IDM Mailing Archive

Boards Of Canada - Aquarius / Chinook Skam Records KMAS001 1998 forgive me for my overenthusiasm but i think this is the best release on skam yet, and i doubt there will be a better record released this year by anyone. on their previous 12 for skam, b/o/c proved themselves to be far more compelling than the international gaggle of electro/illbient future burger flippers - here was something you couldn't tie down, it certainly had influences but the difference was that it took them somewhere different. no-one had sounded like this before taking cues from stasis and luke vibert, and adding a number of really original musical ideas, 'Aquarius' is both sonic utopian landscape and psychedelic emotional blueprint. the gravity of what you are hearing is apparent from the opening seconds, and it gets better from there. the driving bass guitar and live drum loops, in the hands of most techno producers so lifeless, here sound nothing but majestic, lying under the synth chords which make this track an instant classic. to me this track is visionary in the same way black dog productions were at the height of their powers. in the same way, you can't help but feel transported to another time by the music, but more like 1970 as opposed to bdp's 1500bc carbon date - the inlay to the 7" is a fitting accompaniment :-) an original and, i hope, influential record <waves> p.s whoops, i didn't mention the b-side :-)

I don't have anything to say regarding the 7", but I have to agree with this... "James" <JSEO@us.oracle.com> said

quoted 3 lines Is BoC really so unique-sounding? On one level, isn't the entire output of

> Is BoC really so unique-sounding? On one level, isn't the entire output of > Skam just an interesting and competent take on the various shades of > Autechre?

Yeah, I'd pretty much say so. That's why I kind of get fed up about with people going on about the releases like they're the most important pieces of music being made right now. Enjoyable and quality but not very original. House/techno has been around for nigh on ten years now (more, depending on where you want to trace the roots from) and it's a shame that more progress hasn't been made of late. I suppose it would be asking a little to much that the genre would get reinvented significantly every few years, but I guess the generation who make it/have been making it will be like any other generation, resting on it's laurels and harking back with nostalgia to the good old days of Artificial Intelligence!

quoted 3 lines While the BoC 12" on Skam was enjoyable, I thought both the melodies and the

> While the BoC 12" on Skam was enjoyable, I thought both the melodies and the > beats were piss-weak compared to prime Black Dog, a comparison made by > someone at the time of its release.

Well, I don't know if I'd go that far, but it's definately retro. I like this release a great deal, and IMO it stand easily alongside Incunabula-era Autechre, and the value for money is great (six great tracks for the price of a 12" - not a dud among them), but sometimes I just wish they'd go out on a limb a little bit more, y'know, like innovate. It's not too much to ask really, is it? Or maybe I'm being over critical, I haven't heard the new 7" (and probably wont get to with the ludicrously small amount that are coming out...). MP3ers - get to it! :-) gb. -- /TheW i http://www.homeusers.prestel.co.uk/lwtcdi/all/ f o L D o dlr WTC "Let's decompose and enjoy assembling!"

lwtcdi wrote:

quoted 13 lines "James" <JSEO@us.oracle.com> said

> > "James" <JSEO@us.oracle.com> said > > > While the BoC 12" on Skam was enjoyable, I thought both the melodies and the > > beats were piss-weak compared to prime Black Dog, a comparison made by > > someone at the time of its release. > > Well, I don't know if I'd go that far, but it's definately retro. I like > this release a great deal, and IMO it stand easily alongside > Incunabula-era Autechre, and the value for money is great (six great > tracks for the price of a 12" - not a dud among them), but sometimes I > just wish they'd go out on a limb a little bit more, y'know, like > innovate. It's not too much to ask really, is it? Or maybe I'm being

I'd have to agree with this pretty much. BoC aren't tremendously original, but some of the tracks on the SKAM 12" are gorgeous from a melodic standpoint. One area they could work on is rhythm, although in some cases the slow, monotonous beats work well with the other elements of the track. Yeah, it's all kind of retro, but that's fine with me - I'd be quite satisfied if their full-length for Warp/SKAM sounds like more of the stuff on the 12". As for the Black Dog comparison, I can't really get into their material, so I'd say BoC does more for my melodic sensibilities. GD

quoted 1 line Is BoC really so unique-sounding? On one level, isn't the entire output

>> Is BoC really so unique-sounding? On one level, isn't the entire output

of

quoted 2 lines Skam just an interesting and competent take on the various shades of

>> Skam just an interesting and competent take on the various shades of >> Autechre?

quoted 3 lines That's why I kind of get fed up about with

>That's why I kind of get fed up about with >people going on about the releases like they're the most important >pieces of music being made right now.

BoC are the best on the IDM scene right now, imo. They have so specific programming, and sound so original and so '97/98 . . .

quoted 1 line Enjoyable and quality but not very original.

>Enjoyable and quality but not very original.

Who is ORIGINAL then ?!?!

quoted 1 line Well, I don't know if I'd go that far, but it's definately retro.

>Well, I don't know if I'd go that far, but it's definately retro.

Who isn't RETRO ?

quoted 1 line While the BoC 12" on Skam was enjoyable, I thought both the melodies and

>> While the BoC 12" on Skam was enjoyable, I thought both the melodies and

the

quoted 2 lines beats were piss-weak compared to prime Black Dog, a comparison made by

>> beats were piss-weak compared to prime Black Dog, a comparison made by >> someone at the time of its release.

Again, and again, and again, you're never learn..... I think it's time for NSE (new school electronica) mailing list. The difference between BDP and BoC is that BDP sound 93/94 and BoC sound 97/98.... I don't have nothing against BDP, infact one the best albums, I've heard is 'Temple of ....' and one of the best 'choke and fly' by balil. But the thing is that BDP time has passed. Fuck it, I'll allways love their music, but children that are born in late eighties probably won't rate it so much. At the moment BoC are so much innovative than BDP is, they don't even exist anymore, it's just Ken now... So don't compare BDP's work from 93/94 with BoC's work, because it's ridiculous. Imagine that today is 1993. You have AI comp. and someone tells you : "Yeah, I've heard it, but this was all crated by Carl Craig (i.e.) few years ago. Music isn't what it's used to be." Mainly what I'm trying to say here is that BDP have totaly different influences and belong to different time that BoC do. And you cannot say that BDP have much better melodies or rhythms than BoC have. Fuck it again, you can think and listen to anything you like and want, who am I to advise you what you can or can't. These are just my toughts and I hope I didn't offend or hurt someones feelings, cos this wasn't my intention at all. with love, bye rob Music is timeless... ---> ha ha ha ha :-)

On Thu, 22 Jan 1998 robert.merlak@ri.tel.hr wrote:

quoted 12 lines Again, and again, and again, you're never learn.....

> Again, and again, and again, you're never learn..... > I think it's time for NSE (new school electronica) mailing list. > The difference between BDP and BoC is that BDP sound > 93/94 and BoC sound 97/98.... > I don't have nothing against BDP, infact one the best albums, I've > heard is 'Temple of ....' and one of the best 'choke and fly' by balil. > But the thing is that BDP time has passed. Fuck it, I'll allways > love their music, but children that are born in late eighties probably > won't rate it so much. At the moment BoC are so much innovative > than BDP is, they don't even exist anymore, it's just Ken now... > So don't compare BDP's work from 93/94 with BoC's work, > because it's ridiculous.

You obviously haven't heard the "Live Demo" tape. Che

quoted 1 line You obviously haven't heard the "Live Demo" tape.

> You obviously haven't heard the "Live Demo" tape.

No, I haven't either. Where the hell can I get hold of a copy!!?? gb. -- /TheW i http://www.homeusers.prestel.co.uk/lwtcdi/all/ f o L D o dlr WTC "Let's decompose and enjoy assembling!"

quoted 5 lines At 17:01 1998-01-23 +0000, Che wrote:

>At 17:01 1998-01-23 +0000, Che wrote: >>You obviously haven't heard the "Live Demo" tape. > >Or "Music for Adverts"... One of the few records >that have enriched this genre in the last couple of years.

I've heard both Music For Adverts and 120mins live demo tape, but that certanly doesn't change my opinion about BDP and BoC. I've explain it all how I feel about that.... It seems that we have very different opinions about the music, but that's good, cos there ain't be going any sort of discussion on the list... I know that I fucked up this sentence, it is probably wrong Tense or something, I feel it that something is wrong. Please can someone email me privately correct version of this sentence, and point me out where I was wrong. And in this one, too. I really ougth to improve my English to take a disscusion on a bit higher level. thanks, you've already helped me a lot, bye rob

On Sat, 24 Jan 1998 robert.merlak@ri.tel.hr wrote:

quoted 10 lines At 17:01 1998-01-23 +0000, Che wrote:

> >At 17:01 1998-01-23 +0000, Che wrote: > >>You obviously haven't heard the "Live Demo" tape. > > > >Or "Music for Adverts"... One of the few records > >that have enriched this genre in the last couple of years. > > > I've heard both Music For Adverts and 120mins live demo tape, > but that certanly doesn't change my opinion about BDP > and BoC.

Point taken.

quoted 4 lines I've explain it all how I feel about that.... It seems that we

> I've explain it all how I feel about that.... It seems that we > have very different opinions about the music, but that's > good, cos there ain't be going any sort of discussion > on the list...

It's good to have different opinions, as long as you realize that they're just opinions. It's always a pleasure to argue with someone that knows that. >

quoted 8 lines I know that I fucked up this sentence, it is probably wrong

> I know that I fucked up this sentence, it is probably wrong > Tense or something, I feel it that something is wrong. > Please can someone email me privately correct > version of this sentence, and point me out where I > was wrong. > > And in this one, too. I really ougth to improve my English > to take a disscusion on a bit higher level.

I wouldn't worry about it - your English is somewhere between good and excellent. Must check out BOC now... Che