How did you find BOC?

[nineoclock]

I'm just curious to know how you folks found BOC --- they're such a well-kept secret (which is part of the draw, admittedly). I guess I'm just curious because I found them completely by accident on some obscure animation website: http://www.fat-pie.com Check out the first few "Salad Fingers" cartoons for the BOC stuff.

After watching the cartoons, I realized that I really liked the music and needed to hear more. I ended up downloading some BOC songs of a bittorrent site (I still don't know which release it is...). After a full listen, I was hooked. Now I need my BOC fix at least once a day.

[zander two]

I should say that I was waiting for this topic to come up. I also have to say that I agree that BoC's "needle in the haystack-ness" is a bit of the appeal (let's hope it stays that way), but obviously not all of it. My discovery of them was, too, an accident. Here in the States, and I would assume elsewhere, on fancy digital cable and satellite TV there are these channels that play only music, not videos. There is one that normally plays holiday music, and for some reason when there isn't a holiday going on plays IDM instead. I must have heard Aphex on it once, and remembered to flip past on occasion. One unforgettable day I turned it on and lo and behold, they were playing "sunshine recorder." I will never forget that moment as I had never been more frightened by a song in my life. Some time later they played "music is math" and by then the seed was planted.

[hGc]

I only 'discovered' them in 2002 when people on the GameFAQs boards started talking about the band. I downloaded 'Roygbiv' and I was sold.

[Fredd-E]

I heard them for the first time at my friend's house whilst playing Magic The Gathering; we always had some music playing in the background and that's when I've got acquainted with BoC.

I was mainly into hip hop those days but it isn't a big step from hip hop to (downtempo) idm at all. That's also when I got acquainted with IDM actually...

[Derail]

nineoclock- It's funny how you mention salad fingers, because I never saw that cartoon until last night. I was hanging out with this chick that I just met at her apt. and we were talking about music. I said that I love Boards Of Canada and she said, ''have you ever seen salad fingers?'' I said ummmm......what? This girl knows something about Boc that I don't? That cartoon is some of the most wierd, tripped out shit that I've ever seen and I was actually going to start a topic about it, but you beat me to it.

But I first heard Boc from a good friend about 2 years ago. I was just getting into idm and I heard the bands name being thrown around but I never heard their music. He burned me Music Has the Right...and I listened to it from beginning to end one night alone in my room. I remember when Aquarius came on and I heard the ''orange'' sample and I started laughing out loud. I thought this is definately some different shit but I was'nt completely blown away after my first dose of Boc. After repeated listens it grew on me emensely and I soon purchased all their releases and burned all the rare stuff I could find. Now this friend does'nt comprehend why I like them so much, as he thinks they get boring after a while. He still likes them, but just not like I do and i'm sure a lot of people here do. There has never been anything like Boards Of Canada and there never will be. As much as people try to emulate their sound and use similar methods, the truth remains that they are the best at what they do and no one can touch them.

[Aesthetics]

Somewhere in 1998 I heard <i>Everything you do is a Balloon</i> from the amazing sampler called Skampler.

I was really amazed about their sound! (like we all are)

[nineoclock]

That cartoon is some of the most wierd, tripped out shit that I've ever seen

The latest episode was particularly disturbing, but somehow, the use of BOC's "Beware the Friendly Stranger" is completely perfect (both in sound and title). Fortunately, not all of my experiences with BOC bring to mind images of Salad Fingers. I'd be curious to see what other animators or video artists do with BOC music...


(And by the way, I totally relate to your laughing out loud at the "Orange" sample. When I heard that song, I became aware of the genius of this music simply because of their ability to trigger laughter and pure audio delight at the same time.)

[hGc]

I saw the first episode of Salad Fingers last summer, and I follow everything David Firth does. His musical taste is great, he uses a lot of ambient in his more disturbing cartoons.

[domco77]

I had an old work colleague recommend me MHRTC, then I was hooked...recently thanked him by putting together a compilation CD of unreleased stuff from Slsk.