Anybody else a little underwhelmed by the new release?

[Weekend_Warrior]

Tomorrow's Harvest is definitely a very minimal record. I don't see how anyone could disagree with that

Their previous efforts had a lot of beautiful melodies and haunting soundscapes mixed with complex drum programming that put them on par with their fellow IDM label mate's - Aphex Twin and Autechre.

But with the new album, I would almost compare it more to a Plastikman record than one from AT or Ae. All those lush melodies and soundscapes have been stripped in favor of boring, generic-sounding pads over some simple beat loops. There's nothing here that feels "magical" or conjures up any kind of nostalgia. It just feels cold, damp and unfinished - like my parents basement.

I honestly believe that this was a very weak effort on their part, and would rank as my least favorite BoC release.

[TaoTapeTao]

Okay I totally take back what I said

This album seriously grows with each listen. I decided to accept that I can't control where the songs go and now I'm really beginning to appreciate all the subtle detail and little bits of beauty in every sound/song. And before I thought the album wasn't full but there's like 9 huge songs in there.

And like someone mentioned, the brothers are clever bastards. I think they discovered the formula for making the listener want more... they tease amazing rhythms/melodies and just when you want more, they fade out. It makes me want to re-listen to the whole thing. And now it seems intentional.

And as someone else said.. I forgot that BoC albums are inherently difficult to just ease into, they are challenging in ways and bring you to some interesting places. Not one of their cds was instantly good to me on the first listen but grew a ton over several listens.

[d e n]

I haven't heard the album yet... this post is in reference to one section of the thread-maker's post.

I am surprised to hear the OP talk about people who copy their sound having an effect on his feelings towards their music (not saying it was a huge effect). I don't understand why those people try so hard to copy... I think it's important to be inspired and learn from your musical heroes but it's also strange to try and copy someone without actually attempting to go in your own, unique, direction.

I guess since I don't listen to a lot of electronically produced music in the first place save artists like J Dilla or Fat John or Nujabes, I haven't been able to feel over-exposed or desensitized to music with a similar aesthetic. I guess I haven't been aware of or listened to that trend of imitators... but the whole idea of having people copying their sound having an effect on Boards of Canada's impact on you seems really strange to me.

IMO, it isn't hard to distinguish between the copiers and Boards of Canada because in every Boards of Canada track (of course there are kinds of exercises like Nlogax that almost purposely fool you but then once it shifts its obvious) there is a kind of deep continuity, something almost unspeakable, that is absent in all music that tries to imitate it. You can feel it's contrived. This is is because one simply cannot honestly attain a sound they didn't create for themselves. All pursuits of copying will eventually be futile. BoC are tuned to a different frequency and one will never get within the same channel without going in their own direction. Boards of Canada must also do this in the context of their own progression... This is not a slight at those who've put in a lot of work to copy someone else's sound... it is in fact a self-referential message.


P.S
As someone who didn't start listening until around '07/'08 and had everything almost at once: Campfire Headphase is my absolute favorite album cover to cover. That one never ceases to amaze me. Tears from the Compound Eye, Farewell Fire, Constants are Changing, Macquarie Ridge... god damn that's beautiful music. I've still never heard anything like it.

I'm assuming there were similar feelings from some upon the immediate release of that one?

[realspiel]

You can't really judge a BoC album by a few listens. Give it some time to sink in.

Exactly, I admire artists who dont always stick to the same formula for albums and each album is different including TH. I also don't understand the whole the song is to short and soon as a melody kicks in it doesnt get elaborated on, some of most favourite albums have a one off melody or one off production technique, and BoC are brilliant at that and its no different on this album.

And what is wrong with Palace Posy, the build up is great, some lovely pizzacato and the end is just immense, not entirely sure what people expect but I would say give it a few months and if you still don't like it, hopefully you'll like the next, its music its subjective people.

[paultomba]

Regarding the original post, I do agree, in part, but it amuses me that the two tracks used as examples of creative stagnation would be high points for me!

This has happened in other threads. What I see as sequences that I feel let the album fall flat seem to be the perks for others. Criticism is good though; say what you feel & ignore the more fervent fanboyism of this forum. Speak your mind, we're all big fans of their work or we wouldn't be here!

The "rate-the-albums" thread, by-and-large, sees most people slotting TH in number 3 position.
Possibly because their legacy is so strong I guess. But as much as I think this is a quality album, if I heard, say, Come to Dust and didn't know it was BoC I wouldn't be remotely interested in hearing it again.

All power-chords & juddering beats, the antithesis of the barely-there introspective shuffley tracks I love like Turquoise Hexagon Sun.

Some great work here though, the first half is particularly strong I think.

[Psilcosyn]

I'm 35 now and they have given me a feeling of wonder that I haven't had since I was 20 and hearing MHTRTC for the first time, where it was very nice on the first listen and has only improved on the subsequent listens. I hope the feeling doesn't fade. It all makes me wonder if your appreciation for this album comes from WHEN you got into them - there's certainly something to all the old school heads coming out of the woodwork to say it's delivering an MHTRTC level of immediate satisfaction, whereas people that got into them later on are a little more cool on it.

I still havent heard it but reading this excites me. This is where I'm coming from. I was 22 in 98 and heard MHTRTC just after its release. I hope we can get back to that feeling. I like Geogaddi now but it was a grower and didnt have the same impact on me on release. TCH is a good record but it is not the BoC I know (Hey Saturday Sun sounds like an Ozric Tentacles track ) I hope TH takes me back to the BoC that changed the way I looked at music.

[hamhax]

I hope TH takes me back to the BoC that changed the way I looked at music.

If this is what you're looking for, then you're definitely going to enjoy what's waiting for you.

(It may not change the way you look at music necessarily, but will bring you back to that happy place.)

[Geodesic]

Tomorrow's Harvest is definitely a very minimal record. I don't see how anyone could disagree with that

Their previous efforts had a lot of beautiful melodies and haunting soundscapes mixed with complex drum programming that put them on par with their fellow IDM label mate's - Aphex Twin and Autechre.

But with the new album, I would almost compare it more to a Plastikman record than one from AT or Ae. All those lush melodies and soundscapes have been stripped in favor of boring, generic-sounding pads over some simple beat loops. There's nothing here that feels "magical" or conjures up any kind of nostalgia. It just feels cold, damp and unfinished - like my parents basement.

I honestly believe that this was a very weak effort on their part, and would rank as my least favorite BoC release.

That's what I think too.

Some nice moment on the album but just NICE, and not much compared to the 17 tracks on. Boc always have parts on their album who blow my mind, who deeply impress and haunt me, here nothing from that intensity. Even with the syndrom "more listening / more loving", my love will not go far like the others with this one. I already listened it, at least, 30 times.

Cold earth is a geat exemple, It have a really nice potential, but I can't imagine how it will have sound made during the Geoggadi / TCH era. It look like an unfinished demo track made during the MHTRTC process.

Or "Nothing is real", real nice melody, but it's unfinished too, like an interlud made into a full track, looping until nausea with one little melody instead of developping it.

And what about Jacquard Causeway who is still a strong enigma to me, too long, too simplistic, no interesting melody, like a bad impovisation during a drunkenness night.

Reach of the dead, cold earth, sick times, nothing is real, sundown, new seeds are the best of the albums for my personnal taste.

But it sound like if they worked 50% less on that one than the others. Maybe it's the price of their fully adult life, will having a familly. Something that I respect, but maybe it explain the result. Boc are still parts of the gods of music to me, it's just about this album and it's obviously frustrating after 8 years of waiting, but I will just wait the next one...

[d e n]

"after 8 years of waiting, but I will just wait the next one..."

dude, you're never going to be pleased going about it that way.

[radiateme]

Or "Nothing is real", real nice melody, but it's unfinished too, like an interlud made into a full track, looping until nausea with one little melody instead of developping it.

And what about Jacquard Causeway who is still a strong enigma to me, too long, too simplistic, no interesting melody, like a bad impovisation during a drunkenness night.

This is what I meant before when I said the tracks progress more subtly on this record. There may be a main loop in Nothing Is Real, but the progression in the track is happening in the background through the swirls and added voices coming in and out and how that section moves.

Jacquard Causeway builds and builds until ~3:00 mark where it starts turning into this wonderful piece by the end.

Not all the tracks are like that, but they took a bit of a different approach on this one. I still say give it time, hope you end up feeling it.

[Hemulen]

"What is a critic but one who reads quickly, arrogantly, but never wisely."

[flim]

Only listened to it twice now and its defiantly a grower. Personally I think its better an album doesn't hit you straight away, means you have something to go back to and chew on for a bit an not swallow hole at once. I initially hated Geogaddi due to its darkness and random structure in parts but now I love it. But yeah so far I'm liking it and its making my early walks into work more interesting each time

[paultomba]

Another point worth making, without sounding like the Tomorrow's Harvest Helpline, is that staring intently at a piece of art waiting to be amazed just doesn't work.

It's hard not to do, particularly with all the hyped build-up for this album. But I've enjoyed the background plays of this album I've experienced more than the fevered full-concentration analysis I gave it upon hearing it.

Ha, & it's not even released yet! But you get my point
MHTRTC washed over me like a drug, seeping into my pores, before I even knew who the band were.
I just had it on rotation with other CDs whilst I worked.

[nickb523]

I like it a lot, it's pretty much what i expected. It's a good listen from start to finish. The hype was seriously OTT though.

My only gripe is that a lot of the track seem too damn short... most feel like they are just getting started but then it just fades out in a haphazard way.

[flim]

My only gripe is that a lot of the track seem too damn short... most feel like they are just getting started but then it just fades out in a haphazard way.

Yep, was thinking the same thing.

[kelp]

If it's meant to be a soundtrack to an 80s scifi movie that doesn't really exist then it would explain a lot of these fade outs etc. Have you listened to a lot of movie soundtracks (particularly from back then) ? There will often be quite short pieces, there'll be full fades between tracks. I think we're quite used to hearing albums as one long stretch of music that blends from one track to another. I think it's more interesting in this day and age to hear something with natural gaps between each track.

[nickb523]

My only gripe is that a lot of the track seem too damn short... most feel like they are just getting started but then it just fades out in a haphazard way.

Yep, was thinking the same thing.

It's like they've been overly concerned about getting too self-indugent... for example "Reach for the Dead" could have easily been an epic 8 minute job IMHO.

[nickb523]

If it's meant to be a soundtrack to an 80s scifi movie that doesn't really exist then it would explain a lot of these fade outs etc. Have you listened to a lot of movie soundtracks (particularly from back then) ? There will often be quite short pieces, there'll be full fades between tracks. I think we're quite used to hearing albums as one long stretch of music that blends from one track to another. I think it's more interesting in this day and age to hear something with natural gaps between each track.

Yeah that makes sense but nothing about the album art or track titles suggest the alien theme. Seems a really loose connection, but does make more sense in that context.

[Helicoid]

I kinda was, then I listened to it on acid. It almost seems like it was made for it.

[kelp]

If it's meant to be a soundtrack to an 80s scifi movie that doesn't really exist then it would explain a lot of these fade outs etc. Have you listened to a lot of movie soundtracks (particularly from back then) ? There will often be quite short pieces, there'll be full fades between tracks. I think we're quite used to hearing albums as one long stretch of music that blends from one track to another. I think it's more interesting in this day and age to hear something with natural gaps between each track.

Yeah that makes sense but nothing about the album art or track titles suggest the alien theme. Seems a really loose connection, but does make more sense in that context.

Note : "sci-fi" doesn't necessarily mean 'alien'