Reasons Boards of Canada strays from advertising

bocpony · Post by **bocpony** » Sun Aug 04, 2013 5:14 pm

These are just honest guesses.

1. They're avoiding becoming mainstream.

2. Listeners will like the stuff better. I try to get several people to like them but all found them "boring". Boards wouldn't like reluctant fans.

3. Fans gain a more emotional connection. Boards stated they wanted listeners to find and hear the obscure music themselves. This may earn more emotion points, since it's like they were meant to find them.

Opinions?

Scotronica · Post by **Scotronica** » Sun Aug 04, 2013 5:38 pm

I think Bill can sum this up

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dgUWTquztGY

GH · Post by GH » Sun Aug 04, 2013 10:43 pm

Do you mean that they stray from having their stuff used on advertisements, or that they don't advertise their own albums etc?

I think there was probably a lot of money spent on plugging/ hyping the last album.

irv · Post by **irv** » Mon Aug 05, 2013 8:26 am

Simple really - they're not sellouts and don't need the money.

Fireal420 · Post by **Fireal420** » Tue Aug 06, 2013 4:08 am

it seems as though they are in it for the music, not the fame and recognition. i believe thats why we are attracted to their music so much, its very ego-less and honest.

mechanismj · Post by **mechanismj** » Tue Aug 06, 2013 4:29 am

Scotronica wrote:I think Bill can sum this up

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dgUWTquztGY

What Hicks said.

FernieCanto · Post by **FernieCanto** » Tue Aug 06, 2013 11:57 am

Fireal420 wrote:it seems as though they are in it for the music, not the fame and recognition. i believe thats why we are attracted to their music so much, its very ego-less and honest.

Personally I don't see any problem with BoC promoting their own music for fame and recognition; I mean, they're not exactly alien to the concept of self-promotion, as Tomorrow's Harvest has shown. Every artist wants to be seen, because art only has a point when people experience it. The only artists that don't need to promote themselves are those who already have a big promotion machine working behind them.

Besides, there will always be the business side of music that many artist just cannot isolate themselves from, because, well, everybody has to eat. From the latest Humo interview:

I've heard young people claim that all music should be free, and artists should make it only cause they love making it. Money's just an extra. Not that I don't understand it, cuz theoretically it doesn't even sound bad, but just think about it, if The Beatles had to do an extra job in a grocery job you think they had the time or energy to make revolutionary records like Revolver?

I don't consider that "dishonesty". It would only be dishonest if they were claiming one thing and doing otherwise. Being a "businessman" is not at all incompatible from being a full-fledged and influential artist. If you doubt it, look up Frank Zappa.

Also... as for having their music used in adverts, didn't Chris Cunningham use BoC in an advert for some italian telecom company once? Again, I see no dishonesty in that. But then again, I found it really cool when Tom Waits did an advert for dog food, so maybe I'm nuts.

Basefree · Post by **Basefree** » Tue Aug 06, 2013 1:48 pm

I don't think they like the personal publicity that comes with it, at all. You can gather that from the interviews. Doesn't mean they object to their music becoming popular, and isn't it quite so already anyway?

Cupz · Post by **Cupz** » Tue Aug 06, 2013 3:08 pm

Wait...so how's hiring a HUGE advertisement screen in Tokyo not advertisement?

Scotronica · Post by **Scotronica** » Tue Aug 06, 2013 5:23 pm

Advertising their own product not someone else's - simples!!

TOYOTAセ&#1 · Post by **TOYOTAセ&#1** » Tue Aug 06, 2013 7:34 pm

What about that TV spot on [adult swim]?

I'm pretty sure that was advertisement.

Fearless Flounder · Post by **Fearless Flounder** » Tue Aug 06, 2013 8:46 pm

there's always these

bmw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c7AbIZkQZRc

nissan
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=72t0uld3XyE

telecom italia
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VuyPBqizSzs

Betacord · Post by **Betacord** » Wed Aug 07, 2013 12:40 am

I don't think they've ever strayed from promoting their projects via a method that feels right to them - as the music is what they are about - but they understandably don't want to publicise themselves as such. And they perhaps do not want to distract unnecessarily from what they create.

Additionally - the Cosecha signal advert didn't include the album name or release date, but people who were genuinely curious or interested could check it out and discover the album - in that sense it wasn't unashamed direct album promotion, but it just tipped off those enthusiastic enough to follow it up.

As I recall being said, it's very easy to find information or previews of a release with the click of a mouse today, way before you've even heard the record or seen the film... But making it too easy does take away a great deal of satisfaction - being handed things rather than seeking them out. Hence a more low-key approach.

So, perhaps it is a mixture of wanting to live a relatively normal, quiet life (in the context of the press, not the music!), away from intrusion, coupled with an awareness not to have their work over-promoted in a way that clashes with their view or simply risks too much exposure? I feel they may be mindful of trying to strike a balance.

GeogEddie · Post by **GeogEddie** » Wed Aug 07, 2013 8:10 am

They don't (see above youtube links). Of course, they could probably monetize their music much more profitably if they wanted to, so money isn't their only concern. I suspect they have "real" jobs of some sort as their primary source of income.

Stickyfingers72 · Post by **Stickyfingers72** » Wed Aug 21, 2013 6:31 pm

Fearless Flounder wrote:there's always these

bmw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c7AbIZkQZRc

nissan
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=72t0uld3XyE

telecom italia
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VuyPBqizSzs

I remember when the BMW ad first touched down and though, hey that's my boys! The majority didn't have a clue what was being played accompanying the advert..I like it like that.

Still you get a TV advert and you do make some very good money.

With regards to the Chris Cunningham Nissan ad. Wasn't that just a proposed advert that didn't get used?

StarblazerUK · Post by **StarblazerUK** » Thu Aug 22, 2013 9:42 am

I personally think that BoC keep their marketing relevant to their style and how they would like their music to be perceived. A lot of their stuff is perfectly suited to soundtracks/adverts and such and as they were often inspired by old movies/adverts/documentaries, that is how they market their material. It's music that pops up in the background, makes some ears prick up and go "Oooo that was nice, what was that" Some search and find it, for others it will be a distant memory until sometime when they come across is or find it via a friend.

It's almost music as a soundtrack to life....no bad thing in my eye's.

noilednad · Post by **noilednad** » Fri Aug 23, 2013 8:52 am

Fearless Flounder wrote:telecom italia
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VuyPBqizSzs

What is that song?

Stickyfingers72 · Post by **Stickyfingers72** » Sat Aug 24, 2013 1:21 pm

noilednad wrote:
Fearless Flounder wrote:telecom italia
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VuyPBqizSzs

What is that song?

Lovely isn't it. Unreleased according to the tracks comments

TOYOTAセ&#1 · Post by **TOYOTAセ&#1** » Sat Aug 24, 2013 5:54 pm

Stickyfingers72 wrote:
noilednad wrote:
Fearless Flounder wrote:telecom italia
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VuyPBqizSzs

What is that song?

Lovely isn't it. Unreleased according to the tracks comments

Does anyone have a better quality version? The best I have is this 174kbps WAV. Unless this is the best version available.

noilednad · Post by **noilednad** » Sun Aug 25, 2013 4:54 pm

I wouldn't mind a copy of that.

Can you post a link? Got a dropbox? Upload to my FTP? :lol:

Same goes for anyone who might have said 'better version'.