GENERAL NEW RELEASE SPECULATION TOPIC

[Echelon]

I know this is a tiny bit off topic, but considering how things have been quiet.....

I totally don't understand how everyone is going bonkers for OPN's new album. I'd like to think I'm pretty open, but my first impression is that it lacked that crunch. I also haven't been feeling the other recent Warp releases that much either.

I'll give the OPN a few more listens incase I just need more time to access it, but......

I will be honest, as a first time listener to OPN, I was not impressed. A lot of his music doesn't go anywhere on this album. It's very avantgarde and random sounding. Sometimes the album takes weird left-turns into mainstream territory with hip-hop (The Whether Channel) or pop balladtry (No Nightmares) and I'm not feeling those either.

On the upside, I really liked Long Road Home and wish that the album was more in that dark post-rock vein. That track makes sense to me. A lot of the other ones don't.

Autechre's Sign is actually a step away from glitchy noise into a very melancholic ambient feel. It feels very reflective of 2020 and might be their most emotional release in a long time.

I'd also like to mention that Squarepusher's Be Up A Hello was very consistent for a Jenkinson production and a welcome return after a five year absence on Warp. I felt nearly every track served a purpose.

My other favorite this year is Bibio's Sleep On A Wing. There's a very majestic eastern-y instrumental called "The Milky Way Over..." and it invokes the feeling of gazing out into a starlit sky from a forest. Might be the closest we get to "space music" this year.

I think for veterans who are getting into their late forties early fifties like Squarepusher and Autechre, these are good albums. Sadly compared to their 90s legacy, they will always pale. That's how I feel about Aphex Twin's Syro and BOC's Tomorrow's Harvest compared to their heyday.

[happy_cycling]

Man I didn't know I was such a topic of such discussion/controversy. I'm quite flattered.

[Roswell]

new bird like.
btw when i say there’s new likes on twitter, i’m not implying it means anything, just letting the board know.

[fefor]

I haven't listened to Magic yet, but I do LOVE Replica and R Plus Seven (and also Chuck Person's Eccojams and its demo version, been obsessing about them lately, I've listened to them like 10 times in 1 month )

I've enjoyed getting new Squarepusher (was actually hyped for this one because the set from Warp's 2019 anniversary was being included as a preorder bonus) and new Autechre this year... but I don't think any artist or band would ever top my excitement if I were to get a new Aphex Twin or Boards of Canada album, its like with anything else I'm chill about it, but these two would make me go crazy.

For both of them I love their latest work, so I'm very optimistic I'd really like their new stuff aswell, the Collapse EP Richard released in 2018 is just absolutely amazing and I can't get enough of it, there was a sneak peek at a new track some weeks ago and I totally dig his 'new' style, it sounds very cohesive and mature. I feel the same way about BoC, Tomorrow's Harvest became a close 2nd place on the album ranking (though its hard to rank them) and by how their latest remixes sounded I know its going to be brilliant.

Now I'm confident we'll get new AFX on 2021 but as for BoC while I have no idea when it'll happen I just know for sure that they aren't done with making music, I think of their banner update as a "hello, we are not done yet, give it a bit longer "

Man I didn't know I was such a topic of such discussion/controversy. I'm quite flattered.

[Echelon]

new bird like.
btw when i say there’s new likes on twitter, i’m not implying it means anything, just letting the board know.

I like when you do that because I hate Twitter. I'd much rather get "like updates" courtesy of here, so it's appreciated. What did the like entail?

[Roswell]

I like when you do that because I hate Twitter. I'd much rather get "like updates" courtesy of here, so it's appreciated. What did the like entail?

glad it’s appreciated! and it said “I’m convinced @boctransmission’s MHTRTC was released ~30 years too soon. There’s no way that was produced in 1998”

[Echelon]

I like when you do that because I hate Twitter. I'd much rather get "like updates" courtesy of here, so it's appreciated. What did the like entail?

glad it’s appreciated! and it said “I’m convinced @boctransmission’s MHTRTC was released ~30 years too soon. There’s no way that was produced in 1998”

TBH, I still enjoy seeing the account like stuff. I know we've all had tons of debates whether or not it means anything, but personally, I just feel they do it to generate positive vibes for us fans. And what do we need more in these times than positive vibes?

So yeah, I for one like being updated on what the account liked and appreciate you taking the time to do it

As for the actual like, I agree. BOC's best work exists out of time. Sure you could pin it to the 90s IDM trend, but the melodies could have been invented anywhere from the 70s to the 2020s.

[Davism]

I know this is a tiny bit off topic, but considering how things have been quiet.....

I totally don't understand how everyone is going bonkers for OPN's new album. I'd like to think I'm pretty open, but my first impression is that it lacked that crunch. I also haven't been feeling the other recent Warp releases that much either.

I'll give the OPN a few more listens incase I just need more time to access it, but......

I will be honest, as a first time listener to OPN, I was not impressed. A lot of his music doesn't go anywhere on this album. It's very avantgarde and random sounding. Sometimes the album takes weird left-turns into mainstream territory with hip-hop (The Whether Channel) or pop balladtry (No Nightmares) and I'm not feeling those either.

On the upside, I really liked Long Road Home and wish that the album was more in that dark post-rock vein. That track makes sense to me. A lot of the other ones don't.

Autechre's Sign is actually a step away from glitchy noise into a very melancholic ambient feel. It feels very reflective of 2020 and might be their most emotional release in a long time.

I'd also like to mention that Squarepusher's Be Up A Hello was very consistent for a Jenkinson production and a welcome return after a five year absence on Warp. I felt nearly every track served a purpose.

My other favorite this year is Bibio's Sleep On A Wing. There's a very majestic eastern-y instrumental called "The Milky Way Over..." and it invokes the feeling of gazing out into a starlit sky from a forest. Might be the closest we get to "space music" this year.

I think for veterans who are getting into their late forties early fifties like Squarepusher and Autechre, these are good albums. Sadly compared to their 90s legacy, they will always pale. That's how I feel about Aphex Twin's Syro and BOC's Tomorrow's Harvest compared to their heyday.

Good stuff. Yeah, Eccojams is maybe in my top ten most listened-to albums. To me, OPN and Ae are playing it too safe... which is perhaps an ironic thing to say considering that it does feel avant-garde. I think TH's is exactly what I would want every artist to do. It was a risk for them to move in that direction, but it still felt related. Gemini, Reach For the Dead and Nothing is Real are one of my favs.

[b0qurant]

I've been a huge OPN fan for about a decade now and, I've gotta say, Magic Oneohtrix Point Never (I've done two full listens, so it obviously has space to grow) is really blowing me away. Replica, the Rifts collection, and Garden of Delete are all up there in my favorites of all time.

[Knifeyspooney]

OPNs soundtrack work is among his best. Good Time and Uncut Gems are straight up masterpieces.

[Geogandhi]

OPN is a weird one, some stuff is really good, I find myself going back to Russian Mind the most but some great stuff on most releases. GoD annoyed me though, felt like it jumped around for the sake of being quirky, sounded try hard and like he was flicking through presets on the Waldorf Microwave XT.
He's 50% great and 50% try hard with no substance for me.

[Echelon]

Now I'm confident we'll get new AFX on 2021 but as for BoC while I have no idea when it'll happen I just know for sure that they aren't done with making music, I think of their banner update as a "hello, we are not done yet, give it a bit longer "

This is really what I come away with too. With Aphex, it's more obvious, but with BOC it's more just a good feeling that something's around the bend.

I can guarantee that at least one of them will have a release in 2021. It just seems that we've gotten everything but them and Warp knows fans are clamoring for both.

[arvy]

Biden>Trump
next boc confirmed

[Echelon]

Biden>Trump
next boc confirmed

This crossed my mind.

Do you have an interest in environmental issues? And if so, would you ever consider taking an explicit position over such issues, e.g. releasing a protest song or making any strong statement on your website, or do you prefer staying away from the whole matter?

Marcus – Actually we hold fairly radical views about environmental and political issues. We just avoid being public about it within the context of the band. I think the moment a musician shows that they care, the moment they try to make a difference by using their success to communicate alternative political or environmental ideas to their audience, the mainstream press assassinate the band. I've seen it happen so many times, that I've learned I have to choose to either make music, or become an activist. The media doesn't really allow artists to do both.

[Josh]

They've actually been public about their views by sharing what books and writers they've read. Have you read any Dimitry Orlov or J.H. Kunstler? I think Marcus referred to them as "prophets". Anyway, Orlov gives off serious Russian disinfo agent vibes and the other guy is a far-right nutcase. I think if people really looked at what they've been telling us they might not like what they find.

[Navaru]

I believe I read that they are against globalization, not sure of that bleeds into them being nationalists though by any means.

[SamuraiDrifter]

I remember reading posts from someone close to the band on old newsgroups many years ago, joking that they thought BoC's subliminal messages would say "vote Labour." (Come to think of it, I think it was Cosmic Crofter).

BoC have mentioned people like Kunstler, but are also fans of Robert Anton Wilson, who was an avowed left-wing anarchist and wrote fairly significantly on that subject. Also, while Kunstler is currently a Trump supporter, Tomorrow's Harvest was released back in 2013 before Trump was even on the radar. At that point, while Kunstler had made some remarks belying his social conservatism, his writing was primarily concerned with the criticizing suburban sprawl and the coming collapse of civilization due to climate change and over-consumption of oil (Orlov is also interested in these subjects).

Also, anti-globalization is a position frequently found among leftists; global trade talks are frequently the targets of mass protests from unions, communists, and anarchists because of the loss of wages and jobs trade deals often result in for working class people (and the financial exploitation of developing countries they frequently entail). Sometimes, right-wing populists do try to jump on this bandwagon to feign some amount of class consciousness and appeal to the working poor to vote against their own interests.

If I had to guess, I'd say they're at the far anti-authoritarian end of the political spectrum, probably some brand of anarchist, though which economic camp they fall into, I'm not certain.

[Echelon]

Off-subject, but I've really come around to the new OPN. My mistake was not listening with headphones. With headphones, it's really a trippy production marvel and I can see why he's popular.

I've also come to understand his rather avantgarde approach to electronics- A lot of it comes from the Geogaddi school of thought. I feel he was really interested in making a whole genre out of A is to B is to C, just turning old jingles and commercials into a nightmarish byproduct of a bad acid trip. Considering Geogaddi is my favorite BOC album, I think he's doing a great job by continuing it.

I still don't like the Weekend or the rap guy guest spots, but that speaks of my old fart tastes more than anything. The rest is A-Ok by me.

[Josh]

I remember reading posts from someone close to the band on old newsgroups many years ago, joking that they thought BoC's subliminal messages would say "vote Labour." (Come to think of it, I think it was Cosmic Crofter).

BoC have mentioned people like Kunstler, but are also fans of Robert Anton Wilson, who was an avowed left-wing anarchist and wrote fairly significantly on that subject. Also, while Kunstler is currently a Trump supporter, Tomorrow's Harvest was released back in 2013 before Trump was even on the radar. At that point, while Kunstler had made some remarks belying his social conservatism, his writing was primarily concerned with the criticizing suburban sprawl and the coming collapse of civilization due to climate change and over-consumption of oil (Orlov is also interested in these subjects).

Also, anti-globalization is a position frequently found among leftists; global trade talks are frequently the targets of mass protests from unions, communists, and anarchists because of the loss of wages and jobs trade deals often result in for working class people (and the financial exploitation of developing countries they frequently entail). Sometimes, right-wing populists do try to jump on this bandwagon to feign some amount of class consciousness and appeal to the working poor to vote against their own interests.

If I had to guess, I'd say they're at the far anti-authoritarian end of the political spectrum, probably some brand of anarchist, though which economic camp they fall into, I'm not certain.

Excellent post, man. Your points are well taken. I never meant to insinuate that the bros were nationalists, only that they definitely don't fit neatly into the typical liberal/Labor Party category.

I've read more of Orlov than Kuntsler, and while I find Orlov's thoughts about how the former Soviet Union was much better prepared for collapse than the impending collapse of the U.S. fairly well reasoned, he always finds ways to take shots at not just the U.S. democratic process, but the whole concept of democracy in general. I find this pretty distasteful. That, coupled with his move back to Russia and lauding of Putin's authoritarianism really makes me wonder what his agenda is.

[Echelon]

MDG's endorsed a quote that sums up their art and stance on life. Honestly, I think BOC have been nothing but thoughtful with what statements they put forth in their music. They both simultaneously invite everyone to enjoy their world/music while still supporting artistic expression in its purest form.


I think that's a bit too cynical a take on things, and not the whole story. I think there's a strong libertarian streak running through all of BoC's work. But, unlike 60s hippies who naively felt that bucking authority and running free into the woods would lead to peace and love, BoC - with the hindsight of people who saw what the 70's wrought - realize that dark and dangerous things lurk in the woods. But you should go in anyway. I think BoC see themselves as guardians/proponents of the mysterious, which means everything shadowy and inchoate - the "pagan" world. A place where beauty and madness aren't that far from each other, and blissful communal living and brainwashed cultism are only a hair apart. I think at the time they made IABPOITC and Geogaddi they (or perhaps just Mike) were in a very dark spot, where they felt that a person like David Koresh, however delusional, was in fact an example of a truly "free thinker," and therefore worthy of some respect or re-evaluation. It's a radical and perhaps foolish stance, to say "however crazy he may have been, at least Koresh wasn't a conformist." In other words: madness may be preferable to conformity. But in todays world of government intruding ever more into our daily lives, this view makes as much sense as ever.

Basically I think their stance was anti-politically-correct. PCism says that it values multiple viewpoints, when in fact it is very narrow-minded. I think BoC were saying in their own way, that truly free thinking incorporates madness and mystery, where everything isn't spelled out in excruciatingly literal academic terms. I think they want to shake you up by confronting you with "cultlike" music. Whether they believe it or not is sort of beside the point; they are interested in your reaction. Most people probably don't get it or are afraid of it, instead of recognizing and appreciating the pull in the core of their being towards cultlike behavior (BoC worship being one example). BoC are not "safe." They are not just there to repackage nostalgic, sepia-toned images of your childhood. Or rather, they are there to preserve all of your childhood, including the parts you might rather forget: listening to adults argue; being betrayed by your first friend, blind puppy-love, humiliation. They want you to be both seduced and frightened by their music, and to recognize the fact that you are being seduced, and be frightened by your own reaction. They are masterful psychological manipulators; they make Aphex Twin's in-your-face antics seem childish by comparison.

IMO.

MDG: "finally a good understanding of what BOC do."