*The Little Black Box Thread (plus other random twaddle)*

SonicDimension · Post by **SonicDimension** » Fri Apr 01, 2011 11:54 pm

GRIM.657 wrote:What makes you think they expect you to 'care' when they suddenly release material? I dont think they give two fucks. they do this because they want to. They've been hella scarce on news and shit since they were formed, why would you expect differently now, because people like them?

Unless they have been working as janitors for the past half decade, selling records is still how they make a living. If they didn't expect anyone to care about their music, then they wouldn't expect anyone to buy their music and they wouldn't expect to be able to make enough money to make music full-time.

There has never been a gap this long between updates before. I can understand three years, maybe, but five years is too long. I'm not just talking about letting us know what they are doing musically; they have not acknowledged their fans in any way during this time except for a few cryptic messages on myspace.

dp · Post by dp » Sat Apr 02, 2011 2:24 am

Fans Have The Right To Information.

esselfortium · Post by **esselfortium** » Sat Apr 02, 2011 3:23 am

SonicDimension wrote:
GRIM.657 wrote:What makes you think they expect you to 'care' when they suddenly release material? I dont think they give two fucks. they do this because they want to. They've been hella scarce on news and shit since they were formed, why would you expect differently now, because people like them?
Unless they have been working as janitors for the past half decade, selling records is still how they make a living. If they didn't expect anyone to care about their music, then they wouldn't expect anyone to buy their music and they wouldn't expect to be able to make enough money to make music full-time.

There has never been a gap this long between updates before. I can understand three years, maybe, but five years is too long. I'm not just talking about letting us know what they are doing musically; they have not acknowledged their fans in any way during this time except for a few cryptic messages on myspace.

FYI when you buy an album you're not also buying an IOU for future albums

esselfortium · Post by **esselfortium** » Sat Apr 02, 2011 3:23 am

I mean just so you know

Julian Candy · Post by **Julian Candy** » Sat Apr 02, 2011 4:24 am

"You must expect the unexpected, and prepare for what is not there."
- Lateef, Spyro the Dragon.

http://www.spyropedia.com/images/thumb/ ... Lateef.jpg

SonicDimension · Post by **SonicDimension** » Sat Apr 02, 2011 6:26 am

esselfortium wrote:
SonicDimension wrote:
GRIM.657 wrote:What makes you think they expect you to 'care' when they suddenly release material? I dont think they give two fucks. they do this because they want to. They've been hella scarce on news and shit since they were formed, why would you expect differently now, because people like them?
Unless they have been working as janitors for the past half decade, selling records is still how they make a living. If they didn't expect anyone to care about their music, then they wouldn't expect anyone to buy their music and they wouldn't expect to be able to make enough money to make music full-time.

There has never been a gap this long between updates before. I can understand three years, maybe, but five years is too long. I'm not just talking about letting us know what they are doing musically; they have not acknowledged their fans in any way during this time except for a few cryptic messages on myspace.
FYI when you buy an album you're not also buying an IOU for future albums

Ok, but that's not what I said. I agree that they don't owe us anything. However, if they want us to pay them money for future records so they can continue to make a living making music, they (or Warp) should make some effort to maintain peoples' interest in the band. This is what most recording artists have to do. Not everyone is an obsessive twoism fanboy who purchases every piece of BoC merchandise the minute it is released. For all we know, half the people who bought their previous records might have forgotten that BoC exist or their taste in music might have changed or they might have died of old age

The fact that BoC and/or Warp assume otherwise suggests that they think they are special. I find that annoying.

Kamas009 · Post by **Kamas009** » Sat Apr 02, 2011 6:34 am

SonicDimension wrote:
esselfortium wrote:
SonicDimension wrote: Unless they have been working as janitors for the past half decade, selling records is still how they make a living. If they didn't expect anyone to care about their music, then they wouldn't expect anyone to buy their music and they wouldn't expect to be able to make enough money to make music full-time.

There has never been a gap this long between updates before. I can understand three years, maybe, but five years is too long. I'm not just talking about letting us know what they are doing musically; they have not acknowledged their fans in any way during this time except for a few cryptic messages on myspace.
FYI when you buy an album you're not also buying an IOU for future albums
Ok, but that's not what I said. I agree that they don't owe us anything. However, if they want us to pay them money for future records so they can continue to make a living making music, they (or Warp) should make some effort to maintain peoples' interest in the band. This is what most recording artists have to do. Not everyone is an obsessive twoism fanboy who purchases every piece of BoC merchandise the minute it is released. For all we know, half the people who bought their previous records might have forgotten that BoC exist or their taste in music might have changed or they might have died of old age The fact that BoC and/or Warp assume otherwise suggests that they think they are special. I find that annoying.

The whole point of Boards of Canada is the mysticism of their persona, if they were to post for example "LOLGUYS WE ARE ALMOST DONE WITH NEW ALBUM" Or even "Hey, the new album is in the works. Thanks for listening. Stay classy." That would ruin the mysticism and the mystery behind their own creation.

Boards of Canada sells itself, they don't need a marketing team. Or an up to date news feed, they are what they are.

rick7487 · Post by **rick7487** » Sat Apr 02, 2011 7:01 am

Julian Candy wrote:"You must expect the unexpected, and prepare for what is not there."
- Lateef, Spyro the Dragon.

http://www.spyropedia.com/images/thumb/ ... Lateef.jpg

YESS!!!

Julian Candy · Post by **Julian Candy** » Sat Apr 02, 2011 7:25 am

Kamas009 wrote:
SonicDimension wrote:
esselfortium wrote: FYI when you buy an album you're not also buying an IOU for future albums
Ok, but that's not what I said. I agree that they don't owe us anything. However, if they want us to pay them money for future records so they can continue to make a living making music, they (or Warp) should make some effort to maintain peoples' interest in the band. This is what most recording artists have to do. Not everyone is an obsessive twoism fanboy who purchases every piece of BoC merchandise the minute it is released. For all we know, half the people who bought their previous records might have forgotten that BoC exist or their taste in music might have changed or they might have died of old age The fact that BoC and/or Warp assume otherwise suggests that they think they are special. I find that annoying.
The whole point of Boards of Canada is the mysticism of their persona, if they were to post for example "LOLGUYS WE ARE ALMOST DONE WITH NEW ALBUM" Or even "Hey, the new album is in the works. Thanks for listening. Stay classy." That would ruin the mysticism and the mystery behind their own creation.

Boards of Canada sells itself, they don't need a marketing team. Or an up to date news feed, they are what they are.

You guys are all arguing over them, doesn't that mean they've done their job?

ArbitersGround · Post by **ArbitersGround** » Sat Apr 02, 2011 8:00 am

I saw this on WATMM and am not sure what to make of it:

http://forum.watmm.com/topic/64714-so-i ... ast-night/

It's from January of this year. Any opinions?

Kamas009 · Post by **Kamas009** » Sat Apr 02, 2011 8:35 am

ArbitersGround wrote:I saw this on WATMM and am not sure what to make of it:

http://forum.watmm.com/topic/64714-so-i ... ast-night/

It's from January of this year. Any opinions?

It appears that link does not work for me.

__ = Zenfinity = __ · Post by **__ = Zenfinity = __** » Sat Apr 02, 2011 9:00 am

long live the BoC radio silence. its a beautiful thing that gives more time and space to appreciate the breathtaking beauty of their existing catalog. and this means they are obliged to make the long wait worthwhile.

Snufkin · Post by **Snufkin** » Sat Apr 02, 2011 10:14 am

I am literally shitting on a puppy with excitement..

-Snuf

Jonse · Post by **Jonse** » Sat Apr 02, 2011 10:44 am

dp wrote:Fans Have The Right To Information.

The Getup Aheadphase on the New Scores.

Jonse · Post by **Jonse** » Sat Apr 02, 2011 10:56 am

Music is art. Music is a business. Both aspects factor equally.

Totally. Which is why so many indie artists release their shit for no price, whatsoever, including myself, correct?

And why OOT is released in a download form for free, correct?

I'm sure eveyone is factoring in the "business" portion of their hobby right away.

Oh wait, or maybe it has to do with the greed that develops over time with financial pool you begin to swim in? I highly doubt BoC asserts business over art, which means they've resisted the greed from selling millions of albums.

There are artists who don't, and instead feed into the mainstream and "adjust" (euphemism for "sell out") their style to garner more money....and I don't respect those artists. At all. Way I (and apparently much of this forum) see it, music is purely art, and I for the most part believe art should entirely be hobby, not business.

And considering Radiohead made several million dollars releasing that name-your-price album a few years ago, it's fair to say well-established artists could continue to get by if they all decided to take the same route.

Most of them that get caught up in the mainstream thing become greedy, with the exception of people like Trent Reznor, and bands like Radiohead, which doesn't happen often especially in the rock scene.

ryetronics · Post by **ryetronics** » Sat Apr 02, 2011 12:45 pm

ArbitersGround wrote:I saw this on WATMM and am not sure what to make of it:

http://forum.watmm.com/topic/64714-so-i ... ast-night/

It's from January of this year. Any opinions?

It's a joke.

Electronic Dave · Post by **Electronic Dave** » Sat Apr 02, 2011 1:54 pm

The Telepathic Kid wrote:
Electronic Dave wrote:Patience...these things take time

I'm certain the mysterious black box will be revealed at some point...

Obviously I have said to myself 'oh I wish they would release new material'
"I just want to tell you both good luck. We're all counting on you."

... LESLIE D:

Haha brilliant - never tire of that film

and of course he is the voice on Dandelion

Shirley is my text message alert.

Back on topic I don't mind if the brothers want to call it a day/take a break or even release something new (in their own time) years later, its their creation and I feel priviledged whenever they want to share it. I appreciate what we have already, but I would feel a little down if it all came to an end - any fan would.

SonicDimension · Post by **SonicDimension** » Sat Apr 02, 2011 6:27 pm

Rodheh wrote:
Music is art. Music is a business. Both aspects factor equally.

Totally. Which is why so many indie artists release their shit for no price, whatsoever, including myself, correct?

And why OOT is released in a download form for free, correct?

I'm sure eveyone is factoring in the "business" portion of their hobby right away.

Oh wait, or maybe it has to do with the greed that develops over time with financial pool you begin to swim in? I highly doubt BoC asserts business over art, which means they've resisted the greed from selling millions of albums.

There are artists who don't, and instead feed into the mainstream and "adjust" (euphemism for "sell out") their style to garner more money....and I don't respect those artists. At all. Way I (and apparently much of this forum) see it, music is purely art, and I for the most part believe art should entirely be hobby, not business.

And considering Radiohead made several million dollars releasing that name-your-price album a few years ago, it's fair to say well-established artists could continue to get by if they all decided to take the same route.

Most of them that get caught up in the mainstream thing become greedy, with the exception of people like Trent Reznor, and bands like Radiohead, which doesn't happen often especially in the rock scene.

I agree. Although you have to wonder, could artists like Trent Reznor or BoC make such awesome music if they were just doing it as a hobby on the weekends in a modest home studio? Who knows, maybe it doesn't make such a huge difference in the artistic value-- a lot of BoC's early recordings sound as compelling to me as their later stuff. And Trent recorded Pretty Hate Machine with modest equipment in his spare time at the studio where he was working. I doubt he could have made masterpieces like The Downward Spiral and The Fragile in his spare time, though.

dp · Post by dp » Sat Apr 02, 2011 11:12 pm

It took Trent Reznor nearly 6 years to release The Fragile, but he still communicated with his fans regularly. And that was before this age of super-connectedness.

I don't think Boards should update us regularly, but it would be nice to be acknowledged for our patience and support over these last 6 years. It seems really shitty to treat your core fanbase with such disdain. I don't think it's too much to ask or expect as fan.

polar sky · Post by **polar sky** » Sat Apr 02, 2011 11:38 pm

They obviously care enough about people hearing their music otherwise they wouldn't be on a record label that distributes their music all over the world and a label that pays them to make records, I know it can't be a ton of money of course but it's still money. It's funny though how some people have their own delusional personal relationship with a band, where they think they know all about them and how they feel about their fans. Bottom line is just because you've read some interviews in a magazine doesn't mean you know everything about them and you never will. Unless you've met them personally and got to know them stop acting like you are the all knowing lord of BoC's opinions