Olson Inspiration?

Everything related to our favorite Scottish duo.

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Dayvan Cowboy
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Someone on the r/boardsofcanada sub on reddit posted this today. That opening piano sure does sound familiar!

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Dayvan Cowboy
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My girlfriend sent me this song a few years ago (not in relation to Boards) and I was pretty shocked at the similarity. I don't know why I never posted it. It was inevitable that it would be found eventually in relation to that.

I think I even attempted to make a mashup between this an Olson, no idea why I didn't mention it here.

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Sherbet Head
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Nice find!

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Dayvan Cowboy
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I think it's funny that my most cherished moments on Music Has The Right To Children were basically borrowed by BoC. The bassline in Aquarius and that lovely piano at the end of Olson.

Add in that TcH was inspired by Bibio and I realized that M&M's music didn't come out of a magical void as much as I initially believed it did. Those guys are human like everyone else and borrow just like all great musicians do
Warning: This numerology post is not to be taken 2 seriously.

Dayvan Cowboy
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I went through my youtube playlists, it is still there. Anyway. I thought they were very similar but didn't share it as I thought that it was coincidental. It is a fairly common chord progression and it was inevitable that it would show up elsewhere.

In hindsight, the type of piano setting used and the pitch shift make it even more similar so it could have been borrowed, who knows. BoC use this chord progression in more than just Olson, though, so it would be the seed from which Olson, Under the Coke Sign Kid for Today etc arose.

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Eagle Minded
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It's very similar, but might just be coincidental. It's a simple sequence of chords that may well have been thought up separately by two different bands/people.

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Eagle Minded
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Echelon wrote:Add in that TcH was inspired by Bibio and I realized that M&M's music didn't come out of a magical void as much as I initially believed it did. Those guys are human like everyone else and borrow just like all great musicians do

I think it might be more the other way around though, BoC inspired Bibio. But I know how u feel. I was actually bummed out that Sir Prancelot Brainfire wasn't them 'mucking about' with a sweet 70's jam.

Dayvan Cowboy
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ZosoCon wrote:I was actually bummed out that Sir Prancelot Brainfire wasn't them 'mucking about' with a sweet 70's jam.

Same. I was under the impression for quite a while that it was them showing off some multi-instrumental talents and using some of their vintage hardware to give it an authentic 70s sound. Still, the keyboard jam over the existing track is pretty spectacular.

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Dayvan Cowboy
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ZosoCon wrote:
Echelon wrote:Add in that TcH was inspired by Bibio and I realized that M&M's music didn't come out of a magical void as much as I initially believed it did. Those guys are human like everyone else and borrow just like all great musicians do

I think it might be more the other way around though, BoC inspired Bibio. But I know how u feel. I was actually bummed out that Sir Prancelot Brainfire wasn't them 'mucking about' with a sweet 70's jam.


BOC inspired Bibio to make him detune his guitars to make them sound along the lines of their detuned synths. Then I feel BOC liked that and made some of TCH based on Bibio's detuned guitars.

Though I will say TCH is better than Bibio's first three albums because they have a magic touch with melodies and beats. Bibio's stuff sounds good, but it sounds like raw materials to make something better.

Just my take on their whole relationship as a fan of them both.
Warning: This numerology post is not to be taken 2 seriously.

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Eagle Minded
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Echelon wrote:
ZosoCon wrote:
Echelon wrote:Add in that TcH was inspired by Bibio and I realized that M&M's music didn't come out of a magical void as much as I initially believed it did. Those guys are human like everyone else and borrow just like all great musicians do

I think it might be more the other way around though, BoC inspired Bibio. But I know how u feel. I was actually bummed out that Sir Prancelot Brainfire wasn't them 'mucking about' with a sweet 70's jam.


BOC inspired Bibio to make him detune his guitars to make them sound along the lines of their detuned synths. Then I feel BOC liked that and made some of TCH based on Bibio's detuned guitars.

Though I will say TCH is better than Bibio's first three albums because they have a magic touch with melodies and beats. Bibio's stuff sounds good, but it sounds like raw materials to make something better.

Just my take on their whole relationship as a fan of them both.


I know for a fact they are good friends so some cross pollination doesn't sound too far fetched.

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Friendly Stranger
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Good find and definitely potential for being the sound behind Olson

Dayvan Cowboy
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Another one from that playlist.
Do you guys like this kind of music? Always been curious as to whether other BoC fans would.

Dayvan Cowboy
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Anyway, only really egotistical musicians tend to pretend that they aren't at least somewhat the sum of their influences.

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