Boards of Canada
"Geogaddi"
(Warp)

The atmospheric electronic music of Boards of Canada has come back for 2002 in the shape of "Geogaddi". Boards of Canada (along with the Aphex Twin, Autechre, and a few others) are largely recognized as one of the bands that made it hip for indie kids to start liking electronica. Their way of harnessing emotion using an approach relatively minimalist compared to their contemporaries established them as a commodity in the electronic world. This method marked a shift from the more drill-and-bass oriented sound that dominated the electronic scene at the time to a more bare-bones approach, resulting in a massive cross-over between trip-hop loving indie kids and the burgeoning UK electronic scene.

"Geogaddi" delves into darker territory than its predecessor, once again incorporating the twisted sense of humor that seems to run rampant among the UK IDM scene. The fourth track, "Gyroscope" should be titled "Music has the Right to Eat Children". The backbone of the song is composed of gurgling voices of children, being trampled by the beat and warped textures swirling around the tiniest hint of melody. Two tracks later, BoC interrupt the almost gothic vibe of the record with a vocal cameo from funnyman Leslie Nielsen. The strange part is that the sample is from one of his few low profile, unfunny roles: as a documentary narrator.

Even the most sunny moment on the record, appropriately titled "Julie and Candy" has hints of something very disturbing underneath. Suddenly it starts to seem as if Julie is being offered candy by some perverse, creepy old man. Elsewhere, on "1969" the Boards choose to sample a supposed follower of cult leader David Koresh, rendering it nearly incomprehensible, except for the amply screwed with "1969 In the Sunshine" which repeats robotically. So much for the Summer of Love.

Clearly aware of the hype surrounding this record, Boards of Canada have spared no expense, time or otherwise, in creating a comprehensive package of sound. For a taste, seek out a vinyl copy of the record and revel in its lavish packaging. Then look on the back, and notice that the album has an astonishing 23 tracks. With "Geogaddi", Boards of Canada has once again struck gold with its polymorphic approach to making music.

-Karthik