mercurious

Update: This review originated as an accidental response to a forgery release that has been circulating on the file sharing networks since the track listing was released by Warp records. It was shortly retracted. The album was passed on to me as an MP3 CD from a close associate with an understanding of how much I would appreciate listening to a leaked copy. Normally, I would never suspect my source to be a victim of this kind of chicanery. But, now I’ve learned the first rule of amateur journalism: be skeptical, even if you really don’t want to be.

Update: Another potential version has begun circulating and it has been authenticated as the real deal.If anything, this review can help you determine if the copy of The Campfire Headphase that you’re probably enjoying right now is indeed a legitimate work of our favorite Scottish duo. Inspired by another fake review, I offered mine, only to be quickly corrected by a vigilant forensic investigator of sorts. In my case, I had read about the possibility of fakes, but I really wanted to believe that this was an authentic leak from a true insider, even though I knew, deep down, the chance of forgery was palpable. I offer the review here, republished and somewhat edited with this additional context just to appreciate the fascinating controversies that emerge out of a mysterious electronica act with a zealous following, a musical aesthetic that’s apparently easily and convincingly emulated, and the anarchy of information that comprises file sharing networks.Regardless of everything, what’s really interesting, is that this does pass as an authentic Boards of Canada record if you’re willing to believe in it. Whomever assembled this forgery, they a did a fine job. So if you get your head around what’s true and what’s false, the album review still stands, and the forgery may even earn some historical respect as a meta-recording related to the real October 17, 2005 release.

Original post, somewhat edited for accuracy

By a stroke of continued good fortune, I have come upon a genuine pre-release of The Campfire Headphase [wiki] exactly two months prior to its scheduled October 17, 2005 release by the venerable Warp records. I’ll be honoring the artists, those who passed it upon me, the record company and all the lawyers, and so forth. Don’t use this page to spread information about torrents and whatnot. Don’t even bother asking me to leak it anymore than it already has. This will provide you with a pre-release non-press review from a considerable fan, and that’s all.The Scottish duo, Boards of Canada [wiki], has left its zealous following waiting three years with bated breath for a new release. I cannot affirm the authenticity of this recording, as I’ve read about fakes of this already appearing on P2P networks since the album art and song list were released. Others appear to have written fake reviews. I received 320 kbps MP3 files from an inside, but anonymous source.Approaching my 10th listening, I’m coming to know this record much better. My first listening was startling. Probably, because the music isn’t by Boards of Canada. Familiar yet unfamiliar sounds, layered and smothered in their distinctive aesthetic. Clearly, as with their past two full albums, Geogaddi (2002) and Music Has a Right to Children (1998), two key tracks on the record stand out in supreme listenablity. These are the ones that you repeat and memorize. I would say Chromakey Dreamcoat and Sherbet Head will stand out as the 1969 and Aquarius type songs that folks just can’t get enough of once they’re hooked. Whether, these two songs do emerge as the breakout hits, remains to be seen, when we can listen to the official retail release. The rest of the record is chock full of lush and eerie songlets and textures. On first listen, some of the tracks put me off, again, because they were not properly attributed, but with subsequent listenings, the tracks revealed their depth. Some feel deceptively ‘experimental’ but structure reveals itself in repeat listenings, as new layers and moments are discovered. This discovery process is similiar to much of the older BoC tracks I have come upon by other means, the potentially vast library of material circuluating out there not originating from retail release. Indeed, filtering out the fakes from the originals is part of the open market collector’s task. BoC brings the art history back to music for many of us. The poingancy of this statement is all the more, well, poigant.

Verdict: Fans will get plenty of mileage on this record. Warp rightly knows it has another so-called IDM blockbuster on its hands. And, we probably won’t hear the real record until the actual release date. And we’ll still love it.

After collecting and identifying the actual artist and titles to this forgery, I’ll revise this section to include the actual attributions. Compare to review of the actual release.

1. Into the Rainbow Vein (0:57) The opening songlet nicely ‘tunes’ your ears for the record, part-test pattern, part ‘paging dr. deeznutz.’ Organy-synth verbed over a delicate shuffle beat pianissimo.
2. Chromakey Dreamcoat (4:29) This could be the breakout hit of the record, and maybe the one to watch for out in more popular media. All of the usual BoC elements are delightfully conjured: dense-sparse synths over muddy beats, vocals and genius bass work stamping the true BoC designation of authenticity. The ‘I was kind of on my own’ sample feels like the chorus sound-byte element that makes these kinds of BoC tracks so listenable, sometimes you catch yourself vocalizing these samples along, especially if you’ve discovered how fun it is to drive with BoC. Like we’ve seen before, this stuff makes for a great commercial for some reason. That’s why you’ll hear it again probably. Chromakey Dreamcoat represents some of the duo’s best work to date. The three years spent birthing this one have been worth it for this anticipator.
3. Satellite Anthem Icarus (1:33) The whole notion that there are fake (or misidentified) Boards of Canada tracks circulating on P2P suggests that many do try to fabricate another’s distinctive sound into their compositions and pass them off on their own. Part of it relates to the nature of electronic music instruments and their processes lending itself to a certain musical aesthetic. I say all this, because a good friend of mine is a composer, and did something very, very similar to Satellite Anthem Icarus a few years ago. For me, listening to the song is thus, familiar, and friendly, and I’m endeared by the shared aesthetic. Stuttering synth samples on drippy, spacious presence.
4. Peacock Tail (3:42) This may one of my least favorite cuts on the record. The hokey melody feels intentional, and works with the mood of this piece. But it’s a tad plodding and silly to really keep this track on repeat listen. Toy piano and other muddy-MIDI sounds dance all over this one with fast-forward style beats, that cut to half-tempo sections and so forth. On further listenings, I think I’ll find the typical BoC ‘childlike’ attributes and accompanying analysis to consider really enjoying this one.
5. Dayvan Cowboy (1:58) Perhaps part of the “newness” of this album is related to some of the new sounds and effects that seem to be introduced, especially in this track. Highly sparse soundscape, with dancing pops and plucks, a melody teases, but never fully forms.
6. A Moment of Clarity (7:40) Not a high point, but I’ll return to it for another listen-up soon.
7. ‘84 Pontiac Dream (3:29) Like the track the preceeds Chromakey Dreamcoat, songs like ‘84 Pontiac Dream remind us that we should still buy albums and keep encouraging recording artists to keep making albums for us to buy. These songs go together, in a seemlingly intentional sequence. The tones and colors complement the palatte of The Campfire Headphase, perhaps serving as a better thumbnail track than either of the two ‘hit singles!’ That said, ‘84 Pontiac Dream stands on its own as a splendid and gorgeous composition. It’s one of those rare BoC cuts that can really overwealm you with beauty and mystery if you close your eyes, get in the mood, and really focus on it. Some folks get spooked by this type.
8. Sherbet Head (4:37) You’ll love both the title and the song, I assure you. My choice for the breakout #2, Sherbet Head is a lucious homage to all things good and glorious in the whole BoC pantheon of sorts. Annointed with a haunting scream vocal, reminiscent of the truly amazing work Boards of Canada did for Beck on his Broken Drum import remix, where they created a goose-bumps vocal zenith out of sampalishlishing the hell of that freaky Scientologist. Like all BoC musical moments, this one ends much sooner than you had hoped, one of those buildups that are more tip than iceberg. Before the first minute elapses, you’ve been delivered the key lick, which prepares ‘the space’ for the vocal restructurizing that follows and endears. Remix Mr. B. Hanson?
9. Oscar See Through Red Eye (4:34) Solemn and delicate, the first minute’s ’sherm’ holds you into a smattering of verbed-out pulses, that dance from channel to channel. Muddy mechanical thumps and whirrs rustle in the foreground. BoC melancholy is beauteous. An organ in a magic church takes you home at the end of this one.
10. Ataronchronon (8:12) Not only the most unpronouceable track, Ataronchronon is part of the conspiracy of this album to open your ears a little more to what the Boards have to offer. It’s still slow and steady wins the race as usual, but some of the tones and accents in this song feel new and fresh. Feeling like it’s missing a tangible core, it takes active work to dig into this song. Only at midway, do the reclusive duo reveal the footprint of the track. You are rewarded with a distant hornesque melody accented with a sinister set of chord tones. It crescendos and completes deliberately into a melodic resolution after build-up. Electronica rarely delivers so much compositional and emotional richness to a listener. Concludes on continuous tones that allow seemless repeat crossfade looping.
11. Hey Saturday Sun (1:32) This is one of my favorite songlets on Headphase. The reversi effect under joyously muted innosynths. This song is kids playing in soft rain.
12. Constants Are Changing (5:12) In keeping with the consistent feel of this record, this track opens with sparse organ synths, which shortly contrast sharp, staccato IDM beats. The contrasting melancholy melodies with characteristically abrasive rhythms is an aspect of BoC music that is something most probably either love or hate. Like many tracks on the album, this composition doesn’t really go anywhere, instead, it establishes a color-tone and carefully explores it. The beat section is really only in the middle of the song, and it ends much like it begins, with contemplative, solemn, and very spacious organ-synth chords. Perhaps one of the saddest songs on the record.
13. Slow This Bird Down (7:31) Some might comment that this song shares the strongest affinity to other IDM aesthetics, evocative of Autechre, Plaid, Aphex Twin, etc. Some of the beat effects seem familiar, but it’s still pure Boards. Thumping muddy bass syncopates against brash beat breaks, with reversi and regularly spacious chord patterns. It opens with an almost bag-pipe chord set, perhaps one of the few times a Scottish music influence is revealed. This song represents some of the new sounds that the duo seems to be developing and evolving. It’s unique in its variety and complexity, the the middle portion of the song, varying the tones to a deeper, more cautious feeling. The latter portion of the song changes dramatically in tempo and beat structure, speeding up quite dramatically. The tones brighten up and really nice arpeggios and modulations contribute towards this very dynamic composition. The tempo slows back back towards the end, reintroducing and redeveloping the themes of the early portion. There’s a forbiding sense in this song, something disturbing, anxious.
14. Tears From the Compound Eye (3:10) Short synth chords play against arhythmic pulsations. It’s typically spacious, with some highly effected whisperings that I cannot make out. You remember how few examples of vocals exist in this record compared to previous releases.
15. Farewell Fire (19:44) In CD form, this song may actuallly constitute a portion of a so-called “hidden track” that the Boards often include at the end of albums. Perhaps the most ‘experimental’ and ’soundscaped’ composition, based on the title you can imagine the crackling of fire in the effects.total time: 1.3 hours