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Difference between revisions of "The Campfire Headphase"
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{{Infobox Release|
 
{{Infobox Release|
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| cover=The Campfire Headphase album cover.jpg
 
| name=The Campfire Headphase
 
| name=The Campfire Headphase
 
| image=thecampfireheadphase.jpg
 
| image=thecampfireheadphase.jpg
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| release_date=13 October 2005 (Japan)<br>17 October 2005 (Europe)
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| release_date=12th October 2005 (Japan)<br>17th October 2005 (Europe)<br>18th October 2005 (USA)<ref> https://web.archive.org/web/20050717021647/http://www.music70.com:80/boc_discog.html </ref>
 
| format=gatefold 2xlp<br>cd (jewel case)<br>cd (digipak)
 
| format=gatefold 2xlp<br>cd (jewel case)<br>cd (digipak)
 
| label=warp
 
| label=warp
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| runtime=62:05 (standard)<br>67:02 (japanese)
 
| runtime=62:05 (standard)<br>67:02 (japanese)
 
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'''The Campfire Headphase''' is the third full-length album created and produced by [[Boards of Canada]]. This album marked a departure from their usual sound. Instead of snippets of childrens laughter and age-old educational videos there is a wismical, untuned guitar. They first make their appearance from the second track, "Chromakey Dreamcoat". The duo have told stories about the guitar effects, citing their origins and such. They were made mostly by using the worst possible recording apparatus available, going to some beautiful place out in the country and playing the aforementioned guitar. Boards of Canada have once said that the persona of Boards of Canada as we know it is only one "step" on their plan, if everything goes alright of
 
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course. Maybe this marks their beginning to advance to that next level?
 
  
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==Track listing==
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[[The Campfire Headphase]] is the third studio album by [[Boards of Canada]], which was released in October of 2005 via [[Warp Records]]. The album marked a departure from [[Geogaddi]]'s dark, claustrophobic atmosphere to a lighter, more organic tone, with guitars taking a much more prominent role than in the band's previous works.
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== Recording ==
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Work on [[Boards of Canada]]'s third album began in 2002, with [[Mike]] and [[Marcus]] creating demos for tracks such as "[['84 Pontiac Dream]]" in early 2003.<ref> https://bocpages.org/wiki/Emotional_Abuse </ref><ref> https://bocpages.org/wiki/Music_of_Struggle </ref>. The band intentionally took a more relaxed approach to recording their third album compared to their previous album ''[[Geogaddi]]'', aiming to "switch everything off at six o'clock", as opposed to the "hellish" approach of working "until 4am every day" like they did on ''[[Geogaddi]]''.<ref> https://bocpages.org/wiki/Two_for_the_No-Show </ref> Over the course of approximately a year the band continued to work on new music, and in February 2004 they had a completed album. Following this album's completion, [[Boards of Canada]] undertook a new project of moving their studio.<ref> https://bocpages.org/wiki/La_Part_du_Feu </ref>
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By the time the studio move was complete, [[Boards of Canada]] had become dissatisfied with the album they had recorded, and decided to scrap it and start over with a new approach. This new approach was to create an album with a "simpler, more positive" tone and prominent guitars, described by the band as "like the acoustic counterpart of ''[[Music Has The Right To Children]]''". The band continued to work on this new album until mid-2005, with the last track to be started being "[[Slow This Bird Down]]", which originated in June of 2005<ref> https://bocpages.org/wiki/Music_of_Struggle </ref>. [[The Campfire Headphase]] was completed around July of 2005.
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== Release and Reception ==
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The first official word on [[Boards of Canada]]'s third album appeared in [[Warp Records]]' newsletter for July 2005, revealing that the album was finished and mastered, and would be released in October.<ref> https://www.twoism.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=90&p=724#p724 </ref> Around the same time, [[music70.com]] revealed the album's title to be [[The Campfire Headphase]], and also revealed the exact release dates for the album.<ref> https://web.archive.org/web/20050717021647/http://www.music70.com:80/boc_discog.html </ref>
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The first interview by the band to promote [[The Campfire Headphase]], "[[The Downtempo Duo]]" by [[Wikipedia:Pitchfork_(website)|Pitchfork]], was published on September 26th, 2005. It was in this interview that [[Mike]] and [[Marcus]] first revealed themselves to be brothers. More interviews with various publications followed in October, and interviews with the band regarding [[The Campfire Headphase]] continued to be published until early-2006.
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[[The Campfire Headphase]] was first released in Japan on October 12th, 2005, and was released in Europe and the US on the 17th and 18th of October, respectively. The album was generally received positively, but divided fans and critics, with some being disappointed with the change in direction away from the band's electronic sound to a more acoustic one.
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== Themes ==
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== Tracklist ==
  
 
# "[[Into the Rainbow Vein]]" &ndash; 0:44 ([http://www.bleep.com/player/?/WARP123/33198/midi/D3F9D3/575757/00D126 Bleep preview])
 
# "[[Into the Rainbow Vein]]" &ndash; 0:44 ([http://www.bleep.com/player/?/WARP123/33198/midi/D3F9D3/575757/00D126 Bleep preview])
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# "[[Macquarie Ridge]]" &ndash; 4:57 (Japanese release only)
 
# "[[Macquarie Ridge]]" &ndash; 4:57 (Japanese release only)
  
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=== Analysis ===
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== Artwork ==
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[[Image:TCH yearbook comparison.jpg|thumb|right|''TCH'' inset image (top), IIT yearbook photo (bottom)]]
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:Album Cover
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The liner notes include a grid-like collage of apparently seventies-era photos, degraded in a manner similar to the cover. The source of a few of these images have been discovered:
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The bottom left corner of the front cover (and onto the spine of the digipak) has a smudge that strongly resembles the hexagonal Geogaddi cover.  The front and back covers are repeated in the smaller pictures inside the digipak. The smaller pictures are less distorted than the covers.
 
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:Into the Rainbow Vein
 
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This intro sets the mood of the album just like "Wildlife Analysis" set the mood for [[Music Has the Right to Children]] and "Ready Let's Go" for [[Geogaddi]]. The song plays itself to be a happier than ''Geogaddi's''. "Rainbow Vein" is a band of quartz carbonate from which gold is mined, located in the Bad Vermilion Lake Area, 250 km west of Thunder Bay, Ontario. It was discovered and named by Stellar Gold Mines Co. Ltd in 1934. [http://www.kingsbaygold.com/stellar.html Link] to more information.
 
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:Chromakey Dreamcoat
 
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There are unidentified "samples" of computer game like noises near the end of the this track. There are also voices in the coda of this track. Between 5:16 and 5:35 is a recording of a woman talking and laughing.  She laughs (5:20), says what sounds like "You know, this won't last..." (5:22-5:24), "I didn't like ... that before (?) ... times(?)" (5:28-5:30), laughs (5:32).  It sounds like a sentence of some sort but a lot of words drop out.  "Chromakey" (or colorkey) is a technique used in video production to swap in a separate signal source over a particular chrominance range across the source video, e.g. in bluescreen cinema effects. There appears to be a sample of a seagulls call at around 2:40 and again at 3:10. However these sound different from those sampled on "Happy Cycling".
 
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The title Chromakey Dreamcoat could also be a pun on a musical by Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber called "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat".
 
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:Satellite Anthem Icarus
 
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Icarus is a character in Greek mythology who loses his wings when he flies too close to the sun. Icarus and his father were imprisoned on an island and determined to escape by constructing themselves wings and flying from captivity. During their escape, Icarus deviated from the careful lead of his father, flying too high, where the sun melted the wax holding his wing’s feathers together. As a result, Icarus fell from the sky and drowned in the ocean below.  Icarus is also quite literally a celestial body orbiting the sun, and could even be considered a satellite, depending on the definition.
 
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:Peacock Tail
 
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Clear voices. Apart from being the most colourful feature of the peacock, it was also a figure used by Euclid to prove the Pythagorean theorem. [http://mathworld.wolfram.com/PeacocksTail.html Link]
 
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:Dayvan Cowboy
 
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:A Moment of Clarity
 
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This track is very similar to the mislabeled third track on the ''[[Live @ Warp10]]'' collection albeit without the flutes.
 
  
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* A photo of a curly-haired man sitting at an [[wikipedia:Commodore International|Commodore]] CBM 2001 computer was taken from a 1979 yearbook photo from the [[wikipedia:Illinois Institute of Technology|Illinois Institute of Technology]]. [http://forum.watmm.com/index.php?showtopic=8386] [http://web.archive.org/web/20070228221147/http://www.iit.edu/alumni/updates/yearbook/1970s/images/campus%20and%20student%20in%20computer%20center%201979.jpg]
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* A photo of blonde-haired woman in profile was taken from a 1972 anti-drug propaganda film called ''[http://www.archive.org/details/social_seminar_tom Social Seminar: Tom]''.  A sample of dialogue from the film was also used towards the end of the album track "[[Chromakey Dreamcoat]]".
  
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:'84 Pontiac Dream
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== Comments and Trivia==
  
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Part of the melody in a recurring section of the track is built from what sounds like a 1980's corporate [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jingle jingle] (e.g. at 0:27-0:30 on the right channel). This helps the listener remember (if they lived through it) the time period when corporations and organizations were using a certain type of synthetic sound for their catchy jingle melodies to seem "futuristic" and "forward-thinking" while their logo was displayed on the TV. For many this sound should create a nostalgic feeling. Contemporarily we still come across these audio-visual artifacts on certain old VHS tapes, which are usually pretty worn out and imperfect, further enhancing the nostalgia when we re-experience them. BoC, using a jingle in a track with such a title, might be illustrating how certain sensory perceptions experienced repetitively in waking life (as these jingles were in 1984) can become part of the texture in a dream and furthermore that the worn quality of the recording reflects the imperfect quality of memory.
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*When asked if the record (and especially its artwork) was a throw back to Music Has the Right to Children, Marcus replied that "it's deliberately reminiscent of ‘Music Has the Right to Children'. Musically it's like an echo of that record, all bleached-out blue skies and so on. In some ways it sounds older than ‘Music Has the Right…' because of the choice of instruments and the sheer amount of damage we've done to the sound."
  
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*The bottom left corner of the front cover (and onto the spine of the digipak) has a smudge that strongly resembles the hexagonal Geogaddi cover.  The front and back covers are repeated in the smaller pictures inside the digipak. The smaller pictures are less distorted than the covers.
  
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:Sherbet Head
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*On the vinyl release, a bird's chirp can be heard in the runout grooves, typically sides C and D.
  
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Throughout the track is a recording of some human voices that are garbled and buried and are, therefore, hard to comprehend.  The recording seems to be slightly detuned, probably by one or two semi-tones.  The voices are clearest at the beginning, before the bass kicks in.  Noticeable in this section is a man saying a word or two (0:00-0:04), a phrase said by a woman (0:10-0:12) and a phrase said twice by a third voice (0:20-0:24).  It sounds like the microphone is being banged against objects as if somebody is walking around somewhere with a hand-held tape recorder.  Also audible is the sound of a child screaming (0:57).  Similar sounds continue on for the rest of the track's duration.  Perhaps it is a field recording of some public space.   
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*Playing the vinyl release at 45rpm evokes a completely different listening experience.   
  
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*When inverting the colors on the back cover art, the child's expression changes into a ghostly, almost horrified, stare.
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:Oscar See through Red Eye
 
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:Ataronchronon
 
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The ending sounds a bit like 'Gann', the short track off Boards of Canada's [http://www.boardsofcanada.com website].  The Ataronchronon or "People of the Marshes" were a tribal people living in seventeenth century Ontario.
 
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:Hey Saturday Sun
 
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:Constants Are Changing
 
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:Slow This Bird Down
 
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Near the end of this song is an aural collage of shortwave radio noise. Morse, teletype, and various data signals can be heard including a radio modem (called the Harris RF-5710) used by hobbyists and naval military services.
 
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:Tears from the Compound Eye
 
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The compound eye is found on most insects and some crustaceans, which is composed of many light-sensitive elements, each having its own refractive system and each forming a portion of an image. Most compound eyes feature hexagonal lenses in an array forming the pattern.
 
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:Farewell Fire
 
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The melody continues very silently until the end.
 
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:Macquarie Ridge
 
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Macquarie Ridge is a song exclusive to the Japanese release of ''The Campfire Heaphase''.
 
  
 
=== Reviews ===
 
=== Reviews ===
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* ''[http://www.warprecords.com/mart/music/release.php?cat=WARP123 The Campfire Headphase]'' at WarpMart
 
* ''[http://www.warprecords.com/mart/music/release.php?cat=WARP123 The Campfire Headphase]'' at WarpMart
 
* ''[http://bleep.com/?bleep=WARP123 The Campfire Headphase]'' at Bleep.com
 
* ''[http://bleep.com/?bleep=WARP123 The Campfire Headphase]'' at Bleep.com
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== Artwork ==
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category = The Campfire Headphase artwork
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</DynamicPageList>
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[[Category: The Campfire Headphase]]
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{{Nav-Releases}}

Latest revision as of 20:12, 17 July 2025

The Campfire Headphase
The Campfire Headphase album cover.jpg
Label(s) warp
Catalogue No(s) warplp123
warpcd123
Release date(s) 12th October 2005 (Japan)
17th October 2005 (Europe)
18th October 2005 (USA)[1]
Format(s) gatefold 2xlp
cd (jewel case)
cd (digipak)
Running time(s) 62:05 (standard)
67:02 (japanese)


The Campfire Headphase is the third studio album by Boards of Canada, which was released in October of 2005 via Warp Records. The album marked a departure from Geogaddi's dark, claustrophobic atmosphere to a lighter, more organic tone, with guitars taking a much more prominent role than in the band's previous works.

Recording[edit]

Work on Boards of Canada's third album began in 2002, with Mike and Marcus creating demos for tracks such as "'84 Pontiac Dream" in early 2003.[2][3]. The band intentionally took a more relaxed approach to recording their third album compared to their previous album Geogaddi, aiming to "switch everything off at six o'clock", as opposed to the "hellish" approach of working "until 4am every day" like they did on Geogaddi.[4] Over the course of approximately a year the band continued to work on new music, and in February 2004 they had a completed album. Following this album's completion, Boards of Canada undertook a new project of moving their studio.[5]

By the time the studio move was complete, Boards of Canada had become dissatisfied with the album they had recorded, and decided to scrap it and start over with a new approach. This new approach was to create an album with a "simpler, more positive" tone and prominent guitars, described by the band as "like the acoustic counterpart of Music Has The Right To Children". The band continued to work on this new album until mid-2005, with the last track to be started being "Slow This Bird Down", which originated in June of 2005[6]. The Campfire Headphase was completed around July of 2005.

Release and Reception[edit]

The first official word on Boards of Canada's third album appeared in Warp Records' newsletter for July 2005, revealing that the album was finished and mastered, and would be released in October.[7] Around the same time, music70.com revealed the album's title to be The Campfire Headphase, and also revealed the exact release dates for the album.[8]

The first interview by the band to promote The Campfire Headphase, "The Downtempo Duo" by Pitchfork, was published on September 26th, 2005. It was in this interview that Mike and Marcus first revealed themselves to be brothers. More interviews with various publications followed in October, and interviews with the band regarding The Campfire Headphase continued to be published until early-2006.

The Campfire Headphase was first released in Japan on October 12th, 2005, and was released in Europe and the US on the 17th and 18th of October, respectively. The album was generally received positively, but divided fans and critics, with some being disappointed with the change in direction away from the band's electronic sound to a more acoustic one.

Themes[edit]

Tracklist[edit]

  1. "Into the Rainbow Vein" – 0:44 (Bleep preview)
  2. "Chromakey Dreamcoat" – 5:47
  3. "Satellite Anthem Icarus" – 6:04
  4. "Peacock Tail" – 5:24
  5. "Dayvan Cowboy" – 5:00
  6. "A Moment of Clarity" – 0:51
  7. "'84 Pontiac Dream" – 3:49
  8. "Sherbet Head" – 2:41
  9. "Oscar See through Red Eye" – 5:08
  10. "Ataronchronon" – 1:14
  11. "Hey Saturday Sun" – 4:56
  12. "Constants Are Changing" – 1:42
  13. "Slow This Bird Down" – 6:09
  14. "Tears from the Compound Eye" – 4:03
  15. "Farewell Fire" – 8:26
  16. "Macquarie Ridge" – 4:57 (Japanese release only)

Artwork[edit]

TCH inset image (top), IIT yearbook photo (bottom)

The liner notes include a grid-like collage of apparently seventies-era photos, degraded in a manner similar to the cover. The source of a few of these images have been discovered:

Comments and Trivia[edit]

  • When asked if the record (and especially its artwork) was a throw back to Music Has the Right to Children, Marcus replied that "it's deliberately reminiscent of ‘Music Has the Right to Children'. Musically it's like an echo of that record, all bleached-out blue skies and so on. In some ways it sounds older than ‘Music Has the Right…' because of the choice of instruments and the sheer amount of damage we've done to the sound."
  • The bottom left corner of the front cover (and onto the spine of the digipak) has a smudge that strongly resembles the hexagonal Geogaddi cover. The front and back covers are repeated in the smaller pictures inside the digipak. The smaller pictures are less distorted than the covers.
  • On the vinyl release, a bird's chirp can be heard in the runout grooves, typically sides C and D.
  • Playing the vinyl release at 45rpm evokes a completely different listening experience.
  • When inverting the colors on the back cover art, the child's expression changes into a ghostly, almost horrified, stare.

Reviews[edit]

External links[edit]

Artwork[edit]

Discography Overview | view • edit
Rare/Early releases Catalog 3 • Acid Memories • Closes Vol. 1 • Play by Numbers • Hooper Bay • Boc Maxima • Old Tunes Vol. 1 • Old Tunes Vol. 2 • Random 35 Tracks Tape • Geogaddi (test pressing)
General releases (albums) Music Has the Right to Children • Geogaddi • The Campfire Headphase • Tomorrow's Harvest
General releases (EPs/12"s) Twoism • Hi Scores • Aquarius • Peel Session • In a Beautiful Place out in the Country • Trans Canada Highway
Mixtapes Marcus Eoin's Campfire Mixtape • Societas x Tape
Live Sets Live @ Warp10 • Live @ Lighthouse • Live @ ATP • All Gigs
Promotional Releases Telephasic Workshop • MHTRTC (promo cassette) • Orange Romeda • Geogaddi (promo lp) • Geogaddi (promo cassette) • ------ / ------ / ------ / XXXXXX / ------ / ------ • Reach For The Dead (promo cd) • Come To Dust (promo cd)
Produced by BoC for Others Here Come The Rubber Cops • Orangutang
Bootleg Releases Unreleased Tracks
Other Kaleidoscope • Promotional Events • Promotional Items • T-Shirts • Web media
To Be Determined LP5 • BoCset


  1. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20050717021647/http://www.music70.com:80/boc_discog.html
  2. ↑ https://bocpages.org/wiki/Emotional_Abuse
  3. ↑ https://bocpages.org/wiki/Music_of_Struggle
  4. ↑ https://bocpages.org/wiki/Two_for_the_No-Show
  5. ↑ https://bocpages.org/wiki/La_Part_du_Feu
  6. ↑ https://bocpages.org/wiki/Music_of_Struggle
  7. ↑ https://www.twoism.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=90&p=724#p724
  8. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20050717021647/http://www.music70.com:80/boc_discog.html
Retrieved from "https://bocpages.org/w/index.php?title=The_Campfire_Headphase&oldid=19315"