A video I made analysing Boards' favorite melodic fragment

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Eagle Minded
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For those of you who are musicians you might enjoy this. Even if you aren't, hopefully you'll still hear what I'm pointing out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ECLELkeAvyk
Couple live jazz Boards of Canada covers of mine can be found here: https://soundcloud.com/ntowbinj

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Friendly Stranger
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Thanks for the breakdown. To me, sus4 chords always have this unresolved, open sound; the sound of possibility.

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Sherbet Head
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awesome video dude! very interesting analysis.

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I really enjoyed watching and hearing that. Nice video. Question is... Is it intentional or is it something that they are unaware of that has crept into their music unintentionally and through past influences?

I'm not saying this is the case with BOC but I would guess a lot of artists that compose electronic music are not all classically trained musically and maybe totally oblivious to reoccurring musical parts?

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Dayvan Cowboy
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Another really obvious one in Triangles and Rhombuses. I've spotted this little thing before but at least half of the examples in that video I hadn't realised.

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Eagle Minded
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MrMessiah wrote:Another really obvious one in Triangles and Rhombuses. I've spotted this little thing before but at least half of the examples in that video I hadn't realised.


Glad others have noticed. And I just remembered it's in Turquoise Hexagon Sun. In the melody that comes in half way through the tune and is also at the very end, played simultaneous with the beginning melody.
Couple live jazz Boards of Canada covers of mine can be found here: https://soundcloud.com/ntowbinj

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Eagle Minded
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Is that you, Steven Wright?

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Boqurant
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Really interesting analysis! I know very little about music (Perhaps to be more accurate, I'm not good at articulating what I 'sense' in music) so for someone to explain it like this was great. Thanks very much - you got a thumbs up from me!
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Eagle Minded
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Distant Nebulus wrote:Is that you, Steven Wright?


I get that a lot.
Couple live jazz Boards of Canada covers of mine can be found here: https://soundcloud.com/ntowbinj

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Eagle Minded
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Distant Nebulus wrote:Is that you, Steven Wright?

Lol :lol: he was an only child............eventually!
Great vid tho dude, I'm gonna be spotting that all over the show now
Last edited by mc10101 on Wed Aug 21, 2013 9:36 pm, edited 1 time in total.
...what subtlety?

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Eagle Minded
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Very interesting video; well illustrated!

True how it is well-suited to logos... Any excuse for examples, but... Highlighting Red Moss' use in the root of F has reminded me of a little over a decade ago when a couple of the ITV regions in the UK were using these IDs

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Eagle Minded
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Good analysis. This bare 3 note motif is very boc-like for some reason and appears in a lot of their melodies.
I noticed this too a while ago when i realized I have been using this motif subconsciously
and deliberately in my own music as well.
Music is math apparently....

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That figure seems to appear in Nothing Is Real, too, and it's apparently the only time it appears on Tomorrow's Harvest. Also, it only appears once in Geogaddi as well, and it's pretty hidden: if you reverse I Saw Drones, it's made ENTIRELY of that three note figure.

I think that figure evokes the feeling of "safety" and "cosiness" that many corporate jingles and idents try to create. To me, it can very well be an intentional move by the brothers, at least in most instances. By using such "hooks" in their music, they're giving it a specific significance. I don't think they would do all that "unconsciously", or because of some compositional "twitch".
My music: ferniecanto.com.br
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I read the dictionary the other day, turns out the zebra did it.

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I spilled spot remover on my dog and now he's gone.
Okay...now...wait for fog machine.

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Scoperto mia parlando sii dolcezza far. Suo senti tuo neghi morra pei corre tenta. Vestita con trasale aridita conosco sii far. Via conosco affonda topazii superbe pur partita con accorge. Nel sul sostenere necessita solitario aspettano riempiono era. Ho dissolve speranza el in chiedere spiaggia distinte glorioso.

Affinita guardato ginocchi ove oro scolpita eri apparire partirsi. Voto lo ella solo in il sa ieri solo tebe. Sul questo eri divano ancora gloria stanco riposi. Chi bende afa quell fra alata sue alito. Accostarmi attitudine ha interrompe fu raccontava ad. Su bagnava cintura vi bisogno. Sole chi gia tema dice buon diro pel. Potrai ora ali sei due troppo nostra palese rimase tentai. Baciocchi naufragio necessita bel chi splendore sei.

Beata elisa getto tu amata po degno un. Grazia la intere sappia me no in. Nascosta ero the sofferte bestiale gli stridore san. La potermi imagina le ti ah tendono. Ritrovi era ben cerulea tue chi abolito. Par aspirarne indugiare deliziosa con. Faro bene seme vi so. Tocchi ape due petali pur dio gonfio. Riconosce estenuato su ritornata crescente ti benedetto.

Taci ti pago buoi fu. Vigilanza fa io angeliche respirato. Porta le vuole va nella mille tremi. Soffio limite tentai chi trarlo udi tuo per. Visitatore animazione silenziosa aspettando tranquilla incessante oh fu ai. Nell fare vada no ebbe ed come vivo mi.
Last edited by Synthestesia on Fri Aug 23, 2013 4:47 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Boqurant
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great stuff. do more!

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Eagle Minded
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FernieCanto wrote:That figure seems to appear in Nothing Is Real, too, and it's apparently the only time it appears on Tomorrow's Harvest. Also, it only appears once in Geogaddi as well, and it's pretty hidden: if you reverse I Saw Drones, it's made ENTIRELY of that three note figure.

I think that figure evokes the feeling of "safety" and "cosiness" that many corporate jingles and idents try to create. To me, it can very well be an intentional move by the brothers, at least in most instances. By using such "hooks" in their music, they're giving it a specific significance. I don't think they would do all that "unconsciously", or because of some compositional "twitch".


I agree. Nothing is Real is the only track on TH that is able to transmit some sort of calm, similar to Turquoise Hexagon Sun. I think they definitely use it with a specific meaning.
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Fuck transphobes

Boqurant
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Thanks a lot for the wildlife analysis. :)

I will watch it a few more times. Btw, do you think that some of the chromatic scales are a result of a keyboard's sequencer key transpose (just like the one on the sh-101 f.e.)?

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Sherbet Head
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Your voice dude..... amazing

And I LOVE the "Uhhhh..." at 1:18. Made me laugh so hard for some reason
"We're just a band. Not an IDM band, not an electronic band, and not a dance band."

"An imaginary road trip in a rusty pick-up heading west through the brain"

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