thoughts on togetherness (goodwill to all !)

[b0qurant]

though we already live in the 'after' (i.e., we've [indeed] started up), I'am sharing some thoughts the VHS phenomena inspired in me during what is still the 'before' stage of what-must-be LP5.

I feel: media consumption is, increasingly & aggressively, atomized and tailored to "individuals." more products to binge in a curtain-drawn nest of spiraling self-interest and -criticism.

the TH ARG and this new delight viscerally remind me of how much media (music, in particular?) are actually experiences mediated by being part of a collective and sharing. the conversation inspired by the VHS tapes and the search in which we'are all participating is rapturous and possible because people are sharing with one an'other.

until quite recently listening to music was always a collective experience (beside playing music by yourself, por supuesto) because there was no recorded music. you had to be present with the person, bird, wind, or what'ever!, producing the sound. I think it'is important to recognize this lineage.

I believe most BoC diehards are people who are seekers and have a preoccupation with "the mystery." I know, at least, that is a significant chunk of my identity. grasping for 'more,' wanting a direct experience of the sublime, etcetera. it can be easy to forget the sublime can be (but is not necessarily!!) tailored to the individual. weirdly enough, this "IDM" (Ha-Ha) group has played a profound role in that journey.

BoC were my original mentors in learning how to be a critical/skeptical/engaged/ecstatic participant in the media that shapes my life. I am a musician and seeking out/listening carefully is the root of my life from which all else springs forth. my home.
BoC first turned me on to these possibilities in a way I had never before experienced. I benefit every moment from that education.

because most people trace their BoC lineage: I have been a massive head for about 16-17 years. "Everything You Do is a Balloon" [w/ the fan video] was a pivotal moment in my life as a 15-year-old. I am now 32 and have a two-year-old daughter. I experienced the TH ARG from my college dorm and the album released, literally, on my 20th birthday.

though I resist the whole "adulthood is bereft of magic"-type messaging that is all too common (and I work pretty hard in my life to keep "the magic" alive), it does seem true that it becomes more challenging to access "the magic" as time goes on. being busy, being 'hardened' by experience, and ... well ... we do'not exactly live in times that inspire fecundity and joy.

with all that being said, this experience has reminded me of many things, including:
- How integral a community is in experiencing media (even far-flung [I do'not know you people but we share a special bond])
- How important "the magic"/"the mystery"/"the search" is in the experience of media
- How amazing it is in 2026 to have a positive and optimistic experience on an internet messageboard
- How much I love Boards of Canada and how grateful I am for their presence in my life

I do'not even care if this album is my favorite of theirs of what'ever (13 years later I'am still not the hugest Tomorrow's Harvest fan and I'am okay with that).
I am grateful for the ride and the opportunity to bask in the togetherness, eagerness, and freshness of it.

thanks for reading.
I know we all try on this forum to articulate the inarticulable through a medium (forums!) that is, I think, pretty debased and wont to descend into pornographic hate.
I wanted to do my part in trying to say something meaningful through the fog.

big love. from a room where the sun'is casting pleasant and weird shapes onto a desk. goodwill to all !

[747Music]

What you've said here reminds me of something Mr Rogers said. Bear with me. He said that "our society is far more interested in information than wonder. In noise, than silence."

I think part my big appeal with BoC is that even as I gain information, that sense of wonder hasn't left. What does Geogaddi truly mean? Not getting a straight answer keeps the wonder alive. Lots of people can have lots of opinions and that's a pretty cool side-effect to leaving large elements of wonder. BoC is one of the greatest generators of wonder as artists. I'm always excited to hear more from them and more is on the way.

We can and have gathered here at twoism and over at watmm (RIP) and other places to share in the love of the wonder we feel towards their art. Shared wonder is fantastic.

You've spoken well, b0qurant.
Gonna be a wild ride ahead.
All the best.

[Mexicola]

747 in the house people. Due respect please. Great to see you about chap.

[Cupz]

Cupz returns to twoism -> boc activity. You're welcome.

In all seriousness, I love you peeps. Its so cool this is happening again and twoism is returning to form, and seeing all these familiar forum handles. I remember when I was 14 and geogaddi was still the newest boc album, you could post something here, click refresh and there'd be like 3 replies. It kind of feels like that again now with this tape.

[Negamuse]

I'm glad you're all back and there being something to look forward to with BoC has been the cherry on the cake. Good vibes

[MyKneesAreCold]

I connect with a lot of what you have said here, and I see a lot of similarities with my own experience (music obsessive stemming in large part from BOC, early thirties, young kids). Some thoughts...

Regarding media consumption, technology, AI, streaming, etc. — I agree that things are becoming increasingly individualized. I often bring this up in conversations regarding analog vs. digital, or physical media vs. streaming. The ease and efficiency of new technologies make it easier to listen to what you want to listen to. The problem with this, it gives all of the authority to the individual instead of the group, as you said. You will never be challenged if you only engage with the things that are easy or comfortable.

This does make artists like BoC stand out among the rest. A willingness to engage and participate, by both the artist and the listener.

You mention "keeping the magic alive," I'm not sure I've found the key to this one yet. I think intentionally practicing humility and selflessness is important to fight against the jaded, cynical artist stereotype. I would appreciate any tips on this point, as I find myself falling deeper into this trap year after year.

I have been picking through Marshall McLuhan's book Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man where he claims that the medium of art or communication is often just as important as the content itself. It has been an interesting parallel to read while obsessing over these VHS tapes. In the third chapter, McLuhan references a child's poem that was written in response to when Sputnik was first put into orbit:

The stars are so big, The earth is so small, Stay as you are.

McLuhan goes on to say, "With man, his knowledge and the process of obtaining knowledge are of equal magnitude. Our ability to apprehend galaxies and subatomic structures, as well, is a movement of faculties that include and transcend them. The second-grader who wrote the words above lives in a world much vaster than any which a scientist today has instruments to measure, or concepts to describe." He follows this with a quote from Yeats, "The visible world is no longer a reality and the unseen world is no longer a dream."

This seems to be a perfectly succinct way to describe that loss of magic, being "hardened by experience" as you say. Or, the loss of childhood wonder. I won't begin to suggest whether it is either good or bad to "lose the magic", or if it is at all worth trying to hold on to that magic, as I do not know the answer.

[derp!]

[TorrentialTrain]

They have brought back some of that mysterious, unknowableness of things that often existed before everything was on Google with this tape.

[Tom]

Awesome thread!

[747Music]

747 in the house people. Due respect please. Great to see you about chap.

Good to see you, old chum.

Looks like there are several of the old gang who've flocked back.

[The Other]

Great thread and very well said. Cool to see so many familiar faces. Some going back 20 years ago when I first joined. (Still hard to believe!)

Always fun to share these times with familiar strangers. I mean that in good way. It’s much like BoC’s music can feel at times. It’s cool to have a community with so many shared experiences over the years. A lot of them go beyond just the shared love for BoC’s music.

Who knows what they have up their sleeve. Has the feeling of something significant. Let’s enjoy the ride! We don’t get times like these often… trying not to get my hopes up but it’s fun to speculate with like
minded people. Let the imagination run wild.

Even if it turns into nothing or not what we imagined…It’s fun to be sharing it here with everyone.

[Altruizine]

Do you think "The Bros" are highly sensitive people? Like top 1% sensitive or something? I think they are - and so am I. That's why I need them and anyone able to relate to them.

[Altruizine]

Well ”top 1%” might be taking it too far but here’s my experience with people: minor stuff that nobody else seems to notice bothers the SHIT out of me and it’s the biggest bullshit when they belittle me for it too and I end up needing to avoid humans like the plague. Not because I think they’re inherently bad but everyone these days seems to be possessed by demons or something

[Cupz]

I know that vibe pretty well, but people are not demons and a lot of them are actually pretty cool, even some of the normies. You just need to surround yourself with the right ones.

[Evrox]

Here's some Twoism nostalgia for you all.

I don't remember exactly why anymore, but I wanted to capture the moment during the Tomorrow's Harvest listening party at Lake Dolores. It was such a vibe with the short live stream going on and everyone online. A truly special moment, 13 years ago now.

And hi Cupz! Not sure if you remember me, but we had loads of good chats on Skype back then. We were supposed to meet up at that FlyLo event in Amsterdam, but you couldn't make it in the end. Instead I ended up hanging out with your younger brother there. Good times!

[northernlite]

Here's some Twoism nostalgia for you all.

I don't remember exactly why anymore, but I wanted to capture the moment during the Tomorrow's Harvest listening party at Lake Dolores. It was such a vibe with the short live stream going on and everyone online. A truly special moment, 13 years ago now.

And hi Cupz! Not sure if you remember me, but we had loads of good chats on Skype back then. We were supposed to meet up at that FlyLo event in Amsterdam, but you couldn't make it in the end. Instead I ended up hanging out with your younger brother there. Good times!

haha awesome, man i thought OSX looked so "clean" back in the day. also, i see my username! i was chronically refreshing twoism at that time

[Den]

Cupz returns to twoism -> boc activity. You're welcome.

In all seriousness, I love you peeps. Its so cool this is happening again and twoism is returning to form, and seeing all these familiar forum handles. I remember when I was 14 and geogaddi was still the newest boc album, you could post something here, click refresh and there'd be like 3 replies. It kind of feels like that again now with this tape.

Thank you, Cupz. It's incredible.

I love this thread title.

[The Other]

Here's some Twoism nostalgia for you all.

I don't remember exactly why anymore, but I wanted to capture the moment during the Tomorrow's Harvest listening party at Lake Dolores. It was such a vibe with the short live stream going on and everyone online. A truly special moment, 13 years ago now.

And hi Cupz! Not sure if you remember me, but we had loads of good chats on Skype back then. We were supposed to meet up at that FlyLo event in Amsterdam, but you couldn't make it in the end. Instead I ended up hanging out with your younger brother there. Good times!

this is so cool to see. remember those times like they were yesterday. thanks for sharing

[b0qurant]

You mention "keeping the magic alive," I'm not sure I've found the key to this one yet. I think intentionally practicing humility and selflessness is important to fight against the jaded, cynical artist stereotype. I would appreciate any tips on this point, as I find myself falling deeper into this trap year after year.

man this is -- to some degree -- 'the battle,' isn't it ?
to stay both alive and as-aware-as-possible. we contend with so much to have both as often as we can.

I know no more than your average person-who-is-alive (isn't even the longest human lifespan an infancy ?), but I appreciate what you wrote regarding humility and selflessness. those seem to be the keys in my own experience so far. and that isn't to say I have figured some'thing out or experience on'going, unbroken 'magic' or joy, I surely do not and have not.

I have become interested in practices that inspire and further concretize humility, selflessness, noticing, slowing down, even-temperedness, etc. etc.

for me that means meditation. I know meditation has become some'what corporatized and "Wellness"-coded. but I'have found and continue to find meditation (the Zen Buddhist tradition resonates) a surefire door-opener to more 'magic.' and by that I mean: less kneejerk presumption, slower thinking, being better equipped to notice when I am basically throwing a tantrum (much of inner life seems to be tantrum-esque, self-centered), etc. never perfect, just ... I dunno ... more there.

[this'is not to say meditation is It or what'ever. more so: what is/are the practice(s) that allow(s) you to feel closer to the 'magic' ?]

love to see McLuhan invoked in your post and am happy to see my little burst of inspiration and emotion inspiring similar bursts in others (what else can we do in this world ?).

which reminds me: .......... goodwill to all !