Boards of Canada

A lot of artists and songwriters talk about things like "experimenting," "branching out," and "defying expectations." But sometimes, the best art comes from working at one thing until you do it really, really well. What Boards of Canada do really, really well -- probably better than anyone -- is make simple, fragile, impossibly gorgeous ambient music, and with their latest, The Campfire Headphase, they've released what may well be their masterpiece.

On paper, the Boards of Canada formula sounds pretty straightforward: lay subdued trip-hop beats under electronic soundscapes adorned with pretty, minimalist chord progressions, and bury the whole thing underneath a woozy, soft-focus haze of vinyl pops and hisses, radio static and filter effects. But when masterfully executed by BoC's Mike Sandison and Marcus Eoin, these hushed little sonic exercises -- they almost don't even qualify as songs -- take on an ethereal, otherworldly beauty. Not even ambient maestros like Brian Eno and Aphex Twin have ever quite matched BoC's uncanny ability to make what really should be background music sound so compelling.

The Campfire Headphase works best when listened to all the way through, but for nuggets of pure ambient bliss, "Hey Saturday Sun" and "Chromakey Dreamcoat" shine the brightest. Both of these tracks, and several others, use guitars in addition to BoC's traditional synths, which some critics will undoubtedly point to as a sign that BoC are, indeed, "branching out." Ultimately, however, Sandison and Eoin are simply using different tools towards the same end, refining their craft and producing music as haunting as any you're ever likely to hear. - Andy Hermann

Just their third missive in the past seven years, The Campfire Headphase displays Boards of Canada changing few of their methods but more of their sounds. The key difference between this record and its predecessors is the advent of unprocessed, recognizable guitars (a small heresy to portions of their fanbase). Although it smacks of a gimmick, and does occasionally remove the mysticism from their productions, it marks a good addition to their palette. Still in effect -- and still never equaled anywhere else -- is the pair's ability to make electronic music that not only evokes a much earlier period in music, but sounds as though it was last issued decades in the past as well. Intentionally aged and mistreated, the productions evoke the image of a reel-to-reel machine's 1/4" magnetic tape steadily disintegrating as it plays for the last time. The long gestation period of this material is also a hallmark of Boards of Canada, and it shows in the attention to detail. No production escapes their Hexagon Sun studio without being slaved over, and consequently The Campfire Headphase is one of the best-produced records of the year. One surprise is that, finally, a BoC track evokes another artist rather than standing alone: "Satellite Anthem Icarus," the third track, sounds like it could've emerged from the mixing desk of Nigel Godrich as he worked on Beck's Sea Change; in fact, many listeners' imaginations will be able to insert a world-weary vocal into the song and thus make the resemblance perfect. (Of course, Godrich has likely learned much from previous Boards of Canada work.) Also, while the duo have improved slightly as producers in seven years, they haven't grown as melody makers. The Campfire Headphase lacks the transcendent grace that made Music Has the Right to Children and even Geogaddi classics in their field. Working the same territory over and over again may have improved their touch, but it has assuredly stifled their innovative powers. ~ John Bush, All Music Guide