I Saw Through Platonia

2026-09-15T15:05:42Z

2600:4041:43EE:700:45EF:5E12:57EF:B552: /* Videos */

{{Infobox Song|
| name=I Saw Through Platonia
| runtime=2:39
| appearson=[[Inferno]] (2026)
| next=[[Vol.4 - P. Primers - 177 Giraud's Mirror]] <small>(Red vinyl edition only)</small>
| prev=[[You Retreat In Time And Space]]}}

"[[I Saw Through Platonia]]" is the eighteenth and final track on [[Boards of Canada]]'s fifth studio album, ''[[Inferno]]''.

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== Comments ==
* The title "[[I Saw Through Platonia]]" most likely refers to the concept by British physicist [[wikipedia:Julian_Barbour|Julian Barbour]] called the realm of Platonia, an infinite timeless landscape which contains every possible arrangement and configuration of the universe.<ref>https://en-academic.com/dic.nsf/enwiki/4760621</ref>
** Itself influenced by [[wikipedia:Plato|Plato]]'s concept of the world of forms (called [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyperuranion "Hyperuranion"] in the original Greek).
* The melody in this track shares a slight resemblance to the melody in "[[R35TT B01]]".
* Throughout the track, a beat resembling a heartbeat can be heard, up until the track abruptly ends.
* There is 9 seconds of silence at the end of the track, presumably a callback to "[[Magic Window]]".

== Samples / Lyrics ==
* The sound at the end of the track seems to be a carrier wave signal; a carrier wave is a steady high-frequency electromagnetic waveform which serves as a base to "carry" lower-frequency information from a transmitter to a receiver.
* The auditory phenomenology common associated with the [[wikipedia:DMT|DMT]] experience, which shares commonalities with near-death experiences, is often described as "the carrier signal."
* As of June 3rd, 2026, it has not been established whether the carrier wave signal at the end of this track contains information, or if so, what.
* 40 seconds into the track, what seems to be a slowed down recording of the ringing of a railroad crossing bell can be heard. This sound turns out to be in a palindromic structure, as it sounds nearly identical when the track is played in reverse.
* Throughout the track, some kind of Shortwave Signal can be heard, the sound becomes more audible and less muffled at 0:59.

== Trivia ==
* [[I Saw Through Platonia]] ends with 9 extra seconds of complete silence, which brings the runtime of [[Inferno]] up to 70:00, which is very clearly on purpose, as [[Boards of Canada]] have referenced the number 70 many times in their previous works, including the name of their label [[Music70]]. the duo have used this trick before with their 2002 album [[Geogaddi]] which includes the track “[[Magic Window]]”, which is entirely silent and brings the album’s runtime to 66:06.

== Videos ==
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== Audio ==
<spotify width="100%" height="380">track/5an1rwnU7xSaAzuUiyHYBy </spotify>

== See Also ==
* "[[R35TT B01]]"
* "[[Magic Window]]"

== External links ==

== References ==
<references />

[[Category:Released tracks]]
[[Category:Inferno tracks]]

bocpages | Boards of Canada wiki - User contributions [en]

I Saw Through Platonia