archive : A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Cover Art Boards of Canada
Music Has the Right to Children
[Skam/Warp/Matador; 1998]
Rating: 8.3

Boards of Canada are two Scottish guys-- Michael Sandison and Marcus Eoin-- who've been recording experimental music in various forms since their childhoods. Consequently, their sound is completely fucking bizarre. Allow me to elaborate: the band's American full-length debut, Music Has the Right to Children, sounds like the music you hear in dentist's offices-- sort of easy listening, Muzak-type instrumentals-- but much more ambient and ethereal, and occasionally with strange, heavily psychedelic percussion.

The album is also incredibly fluid; it's often difficult to determine where one track ends and another begins, allowing you to take in the album as a whole instead of as individual... er... experiments? Of course, it does have its standouts-- the gentle, spacecraft theme song "An Eagle in Your Mind", the vibe-powered "Turquoise Hexagon Sun", "Roygbiv" (this record's answer to Land of the Loops' "Multi-Family Garage Sale"), the drugged-out, surreal funk track "Aquarius"... in fact, practically every track over two minutes in length is a standout, and the rest of the tracks exist merely to provide stability and continuity for the album as a whole.

Music Has the Right to Children stands as an excellent example of what UK label Warp is doing for modern electronic music. Let's face it-- we've come a long way since Switched on Bach. But have we come a long way since Ninja Tune or Mo'Wax? Friends, we have now. Warp has taken a handful of killer acts whose only common trait is that they're electronic-focused, and created a sound that is both distinctly Warp, and yet completely unpredictible. Take a look at their roster if you don't believe me-- Squarepusher, Red Snapper, Autechre, Plaid, Aphex Twin... what other electronic label can boast that kind of diversity?

By creating ambient music that's actually stimulating-- something that's so unbelievably rare among ambient acts-- and mixing it with elements of jungle and psychedelia, Boards of Canada are not only pioneering an entirely new genre, but also paving the way for more stimulating ambient/electronic groups that will hopefully become increasingly prevalent in the new millennium. After all, electronic drug music has got to evolve past The Orb at some point. Why not now?

-Ryan Schreiber, October, 1998






10.0: Essential
9.5-9.9: Spectacular
9.0-9.4: Amazing
8.5-8.9: Exceptional; will likely rank among writer's top ten albums of the year
8.0-8.4: Very good
7.5-7.9: Above average; enjoyable
7.0-7.4: Not brilliant, but nice enough
6.0-6.9: Has its moments, but isn't strong
5.0-5.9: Mediocre; not good, but not awful
4.0-4.9: Just below average; bad outweighs good by just a little bit
3.0-3.9: Definitely below average, but a few redeeming qualities
2.0-2.9: Heard worse, but still pretty bad
1.0-1.9: Awful; not a single pleasant track
0.0-0.9: Breaks new ground for terrible