on the basis of little evidence: his first impressions of Manchester were very positive | I got the impression that he was sorely disappointed.

• an effect produced on someone: her courtesy had made a good impression.

• [ mass noun ] a difference made by the action or presence of someone or something: the floor was too dirty for the mop to make much impression.

2 an imitation of a person or thing, done to entertain: he did an impression of Shirley Bassey.

3 a mark impressed on a surface: the impression of his body on the leaves.

• Dentistry a negative copy of the teeth or mouth made by pressing them into a soft substance.

4 a graphic or pictorial representation of someone or something: police issued an artist's impression of the attacker.

5 the printing of a number of copies of a book, periodical, or picture for issue at one time.

• [ usu. with modifier ] chiefly Brit.a particular printed version of a book, especially one reprinted from existing type, plates, or film with no or only minor alteration.

• a print taken from an engraving.

6 an instance of a pop-up or other Web advertisement being seen on an Internet user's monitor.

[fumi]

Listening to the 24bit edition with Audirvana. A little more detail than the 16bit Flac and the bass on Palace Posy is even more pronounced.

Reminds me that I need to get an external DAC to get the best from this version.

 

Enough technical shit.

 

My feelings on the album remain unchanged. I honestly don't even see myself returning to this after perhaps a month or so.

 

There are some good tracks without doubt - Sick Times, RFTD, Gemini has that nice sense of time warping and Nothing Is Real sees them effortlessly channel back to the type of vibe I've always liked about their work. Palace Posy has that gorgeous two chord thing that comes in and makes me long for a time when that was their signature sound.

 

I think, for me, part of the problem is my age and musical tastes. I'm forty-four now. I grew up as a teenager listening to Tangerine Dream, Eno, John Carpenter & Alan Howarth and countless others. Younger folks on here maybe wouldn't even be familar with some of the names - obscure elctronica long out of print. For better or worse, I've mostly listened to electronic music for the past thirty odd years.

 

In that respect, BOC have never represented anything new or groundbreaking. A lot of their stuff simply harks back to an earlier age for me so when I hear a track like 'Split Your Infinities', it does absolutely nothing for me. Old wine in new bottles. A sequencer pattern that I've heard a million times with way too much distorted vocals. What surprised me about that track in particular is that normally they don't overdo it with the vocal samples. Sparse beauty is something they've always excelled out so I don't quite no what they were trying to achieve with that. Uritual is another that I probably would never have given the time of day for except that it's by such a revered group. Collapse is another. Too much treading water, for me at least.

 

However, they have in the past managed to put a very unique slant on the genre and stuff like the old tunes tapes, parts of MHTRTC, Geogaddi and TCH are classics.

 

My main disappointment with the new album is that there are a lot of parts where they just seem to be making lazy electronica that was done a lot better by artists two decades ago.

 

TH is a good album, but it's not a classic. There are very few moments where I have been simply dumbstruck with awe.

There is no Zoetrope, Happy Cycling, Aquarius, Peacock Tail, 1969, Tears From The Compound Eye, Sherbert Head, Satellite Anthem Icarus, Diving Station, Left Side Drive, etc, etc. When you look at their past stuff, for me at least, it does put TH into a kind of unhappy perspective.

 

Just saying those titles makes me really how pedestrian the new work is. it's not bad - all the things are there, the synths, the pads and drums, eerie vocals and skittering beats but it lacks killer tracks.

 

I would have forgone half a dozen of the tracks on TH to have just had even one of the aforementioned classics.

 

A cynical part of me would probably say that it took eight years to release this because they simply couldn't find the inspiration this time around. Obviously it's a lot more complicated than that. One should never judge a work based on how long it took to come to fruition.

 

However, it is worth pointing out that in the time it to took for this to arrive, they more or less released three albums and two eps.

I'm not saying that this is something to dwell on but it's there nevertheless.

 

Another thing that has begun to worry me (in a first world problem kind of way) is that the longer and longer absences between albums seems deliberate in as much as that itself creates hype. If they were to put out music every two or three years, would people be falling over themselves with praise each and every time? It seems to me that this type of stuff only works best in short intermittent burst, like messages from some distant star or something. The piles of vinyl sitting in the warehouses recently speaks more of forced absence than anything else.

 

As LolAlzado pointed out, this time it seems much more about creating an overall experience. That's fine but I don't think that approach suits me and maybe others.

 

Anyway, these are just thoughts and its only music. There are bigger problems in the world to think about and I'm just another listener who hopes they will somehow find that intangible, undefinable quality that once made them great.

 

But please, not another eight years.

[Mindphaser]

TH has loads of atmosphere, very evocative stuff.

 

Quality addictive album, and I`ve really warmed to the those short track lengths.

[Friendly Foil]

This album: 848728/10

[acroyear]

Yeah Cold Earth has invaded my brain. That metallic laser sound! Like did they just write the song and then go back and say "hmmm needs more lasers". So good. I also love how the melody turns inside out in itself, i'd like to hear how it sounds backwards. Remember when we thought there were flutes on this track haha

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8eeCRVVjWc

 

It was me who thought so. Start at 8:00 and listen for a minute or two. At the very LEAST it was the inspiration.. but I swear I hear the actual sample buried deep in the track, although slightly manipulated. If memory serves at least Lumpenprol heard them as well.

 

Edited June 9, 2013 by acroyear

[Hugh Mughnus]

My downloads are available today...?

 

Physical doesn't come out for 2 days. So they did release them early after all.... even if only 2 days.

[spptrl alt del]

He enjoyed it overall, some parts more than others. Interestingly, he commented on how some of it sounded like a film score, and he hasn't read that interview where boc mention how they've been listening to and drawing inspiration from them.

well, half of the album is comprised of interludes that sound like incidental film music. you don't need the interview to confirm your suspicions as it's plain as day. and the fact that the brothers stated that certain tracks end abrubptly for some reason or another does not lessen the notion that those tracks still sound half-baked. simply, the album creates a nice atmosphere, and the tracks feel like vignettes that could have benefited with more development.

 

what is frustrating/amazing is the extent of exposition people on the forum are going through to detail their relationship with boards, their misgivings/disappointment, their defense of the album, basically the opinions and speculations that are being asserted as the album's barely been released.. these are sort fluid things, and are bound to change as time goes on. it feels a bit futile, in that very little is being said in the way of defense/criticism. honestly, the long-winded responses feel more like an exposition of the ego, or an exercise to get impressions OUT THERE ASAP. let the shit marinate.

 

keep having to remind myself that people have had profound experiences with their boards of canada, but it's hard to be sympathetic when there's a world of old and new music that is affecting on a myriad of levels, beyond the standard that BoC set for themselves in the late 90s. sorry for the rant.

[futureimage]

 

 

 

Wow, £8.99 for the FLAC which is the same as a physical CD, and £2 more for the 24bit WAV.

 

Proof that digital distribution is more expensive than producing physical copies!

funny - Exai 24bit is same price as 16bit

 

Because it makes sweet fuck all difference?

 

so why are bleep charging more for it?

So they can make a statement of "ooh look at us issuing over-spec'd 24-bit wavs".

[Guest fox]

Love the album.

 

Love the artwork.

 

Love the way they built and managed hype.

 

HATE the way Warp is doing the sneaky roll out of the HQ downloads, after never mentioning that they would ever exist and the most ardent of fans have preordered over a month ago.

 

AND, despite the highly detailed explanation of how my copy would arrive right when it was released, The email today said that I might have to way three or four weeks to get my copy.

[apriorion]

All right! Just woke up to the email that I can legitimately download the MP3s! Two days early than the official release for my area (and on June 9th, wink!). But now it's taking for long to actually download on my computer.

 

I avoided the illegimate downloads (that was so hard, since it was so tempting), but I must admit that I wasn't entirely virtuous: I listened to "Nothing is Real" on youtube on repeat a couple days ago. Such a great track. Anyway, I'm looking forward to hearing the full album without any random stops and glitches (which was my experience with the live stream).

[lumpenprol]

very nice words, fumi.

 

It is a good album, but given their back catalog, that's "damning with faint praise."

 

I completely agree with the lack of any stand-out tracks, nothing rises to the level of Julie and Candy, Kid for Today, Dawn Chorus, Beach at Redpoint, Tears from the Compound Eye, 84 Pontiac Dream, etc...

Edited June 9, 2013 by lumpenprol

[Guest extherium]

There's two types of chillis. Those where the burn is quick and immediate, and those where the heat creeps up on you.

 

Tomorrow's Harvest is like the latter.

 

I got my download a few days ago and I was initially disappointed with it. Nothing was memorable. I didn't listen to it for a whole day after. But when I revisited it, I started to jive with it. After a few more listens it really gelled with me and now I absolutely love it.

 

I wouldn't expect everyone to like it, but definitely don't stick with initial impressions.

[BOCfan]

 

 

I completely agree with the lack of any stand-out tracks, nothing rises to the level of Julie and Candy, Kid for Today, Dawn Chorus, Beach at Redpoint, Tears from the Compound Eye, 84 Pontiac Dream, etc...

 

Whilst I see your point, isn't that purely a subjective thing? Perhaps nothing on this album touches those high watermarks for some/many, but I think Come To Dust and Split Your Infinities are stand-out tracks (at least, they stand out as having high quality to me).

Edited June 9, 2013 by Higgins VanHiggins

[Guest disoriental express]

very nice words, fumi.

 

It is a good album, but given their back catalog, that's "damning with faint praise."

 

I completely agree with the lack of any stand-out tracks, nothing rises to the level of Julie and Candy, Kid for Today, Dawn Chorus, Beach at Redpoint, Tears from the Compound Eye, 84 Pontiac Dream, etc...

See, Dawn Chorus is the only track on Geogaddi that I never did enjoy (I blame Moby). I also love Tomorrow's Harvest A LOT.

 

It's fascinating how differently people can hear music, especially in the case of fans of the same types of music.

 

Someone else had mentioned that they had kinda stopped listening to BoC in the years leading up to Tomorrow's Harvest and that it may have provided a fresh slate for it, and the same could be said for me. I had no real expectations aside from hoping it didn't sound the same as what they'd done before, and it doesn't really which I think is a very good thing. Most of the people that seem to be underwhelmed by TH are bringing up comparisons to their earlier work and saying "Well, it's not as good as this." but to me it's like comparing apples to oranges. It's a whole new thing, so perhaps the key is treating it as such. Who knows.

[YO303]

I agree with the lack of stand-out tracks, TH is a great album while you are listening to it.

[Guest fsdapfad]

first impressions... just bored. a lot of people are saying this is original; to me about half the tracks sound like they could be on twoism (which I was never really into) if not for some slightly superior production. maybe part of the problem is I can't really relate to this 'video nasty' motif, but I feel like I'm making excuses. the music is boring.

 

on TCH, it was a flawed but, I think, pretty beautiful album with some really interesting sounds; coupled with trans-canada highway in that period BOC played out a really lovely aesthetic. I think TH has an interesting sound and idea hidden in there as well; but there just isn't any melody to go with it. I'm hoping a kick-ass EP is going to follow and build on the TH sound with some tracks with enough melodic and rhythmic discipline to keep me from absent-mindedly checking through my emails. At the moment it's all atmosphere; fundamentally 2deep4me.

[Guest Retrig]

Probably late, and can't be arsed to look, but Warp posted that we get 16-bit WAVs and FLAC now too with our physical orders.

[oscillik]

for Lol Alzado, to elaborate on why I find this album a disappointment, many others here have already mentioned reasons which I align with myself:

 

1. Lack of stand out tracks - the album, for me, is mostly forgettable. The only thing that has stuck with me is the final track, due to it's immensely bleak overtone which, in my opinion, isn't found anywhere else on the album in such a manner. Semena Mertvykh is soaked with bleakness, to my ears, and it's the only 'melody' that has stuck with me. Granted, it's a first listen. But generally something else sticks with me upon a first listen and was certainly the case with past BoC releases, even with THC which I think is their amongst their weakest releases.

 

2. The album sounds overtly digital, and in that sense I mean the way it has been mastered or EQ'd. Music Has The Right To Children, and prior releases have a certain amount of grit to them which to me sounds overtly 'analogue'. Every BoC releases since MHTRTC has had a digital pristineness to it which is jarring at times.

 

3. The tracks never really pick up, they start and sound like they're going somewhere but then fade out. I don't remember hearing so many fade outs on an album. In my opinion it sounds lazy.

 

4. A few tracks sound like they're too influenced from the Geogaddi era melodically, and in timbre of the sounds. This was a disappointment to me because I don't personally rate Geogaddi all that much.

 

So there are a few points there. Like I said, not that it matters because whatever I say, the fanboys will jump down my throat and pick apart my words and also infer their own things into what I've said, in a pathetic attempt to justify why my subjective opinion on their holy album is wrong and why the brothers can only produce music that must be liked by everyone, and not a bad word shall be uttered otherwise there will be no harvest for tomorrow....

 

 

as an aside, the way that Warp / Bleep have handled the marketing and release of this album has left a LOT to desired, but that's a discussion for another thread.

 

[Soloman Tump]

enjoyed it a bit more after a CD listen this morning. still not competing for Aoty though, thats a battle between autechre and ceephax right now.

[oscillik]

Probably late, and can't be arsed to look, but Warp posted that we get 16-bit WAVs and FLAC now too with our physical orders.

so they saw sense. that's one good thing.

 

I think they need to make a public announcement regarding digital downloads though, the current 'message' they're putting across is not clear at all.