Geogaddi In Your Mind

Boards of Canada is an electronic duo from Scotland. The name Boards of Canada (BOC) derives from the National Film Board of Canada (whose documentaries were an early inspiration). The duo comprises of brothers, Michael Sandison and Marcus Eoin; they gained initial critical acclaim by the release of Music has the right to children. While their music is classified as electronic almost, all the samples they use are purely acoustic with many sources from nature documentaries, scientific devices, and frequency modulation.Their follow-up album Geogaddi is the main focus of this piece, which doesn't mean that this is their best work to this date, but certainly it is the one of the most peculiar of them all.

From the album art to the last 1:46 seconds of the album, (spoilers alert) which is by the way nothing but silence, is completely otherworldly. The album was described by member Micheal Sandison as “a record for some sort of trial-by-fire, a claustrophobic, twisting journey that takes you into some pretty dark experiences before you reach the open air again." The music produce by BOC is not for everyone, especially this album, many people who have experienced it in toto (in a single listen) may give you a caveat of this album being demonic and evil in nature. I highly doubt the veracity of the fact that BOC are devil worshipper, not matter how cool it may sound.

Their appeal to me unlike any other musical group. The music is organically crafted, an amalgamation of melancholia and excitement, it made me feel like I was listening to something that was suggested to me by a reaper, who didn’t want me to listen to this album as if there were some forbidden message that I ought not to listen.

I believe what the duo has tried to express in this album is not something that everyone will/can appreciate, there aren’t very catchy hooks that will get you all excited and make you want to dance. On the contrary is will, if you listen closely, help you discover a world that is not at all weird (just kidding, it is really weird but in a fun way). The music is soaked with feelings like déjà vu, where it sounds familiar for a second, but you are unaware where it will lead you. A comparison can be drawn between Geogaddi and Nature, as they both are can be hauntingly beautiful and dangerous at the same time. The samples used by Boards of Canada in their music are often such that creates a nostalgic ambiance, it always seemed very fascinating to me how they create nostalgia via samples of acoustic instrument, which they incorporate in their music.

The atmosphere that is created by this album is drenched with otherworldly sounds, which creates a certain amount of nostalgia to make you think how something so weird can be so familiar.

Suggested Playlist - https://open.spotify.com/playlist/37i9dQZF1DXa8aebK4Hckq?si=wkNkT4uDQmGk2M1CkgR1qQ