Tomorrow's Harvest

[realspiel]

I think TH holds up really well in the BoC catalogue. I love frizzi, carpenter, vangelis, goblin, horror movie soundtracks,. So for me to have BoC record with reference points from those influences, but with their own sound was always going to be a winner.

The album has tension, darkness, starkness, bleakness, melody, euphoria, sadness, coldness it just works so well.

I hear some on the forum slating Come To Dust, I have been into Boc ever since MHTRTC was released and for me Come to Dust is as BoC as it comes, it's just horses for courses, music is so subjective nobody is right or wrong, you either like or dislike.

I don't think for one minute though they released an album for money, these guys are artists not musical sluts, concerned by the quality they release, otherwise there would have been a hell of a lot more releases.

[Cupz]

Though I dont think they release shit for money, I must say the brothers wouldn't be able to do what they're doing if their albums didn't sell as well as they do and they had to work at a biological supermarket to get by... I can see how that could influence production, even if its just subconsious.


Anyway, after all this time being indifferent about it, Im FINALLY getting TH, and I'm loving it. Its definatly a grower. Its like the album needs to be memorized before it packs the punch it does...??

[d e n]

^yes... for sure Cupz. I read an interview with John Coltrane once and he said his music simply takes repeated, attentive listening to open up.

And, I recently read all the interviews following each release on BOC pages sequentially (there aren't that many). They straight up said "we don't have a lot of money". They also don't seem to be the people at all who value the accumulation of money beyond what they need to support themselves and their family.

Warp clearly values BoC to a high degree... they are a good label in that they don't get in the way of the musicians save maybe some suggestions (I think I read that the head of Warp suggested that Geogaddi play for 66:06). Aphex Twin went like 12 years before releasing Syro! BoC lives outside of the city partially in order to not let their work be imbued with popular culture. Even the marketing campaign took a lot of WORK and they made it a game... I think the promotion for the record brought some mystery back into something as spiritually dead as advertising.

One could sit around all day saying how it was an attempt to sell more records but the reality is that's part of the responsibility of being on a major label! It by no means signifies that the MUSIC itself was made with that intention and I think the nature of the music on the record makes this obvious.

[d e n]

As mentioned before publishing is an important way for bands make income (especially those who don't tour). For example, there are a few Boc tracks that score sections of a documentary on Robert Anton Wilson... also the Italian cellphone commercial with Leo DiCaprio...

[john fonda]

Is it rock n roll to be broke?

Is it purist?

There's nothing cool about having no funds to travel or invest in musical equipment required for your art

[warphead]

My only gripe with this album is that it's by far the most easy to work out. I'd sussed it out after a few plays, and that's not really the usual BOC style. The Campfire Headphase is my least favorite album by them, when it was released I hardly went near it, even so, six years ago it was on a 4/10, four years ago had risen to about 6/10, two years ago was about 7.5/10 and at the time of this post going to press was on about 8/10. Out of all the albums in my collection The Campfire Headphase is without a doubt the biggest slow burner I've ever heard. For this reason it continually fascinates me!

So with Tomorrows Harvest, I heard it first time and I loved it, and still do, but not much to explore between compass bearings. A straight forward journey. I do think it is a perfectly realized album though. I think they had a vision of what this album was to be and they executed it with absolute precision.

I hear some people complain that for eight years that its a disappointing return. I'd agree with that. I bet they made loads of other stuff though....

[jcnporter]

I think what has become clear to me with TH, when one looks at it in the context of all their work, is that there is no explicitly 'signature' BOC sound as such.
There are thematic and production elements that are present - the layered sounds, the nostalgia, but it's now clear that these take on a different guise in each release.
In this respect MHTRTC was/is a bit misleading - their first 'proper' release as a young band, establishing their sound but obviously still very much of it's time in terms of openness to contemporary dance/hiphop influences - even possibly wanting to 'fit in'.
Geogaddi feels like their first fully confident, fully realised, cohesive release, mostly shorn of outside influences, but what's important is that I think it should be seen as a single piece of work, their first real album in that respect.
Looked at in this perspective and starting with Geogaddi for the reasons mentioned above, if one expects their albums to be standalone, unique pieces, approaching similar themes but with a different production and sound, then Geogaddi, TCH and TH then make much more sense that if one expects a linear evolution or progression.
Indeed this has been extensively hinted at by the band in interviews, that each album has a different feel and approach and that they reject any labelling of their sound.
If there is any progression, then it seems to be one of time, in the sense that TH references 70s/80s movie soundtracks, TCH was their early 70s, sun-dappled pop sound and Geogaddi the 60s folk/psychedelic opus.
To me this perspective also makes sense of the consternation expressed by many at TCH and now TH, when we maybe wrongly expected a continuation of what looked like an evolution from MHTRTC to Geogaddi.

[d e n]

exactly, theyve even more than hinted at what youre saying in the last paragraph

i think it was in an interview for campfire headphase that they explicitely stayed to let go of the expectation for their new music reflect the preceding record.

it may have been the interview printed with the photos of them on the coast. thinking about that now, its surprising to think of them as theyre often labeled as they are really open and transparent throughout that interview

[Najlepsiejszy]

the layered sounds, the nostalgia

The sound layering on TH is no different that on other albums of any alternative electronic artists, I think. Nostalgia simply isn't there and I think that applies to everyone

I always felt like there was progression on all of their albums in the sounds they used: mainly "synthetic" on Hi Scores to mainly "organic" on TCH LP/EP.

Also, I think there is also some continuity in the themes. Music Has The Right To Children uncovers our old memories and manipulates them- both sugarcoats them and makes them even more terrifying. The album also makes us feel like children again. In A Beautiful Place Out In The Country is reminiscent of MHTRTC, but not very much. It's basically a prelude to Geogaddi, but also not quite. While this album is sad and it's more like a "oh, why is the world like this?", Geogaddi embraces the madness. The EP to me retains the childness of MHTRTC and is about children discovering all the wrongs of the world. Geogaddi is a lot more grown up than the first LP- darker sounds, lots of comments on society and religion. To me, it uncovers every bad thing about or society. Then, TCH LP/EP come in and show you the good sides of life. Then Tomorow's Harvest comes...and it supposedly tells you about our "inevitable" future. What, the machines will take over us? The world will be worse? Okay...but I feel like Geogaddi has already told us that. In a different way, yes, but the subject had been squeezed dry before the release of TH by the band on two records.

[Najlepsiejszy]

I forgot to add something...

Now, of course about 99% of the forums will disagree with me about the pre-TH albums...but that only shows you how wonderful they are, while Tomorrow's Harvest is a straightforward album with a simple message. I think that I would REALLY like it if it was my first BoC album I've ever heard. Which brings me back to the point of them wanting money and trying to convince people to buy their albums HHHHHEHE

[Peacock Tail]

I think the difference in focus between Geogaddi and Tomorrow's Harvest is the spiritual vs the political.

Anything spiritual will have more emotional attachment and resonance than the cold, detached practises of politics and the music reflects that.

Even though both albums are dark, they come from different starting points.

[jcnporter]

the layered sounds, the nostalgia

The sound layering on TH is no different that on other albums of any alternative electronic artists, I think. Nostalgia simply isn't there and I think that applies to everyone

I don't think that can be stated objectively. To me, TH is much deeper in terms of sound (both physically and in terms of the obvious work put into it) than pretty much any other contemporary electronic artist. Now I don't listen to a huge amount of electronic music, but I'm not a BOC obsessive either - they aren't even my favourite band.
The nostalgia is very much there for me, not necessarily because the soundtracks/references are familiar to me, but because of the period they evoke - where earlier albums hark back to childhood, to me TH captures the feeling of being a bit older, becoming aware of Cold War paranoia, the nuclear threat and so on.

[Mexicola]

Nostalgia is personal too. For me, TH invokes memories older than the 80s. It recalls the 70s too, in the same vein as the recent Scarfolk book.

Listen, no amount of discussion or explaining is going to make someone like or dislike this album. And nor should it in my view. Music works best when its allowed to work its magic on an almost subconscious level. All I will add is that I've read several comments both on and away from this forum which have stated people are only getting into this album now, eighteen or more months later. I like that. The best albums are usually those that unfurl their majesty slowly.

Stick at it would be my advice. I think that was what shocked most, hearing the album written off after a month. Seems premature to me.

[Najlepsiejszy]

I think the difference in focus between Geogaddi and Tomorrow's Harvest is the spiritual vs the political.

Anything spiritual will have more emotional attachment and resonance than the cold, detached practises of politics and the music reflects that.

Even though both albums are dark, they come from different starting points.

Political doesn't have to mean "bleak" and "boring"...Shaking The Habitual, anyone?

I don't think that can be stated objectively. To me, TH is much deeper in terms of sound (both physically and in terms of the obvious work put into it) than pretty much any other contemporary electronic artist.

Check out SYRO and works by Oneohtrix Point Never, ESPECIALLY Need. It's a short track- it's excellent though. There are many more who are as good as BoC is in terms of layers nowadays

Music works best when its allowed to work its magic on an almost subconscious level. All I will add is that I've read several comments both on and away from this forum which have stated people are only getting into this album now, eighteen or more months later. I like that. The best albums are usually those that unfurl their majesty slowly.

Sounds like those people have forced themselves to like the album LOL. Boards of Canada have the potential to make people like them at the first listen. Sounds like something has gone wrong, though

And maybe I was wrong about the nostalgia. I ABSOLUTELY do not get any of the vibes on TH. Maybe it's because I'm 17 or maybe it's because it's the past to which nothing shows we will come back

[d e n]

is english your first language? if it is i mean no offense and if not i think that makes sense as to why i feel you're talking about the music in a way that doesn't make sense to me

i also feel like you need to listen more (any music for that matter) without any preconceptions or with the approach that you can understand qualities of a band's sound through comparing the sound to other bands. that can be helpful to an extent but it soon starts to create blocks in your ears. IMHO approaching this music with the tendency to compare it other music because they both happened to be grouped into some arbitrary genre is going to close you off from listening to music with open ears.

listen to Nothing Is Real... the more I've heard it the more I felt "holy layers!". there is much swirling around in there I can't begin to wrap my head around it...

jesus was it you ? ...

that line hits so hard!

[Mexicola]

Forced, no. Given it time, yes. You young'uns today, you want it all in 20seconds...

[Peacock Tail]

I think the difference in focus between Geogaddi and Tomorrow's Harvest is the spiritual vs the political.

Anything spiritual will have more emotional attachment and resonance than the cold, detached practises of politics and the music reflects that.

Even though both albums are dark, they come from different starting points.

Political doesn't have to mean "bleak"...

The type of politics BOC are referencing on TH are bleak.

And besides, that's not the point I was making. Spirituality doesn't have to mean the occult either....

[warphead]

.
I think that was what shocked most, hearing the album written off after a month. Seems premature to me.

Yeah there was a certain movement over on watmm (sorry to mention that word here ) that had the knives out for it almost from the starting gun, very strange. It was real animosity. I don't really know what that was all about...

[Mexicola]

I gave up trying to work out the plankton over there years ago.

[Opothecary]

.
I think that was what shocked most, hearing the album written off after a month. Seems premature to me.

Yeah there was a certain movement over on watmm (sorry to mention that word here ) that had the knives out for it almost from the starting gun, very strange. It was real animosity. I don't really know what that was all about...

I think it's just simple tribalism - it's unfortunate human nature that every group will always have some members that need something or someone to villainize in order to unite together in order to stay cohesive.

I think some factors that led to that is the perception is that BoC was too easy to enjoy/accessible (which for some reason, is not a good thing in certain parts) and it could also be that the peak of BoC's success also coincided with the timing of the beginning of the decline of the genre that they've been lumped into...so somehow some people might see that as their fault? (although that makes no sense to me, personally, but I don't hang out on WATMM, either)

I think there's also a stereotype that some of their fans are a little too earnest or passionate about their love of BoC and that's VERY uncool and makes for easy pickings on your typical internet message board/cesspool.

Whatever the case is, BoC will never get a fair shake at WATMM and their opinions shouldn't necessarily be considered reflective of the actual quality of their work.