BoC Nostalgia

DocRobert · Post by **DocRobert** » Sun Mar 01, 2009 11:38 pm

Hey guys! I'm new here, so I would just like to say hi, for the first part.

But, to what I really want to say:

Has anyone here ever gotten the feeling of nostalgia while you were listening to Boards Of Canada?

Here, I'll give you the best ones to mull over, at least in my opinion regarding nostalgia.

1. Roygbiv
2. Aquarius
3. Hey Saturday Sun
4. Skyliner
5. Sherbert Head
6. Dayvan Cowboy
7. 84' Pontaic Dream
8. Tears From The Compound Eye
9. Farewell Fire
10. Music Is Math
11. Sunshine Recorder
12. 1969

Now, what's weird is that all of these songs, at least to me, create a feeling of nostalgia. A certain feeling of nostalgia to me. Not only of nostalgia, but nostalgia of events that had never happened to me. I feel reminiscent of the eighties, even though I was only born in the nineties. Can someone else please share their expierience on this phenomena or someone say what they think about this?

ninetyoneplus · Post by **ninetyoneplus** » Mon Mar 02, 2009 12:23 am

Hello! Welcome to the forum!

I too was born in the 90s (1991 to be exact) and I get a huge feeling of nostalgia when listening to Boards, as I am guessing many people on this board do. This nostalgia arises from the mostly from instruments they use to make their music, which is old-school electronic keyboards, samplers, etc. mostly from the 80s and 70s. These were frequently used around that time so when you hear Boards, you are hearing what was being used then being reinterpreted for now. They barely use computers, or only when necessary.

Also, they use nostalgic elements like simple melodies that might be found as an intro to a TV program for kids, children's voices etc.

Peace
-w

DocRobert · Post by **DocRobert** » Mon Mar 02, 2009 12:34 am

Hmm...I didin't know about the keyboards, but the thing still stands. How can one have nostalgia of memories that they don't even have?

aquanet · Post by **aquanet** » Mon Mar 02, 2009 2:20 am

i think much of boc's catalouge evokes that feeling of nostaglia
Have you heard in a beautiful place out in the country? also very nostalgic sounding

bleak. · Post by **bleak.** » Mon Mar 02, 2009 11:01 am

1986 summer fire

BuShPuPpEt0 · Post by **BuShPuPpEt0** » Mon Mar 02, 2009 5:27 pm

Geogaddi does it for me. Especially Ready Let's go, and Music is Math.

Joebot Kill · Post by **Joebot Kill** » Mon Mar 02, 2009 6:11 pm

There are many vague memories that BoC conjures up for me. I was born in the mid 80s, but I barely remember them...

The thing about Boards is that the music doesnt represent the 70s or 80s. There are other bands that sound like theyre from the 70s or 80s. BoC represents memories of childhood through a 70s/80s aesthetic. That's one reason why I think this music is so special for everyone born around the 70s and even into the 90s. When I show the music to my parents, for example, it has no special connection for them, the 70s and 80s werent the magical little kid dream lands that they are for us. And who knows, our children might not even have the same connection to their music that we do. Sure they might think "sounds like the 70s" but for us, boards of canada represents a time in our life when the world was much more innocent, and our lives were bright and colorful and full of bliss. But of course, we grow up, and learn that the world is in fact, quite fucked. And I think thats where the darkness in their music comes from.

Also: Hey DocRobert! Glad you decided to join us here on this little board about Boards!

BuShPuPpEt0 · Post by **BuShPuPpEt0** » Mon Mar 02, 2009 6:25 pm

Joebot Kill wrote:There are many vague memories that BoC conjures up for me. I was born in the mid 80s, but I barely remember them...

The thing about Boards is that the music doesnt represent the 70s or 80s. There are other bands that sound like theyre from the 70s or 80s. BoC represents memories of childhood through a 70s/80s aesthetic. That's one reason why I think this music is so special for everyone born around the 70s and even into the 90s. When I show the music to my parents, for example, it has no special connection for them, the 70s and 80s werent the magical little kid dream lands that they are for us. And who knows, our children might not even have the same connection to their music that we do. Sure they might think "sounds like the 70s" but for us, boards of canada represents a time in our life when the world was much more innocent, and our lives were bright and colorful and full of bliss. But of course, we grow up, and learn that the world is in fact, quite fucked. And I think thats where the darkness in their music comes from.

Agreed.

harpoon dodger · Post by **harpoon dodger** » Mon Mar 02, 2009 6:47 pm

bleak. wrote:1986 summer fire

Awwwwwwww yeaaaa

Mexicola · Post by **Mexicola** » Mon Mar 02, 2009 6:56 pm

DocRobert wrote:Hmm...I didin't know about the keyboards, but the thing still stands. How can one have nostalgia of memories that they don't even have?

An excellent question. There was a short discussion about thisconcept here a while back. Might begin to explain one possible reason for it?

ninetyoneplus · Post by **ninetyoneplus** » Mon Mar 02, 2009 11:51 pm

Kaini Industries is fucks with my head good and proper.

Mindshifter · Post by **Mindshifter** » Tue Mar 03, 2009 11:55 am

Joebot Kill wrote:There are many vague memories that BoC conjures up for me. I was born in the mid 80s, but I barely remember them...

The thing about Boards is that the music doesnt represent the 70s or 80s. There are other bands that sound like theyre from the 70s or 80s. BoC represents memories of childhood through a 70s/80s aesthetic. That's one reason why I think this music is so special for everyone born around the 70s and even into the 90s. When I show the music to my parents, for example, it has no special connection for them, the 70s and 80s werent the magical little kid dream lands that they are for us. And who knows, our children might not even have the same connection to their music that we do. Sure they might think "sounds like the 70s" but for us, boards of canada represents a time in our life when the world was much more innocent, and our lives were bright and colorful and full of bliss. But of course, we grow up, and learn that the world is in fact, quite fucked. And I think thats where the darkness in their music comes from.

Also: Hey DocRobert! Glad you decided to join us here on this little board about Boards!

I usually only lurk at this board, but I had to reply on this post; couldn't have said it better.

Totopatter · Post by **Totopatter** » Tue Mar 03, 2009 2:39 pm

this commercial:

the jingle at 0:33 and at the very end....

Unlike what the youtube title says, the commercial was actually made in 1979

Totopatter · Post by **Totopatter** » Tue Mar 03, 2009 2:56 pm

lol

oh the memories....

Cupz · Post by **Cupz** » Tue Mar 03, 2009 2:58 pm

Totopatter wrote:this commercial:

the jingle at 0:33 and at the very end....

Unlike what the youtube title says, the commercial was actually made in 1979

That one goes straight to my jingle collection!!!

Totopatter · Post by **Totopatter** » Tue Mar 03, 2009 3:03 pm

ninetyoneplus wrote:Kaini Industries is fucks with my head good and proper.

yeah man.. pure scholastic documentary material right there...

CoBoC · Post by **CoBoC** » Tue Mar 03, 2009 5:53 pm

I find that the sense of nostalgia isn't so connected to the era from which any particular sound was gleaned. I think it has more to do with the fuzziness, warmness, and distortion of the sound. If you hear something that sounds damaged like that, you can already unconsciously compare it to what it would sound like undamaged, well...

I guess what I'm getting at is that the nostalgia isn't just in the music. It's in you, too. Music has it's own power, that doesn't require some real-world context. That's why someone who has never heard music before might cry when they finally do. (Think the movie 'Equilibrium')

BunnyRabbit · Post by **BunnyRabbit** » Tue Mar 03, 2009 6:03 pm

Cupz wrote:
Totopatter wrote:this commercial:

the jingle at 0:33 and at the very end....

Unlike what the youtube title says, the commercial was actually made in 1979
That one goes straight to my jingle collection!!!

Love it.

I can sort of get a nostalgic feeling about the early seventies and late sixties, even though I was born in 75. It's not the same as my nostalgia for the late seventies onwards but over the years I've sort of got a feel for what it was like in the years before I was born. When you go back further though it starts to fade away. Maybe something to do with family photos and what was being repeated on TV and the recent past.

Having said that when I hear, say, a Bowie track from the early seventies it means nothing to me like a Bowie track from the 80's does. So, overall I'd say you had to be there to be truly nostalgic.

Here's an example of something else. Bands who sound like they're from the sixties or seventies can give me a really strong 'feeling' of that period even though I was never there. It's not nostalgia as such just a of yearning to be there at that time.

So, I can see how BOC might do that do that to you, even if you weren't there. Especially as they press all the nostalgia buttons so well.

essines · Post by **essines** » Tue Mar 03, 2009 6:44 pm

this has a lot to do with feldenchrist.

88marquis · Post by **88marquis** » Tue Mar 03, 2009 7:41 pm

I'm gonna say Left Side Drive - there is no other song in existence that makes me feel like Left Side Drive Does. That rattle that is going on, amazing.