Boards of Canada

Tip!  "Let's talk about what makes Geogaddi different. The first thing that comes to mind is the shift in mood from the previous Boards of Canada albums. While the band continues to traffic in childhood and nostalgia, the atmosphere on this album is a shade darker than on previous releases, and comparatively tense with a noticeable thread of paranoia. Boards of Canada have always had a disorienting cast to their music, in part because of their proclivity for the quivery modulation of their analog synths. But where the warbles once seemed designed to evoke the sensation of strained memory, the distortions now have a disturbing undercurrent, suggesting that something frightening might lie beneath the surface.

Part of this darker trend comes from a thicker production environment and apparent aversion to unused space. On Geogaddi, Boards of Canada have replaced silence with the drone, and the master tapes are saturated with the sounds of the duo's customized machinery. There's none of the wistful airiness of a track like "Turquoise Hexagon Sun," nor the lighthearted warmth of a Music Has the Right to Children track like "Aquarius." Gone, too, is the gentle pastoralism of In a Beautiful Place out in the Country.

In its place, we find the swirling claustrophobic winds of "Julie and Candy," menacing swells of feedback anchoring the rhythm of "Dawn Chorus," and the lonely, isolated Nuno Cannavaro-isms of "The Devil Is in the Details," whose two sampled voices are a crying baby and a monolog given by a woman who might be drowning. Some of the beats on Geogaddi compliment this new, darker undercurrent and stand out from previous work. The pummeling, mechanized drum loop that drives "Gyroscope" is downright violent, and seems squarely aimed at the distorted child's voice in the background. And on "Alpha and Omega," hints of tabla mix with multi-layered percussion, lending an intriguing live band feel to an otherwise unremarkable track.

So, yes, the Boards have implemented their trademark tools on Geogaddi, but in the service of a slightly gloomier vision. Granted, the familiarity of their sound could prove to become a liability on their future releases, but it's easy to see why Eoin and Sandison have played this record so close to the vest. If you'd perfected a sonic playground like this, you'd probably want to explore it a while longer, too." - Pitchfork