Boards of Canada released their latest album, The Campfire Headphase on October 17, 2005, nearly 32 months after the release of Geogaddi. Boards of Canada have been one of the more popular purveyors of intelligent dance music (or IDM) since the release of Hi Scores in 1996. Their music is typified by ethereally-distorted ambience, bizarre and obscured voices (numbers stations are occasionally used), and a high amount of layered and blended elements.
The Campfire Headphase continues this tradition, but pushes it more into the analogue domain of music and sound. Drums and guitars are more prevalent than the synths of previous albums. Very few voices are heard. The title of the album is almost perfect, as the songs are reminicent of mashed-out ambientised distorted campfire songs — it wouldn’t be that hard to see Michael and Marcus (Sandison and Eion, the members of BoC) recording around a campfire and taking the results back to the studio to be run through the mill. Still, the ambience is pure Boards of Canada. Drums fade in and out. Textures float through each and every song. It’s different, yet it’s the same.
If you’re a BoC fan, you’ll like it. If you’re not, this album might bring you into the fold. I think it’s more accessible than their other albums.
A short review, yes. That doesn’t mean I don’t have anything to say. It means I don’t have the words to describe the album. Perhaps more words will come with more listening. As of now, after listening to it twice, it’s nearly as good as Geogaddi. Not one of their best, but definitely good. If I was forced to rate it, I would give it 3.75 toboggans out of 5.
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