Revision as of 20:39, 24 April 2026

Inferno
Label(s)	Warp Records
Catalogue No(s)	WARP496
Release date(s)	29 May 2026
Format(s)	Gatefold 2xLP Deluxe 2xLP CD Digital
Running time(s)	69:51 70:00 (Continuous Mix)

Inferno is the upcoming fifth studio album by Boards of Canada, scheduled for release on 29 May 2026 via Warp Records. It is the long-anticipated follow-up to their 2013 album Tomorrow's Harvest - a gap of nearly thirteen years preceded its release, the band's longest to date between albums.

Tracks

1. "Introit" – 0:36
2. "Prophecy At 1420 MHz" – 5:04
3. "Hydrogen Helium Lithium Leviathan" – 4:44
4. "Age Of Capricorn" – 3:52
5. "Father And Son" – 3:24
6. "Somewhere Right Now In The Future" – 2:26
7. "Naraka" – 5:01
8. "Acts Of Magic" – 1:18
9. "Memory Death" – 2:37
10. "The Word Becomes Flesh" – 5:20
11. "Into The Magic Land" – 4:35
12. "Blood In The Labyrinth" – 4:55
13. "Deep Time" – 3:18
14. "All Reason Departs" – 6:14
15. "Arena Americanada" – 5:22
16. "The Process" – 3:01
17. "You Retreat In Time And Space" – 5:25
18. "I Saw Through Platonia" – 2:39

Leadup

Main article: Road to Inferno

Speculation for the album's release preceded its official announcement by over a decade, with the band and its associates sparsely giving out new information. Activity notably increased in 2025, including the band's Instagram account liking comments related to a new album, a Tomorrow's Harvest-era website coming online once again, and new merchandise being put on sale. For a more detailed look on the band's activities during this period, see the article Road to Inferno.

Promotional Campaign

Main article: 2026 Promo Campaign

In early April 2026, multiple fans received unmarked VHS tapes through the mail, with sender addresses related to Warp and their online storefront Bleep. About a week after, posters with imagery reminiscent of the band started appearing in multiple places around the UK and US. For an in-depth look at the days preceding the album's announcement, see the article 2026 Promo Campaign.

Title and Themes

As a word, Inferno references hell and places reminiscent of it. It is the most explicit reference to religion and the occult since their 2002 album Geogaddi and 2000 EP In a Beautiful Place out in the Country. The album's titles also heavily refer to concepts in cosmology and physics.

• An "Introit" is a song or psalm that is sung or recited at the beginning of a Christian mass.
• "Father And Son" could reference the Holy Trinity, which consists of the two and The Holy Spirit.
• "The Word Becomes Flesh" is a quotation from verse 1:14 of the Gospel of John.
• "Naraka" references the realm of hell seen in Indian religions, such as Hinduism and Buddhism.
• "The Process" could refer to the Process Church of the Final Judgement, a new religious movement which briefly existed in the 1960s and 70s. The Process was the title of their magazine.
• "Prophecy At 1420 MHz" references the hydrogen line, a specific wavelength of radiation emitted by hydrogen as it undergoes a quantum transition. It has been used to investigate the properties of the universe, and search for extraterrestrial life.
• "Hydrogen Helium Lithium Leviathan" refers to the first three elements of the periodic table and the mythical sea creature.
• "Age Of Capricorn" refers to the tenth sign of the astrological zodiac.
• "I Saw Through Platonia" could refer to a concept by Julian Barbour of a realm called Platonia, which contains every possible configuration of the universe.

Trivia

• Inferno has been assigned the catalog number WARP496. This seems to be a deliberate request from the band themselves, as preceding Warp releases such as Squarepusher's Kammerkonzert and Oneohtrix Point Never's Tranquilizer have catalog numbers of 417 and 411, respectively.
• The Continuous Mix version runs for exactly 70 minutes. This seems to be deliberate, as 70 has carried meaning in the band's past releases. For example:
  • Music70 is the name of Mike and Marcus's own label.
  • Sixtyten from MHTRTC reads out as 70.
  • The Smallest Weird Number from Geogaddi directly refers to 70, which is the smallest weird number. Even though the track runs for 1:17, it cuts out at exactly 1:10, which is 70 seconds.
• The album length of 18 tracks seems to be deliberate since 18 is the sum of 6+6+6, symbolizing 666, the number noted in The Book of Revelation and found at times in Boards of Canada's works.

Release Notes

Quotes

See Also

• Road to Inferno
• 2026 Promo Campaign
• Discography
• Timeline
• Statements from Hexagon Sun

External Links

Press

• Boards of Canada Announces New Album Inferno for May Release (Asatunews)
• Boards Of Canada Announce New Album ‘Inferno’ (Clash Magazine)
• Boards of Canada Announce New Album Inferno (Consequence Sound)
• Boards Of Canada announce new album, ‘Inferno’ (DJ Mag)
• Boards of Canada Announce New Album Titled Inferno (Opus)
• Boards of Canada Reveal New Album Inferno (Pitchfork)
• Boards of Canada confirm new album, Inferno (Resident Advisor)
• Boards Of Canada Announce New Album Inferno (Stereogum)
• Boards Of Canada Detail New Album, ‘Inferno’ (The Quietus)
• Boards of Canada announce new album ‘Inferno’ after 13-year break (We Rave You)

Forums

• Keyosc discussion: "Inferno" May 29 2026
• Twoism discussion: General New Release Speculation Topic Part II

Various

• Boards of Canada on Warp Records
• Boards of Canada on Bleep

References