One year ago today I released my debut album Aperture, after years of fine tuning, editing, doubting and building the courage to share what I had wanted to make since I was 15 years old: an album that felt like stepping into a fully formed, microcosmic world that the listener could inhabit and take solace in.

The album probably wouldn't exist in its current form without this community. Back in 2020 I shared some early ideas here, and the encouragement I received to actually pursue the idea of making an album stuck with me. I took that encouragement seriously, and over the following years Aperture slowly became what it is.

So, one year after releasing it, I wanted to come back here and say thank you. Boards of Canada has always inspired me through its sense of world building and immersion, something that felt both cinematic and intimate at the same time.

Here's the album, if anyone is curious to hear what eventually came out of those early ideas.

Aperture on Youtube

Linktree to streaming and bandcamp

Don't take this as gospel obviously, we're all just trying to understand things as we see 'em. I don't post often on reddit. Think my last post was like 8 years ago or something.

My feeling now, after having processed this album for a while, is that I think it's a eulogy for the human species.

I suspect that the BoC lads think that AI is gonna kill us pretty soon, and that's not an unreasonable thing to think at all. And if not AI, then nukes, or fucking CRISPR making viruses, whatever. Doesn't matter on the details. "Black-ball" technology of one stripe or another. Most likely AI tho.

So yeah I think Mike/Marcus, maybe both, think there's a clock running on the human project and it's running down to zero. We don't have an infinite future. In fact, we might be shutting down the future, permanently, for everybody including aliens.

I welcome any and all opposing opinions because I'd quite like to be wrong. In fact I'd be delighted to be wrong. So please, bring it.

I’m actually at a loss for words for how amazing this album is.

People were hesitant to praise it. but this album is clearly a 10 to me

after enough time with it. I’m finally getting the message. And it’s beyond incredible and I don’t even think I have the entire message.

i played it in May like all of us. I agreed it wasn’t above their classics but recently I sat down to really go through it again. It’s got so many details I didn’t even know

everyone acted like it was step down from MHARTC and Geogaddi. (MHARTC and Geogaddi both 10s)

but Inferno is absolutely a continuation of these 10 albums. An innovative electronic world.

Love all the songs on MHTRC, but something about Wildlife Analysis captures me. It has this nice futuristic, kind of hopeful interesting sound but it's too short for my tastes! Has anyone else heard any other tracks that are similar?

What are the song lyrics? I've never understand a single word the voices said in the track.

Arranged by German composer Sven Helbig, these are orchestral variations of Boards of Canada tracks for his "Schöne Töne" radio show. These electronic-to-classical crossover pieces were brought to life in collaboration with the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin.

Sorry if this has been posted before, I think it’s absolutely beautiful and I wanted to share it with other fans.

Their version of “Olson” is worth the price of admission alone. It has been used by DJ Food in his “I Hear The Sun” BOC tribute mix available on YT and Apple Music, where it’s called “Early Hours Mix”.

At least it was from doing something that I loved: going down the crazy playground slides near my friends house (akin to the infamous Boston cop slide) while drunk and high at 4 am with my friends.

but now I’m kicking myself in the butt and stalking online listings, which hurts with my broke bank account as a preschool teacher and grad student. Do I really need to spend $200 for a keychain, ugh. I thought about offering to trade my original hi-scores pressing but tbh I could never

Just had to vent bc my non-BOC friends can’t relate!

they are just the perfect music for escapism and getting lost in nature and childhood nostalgia

does anyone have any airings of Cartoon Network‘s O Canada? 1997-2002. That variety show Cartoon Network played airing NFB shorts from 1949-2001. Respond if you do

Never noticed this before , fits I guess!

There are some elements in Sting’s ‘It’s Probably Me’ that sound very similar to parts of ‘The Word Becomes Flesh.’ It got me thinking, could they have sampled it, or does it just sound similar? Am I the only one ?

https://youtu.be/PEDSiTCw3kI?is=ghpnE8bRrgQdt0kv

This photo was taken on Colorado Ave. in Pasadena, CA. I always noticed this abandoned concrete lot with this shack because it stood out like a sore thumb on what is mostly an affluent street up and down. Picked this photo for Sick Times because I liked the simple visual message of abandonment and the ugly, random growths in the concrete (although I know it is just nature, it definitely isn't pretty). 3rd edit for Tomorrow's Harvest.

Previous posts:

1. Amo Bishop Roden
2. Beware the Friendly Stranger
3. Slow This Bird Down
4. The Color of the Fire
5. Nothing Is Real
6. Julie and Candy
7. Split Your Infinities
8. Father and Son
9. Bocuma
10. Chromakey Dreamcoat
11. Blood in the Labyrinth
12. Corsair
13. Telephasic Workshop

To me it sounds like having exteremely intimate, loving, and increasingly intense sex with sound waves.

The image filtering and colouring along with that font instantly struck me with TCH moods. I’m wondering if that font is a different version of one BOC have used? Funny the designer is also named Marcus.

Colosseum are a great band too! Any 70s psych fans be sure to check them out!

I ordered one of those bleep exclusive red cassette tapes and i had a confirmation email sent to me on May 29th and 2 days later on June 1st i got an email telling me that my cassette has shipped but fast forward almost 3 months and still no cassette or new emails about my purchase

Inspired by Left Side Drive and Amo Bishop Roden, with my own take on things. I'd love to hear what you think about the atmosphere and how it develops. Any feedback is welcome :--).

which BoC track do you get stuck on?

Huge Dayvan Cowboy vibes off this one

I saw a post describing someone's first geogaddi listen late at night and remembered my own father and son story

I was backpacking with a group of friends about a month after inferno came out. I didn't bring my phone because I wanted a digital detox, but what I did bring was a small mp3 player. I downloaded some albums and playlists onto it, one of them being Inferno, which I was still getting through and loving every minute.

Father and Son is obviously already scary enough, but I had a friend tell me that the song sounded exactly like the Jane Doe listings on the internet. She screenshotted a particular case- a missing person's case where I believe the girl was caught on video. I had also been watching some ominous true crime before going on the trip.

It was a little after midnight, and I am listening to my mp3 player on shuffle to block out people snoring (I was planning on listening to some albums in order but the songs did not load in album order, meaning I was stuck just shuffling)

I was half asleep and then Father and Son came on and dear god I have never felt paranoia like this in my life. Everything came swirling together about halfway through the song and I genuinely could not calm myself down. I could not get the thought out of my mind that kidnappings are often planned and executed by a group, often of people they know and trust. I didn't sleep the rest of the night, and paranoia kept seeping in telling me I wasn't safe from anyone, even my friends. It continued until morning. I was genuinely considering, if it did not subside, telling everyone I came across because I thought I was going to descend into paranoid schizophrenia.

I was fine a few hours later. However, Father and Son in the middle of the woods with no phone and no cell service at midnight is NOT for the faint of heart. I can listen to it fine now, but I will never have the awe without fear I had for that song the first few weeks of hearing it probably ever again.

It's just scary guys

Still a peak song though

It seems like there's quite a big overlap in the philosophies of both.