Boards of Canada are one of the most unique groups in modern music. Even a casual fan could spot their sound in a matter of seconds. Since their first album, they’ve called Warp Records home, but they’ve never been comfortable in any of the genres that legendary label is known for.
Weaving between neon-drenched hip-hop and menacing techno throb, they’ve charted a singular sound that is utterly approachable from any angle. It’s weird electronic music that your mom, your little brother, anyone can instantly nod along to. With that in mind, I present their best early track, Seeya Later, with a beguiling fan-made video:
It begins with a simple drum loop. Then that soft alien bass pulse begins, seeping right into the brain’s pleasure centers. Hazy shards of light pan through the mix, digital birds swooping and diving, painting a tangible backdrop for the effortless beats. It builds toward a matrix of delight, all confused bliss and warm pink laser beams, before leaving in reverse.
Seeya Later is what I hear when I imagine hip-hop on a UFO. It’s pan-galactic street beats for beings with no use for gravity. It’s a perfect bliss-out session that I could loop for hours.
I’m convinced that Scottish brothers Michael Sandison and Marcus Eoin, aka Boards of Canada, may not be from this planet. It’s astonishing to think that this music was released 22 years ago, in 1995. Let that sink in for a moment. If you want to hear more of their work, it’s easy to find. Check out the album this song is from, Twoism, along with everything else they’ve released on digital, CD, or vinyl from Bleep.
