artists mentioned by Boards of Canada in their interviews
Difference between revisions of "Vintage Psychedelia"
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| − | {{ | + | '''note''': translation done via [https://openai.com/index/hello-gpt-4o/ ChatGPT-4o]. |
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| + | A vintage psychedelia that feels ephemeral, solemn, faint, innocent, and nostalgic, as if delivered from a world far beyond the horizon. Listen closely, and you’ll hear the throbbing sounds of [[Boards of Canada]]… | ||
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| + | Written by Ryo Harada | ||
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| + | '''Like an old road movie''' | ||
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| + | [[Boards of Canada]] (hereafter [[BOC]]), a sound creation unit consisting of [[Mike Sandison]] and [[Marcus Eoin]] living in Scotland, is a mysterious existence. At the time of their debut, they were praised in comparison to [[wikipedia:My Bloody Valentine|My Bloody Valentine]], but they are not a rock band. Also, their previous work, ''[[Geogaddi]]'', was acclaimed as a definitive album in the electronica category, but [[Mike]] said, | ||
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| + | {{boc|'''Mike''': “We’ve never made laptop music, and we don’t listen to that kind of music much.”}} | ||
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| + | In any case, [[BOC]], who have consistently provided fresh and nostalgic home-recorded masterpieces, have reversed their approach this year with their new work, ''[[The Campfire Headphase]]'', their first in three years, offering music that is both nostalgic and fresh. It features guitar tones stroked by the two, gently swung shakers, creaking loose-tuned snare, and other elements scattered throughout, creating a wooden psychedelia. Sticking to their own pace, they explain: | ||
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| + | {{boc|'''Marcus''': “''[[Music Has The Right To Children]]'' was an album heavily using synthesisers, and ''[[Geogaddi]]'' was relatively sample-centered, so the new album needed to have a different texture. At the same time, we wanted to give it an older, dirtier sound than our other works. That’s how the idea of using guitars to create a vintage road movie-like sound came up. It’s reminiscent of sounds like [[wikipedia:James Taylor|James Taylor]] or [[wikipedia:Joni Mitchel|Joni Mitchell]]l. So, we paid great attention to the dry, jangly guitar tones. Before [[BOC]], there was a time when we used guitars more, and we wanted to incorporate some of the 80s vibes, which leaned towards [[wikipedia:Krautrock|Krautrock]] and garage sounds, into this work.”}} | ||
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| + | To fit [[BOC]] into the so-called “electronica” framework would separate them from the younger laptop artists by a generation; they are veterans active since the 80s. Therefore, in this work, to achieve the “vintage road movie-like sound” they aimed for, they seem to have pulled out one of their diverse musical experiences. For example, some might find shadows of shoegaze in the multi-layered feedback guitars of "[[Dayvan Cowboy]]". | ||
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| + | '''Music flowing from another dimension''' | ||
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| + | Meanwhile, regarding the beats supporting the backbone of their sound, there is also a hip-hop sensibility reminiscent of their early works. | ||
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| + | {{boc|'''Mike''': “We put a lot of effort into getting that tight snare sound that creates a nice sense of up-and-down and a pleasantly ducking feel. The woody, uneffected sound is often heard in 70s works like those of [[wikipedia:Stevie Wonder|Stevie Wonder]], but here we used it to create a solid rhythm akin to slowed-down hip-hop beats. We got into hip-hop around the time [[wikipedia:Public Enemy|Public Enemy]] released Yo! Bum Rush The Show, but it was listening to [[wikipedia:Souls of Mischief|Souls of Mischief]] in ’93 that made us want to actually produce such beats.”}} | ||
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| + | [[wikipedia:Krautrock|Krautrock]], [[wikipedia:shoegaze|Shoegaze]], post-new school hip-hop… ''[[The Campfire Headphase]]" seems to reveal various backgrounds (and generational views) through its sound gaps, but these contexts are kept to the level of a mere “presence.” The overall sound remains as usual: simple and obscure like a landscape painting with multiple layers of watercolor. For example, in "[[Farewell Fire]]", which closes the album, you can hear a solemn tone like that of a pipe organ, but it’s not the sound of an organ itself. | ||
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| + | {{boc|'''Mike''': “We often create sounds with intricate resonances to make it hard to easily distinguish what they are. I think it’s beautiful when melodies within organ-like tones sound like human voices or something else. It removes the image of ‘someone playing it’ and creates a magical, isolated-from-reality feeling as if music is flowing from another dimension.”}} | ||
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| + | The babbling of a river, the vintage texture of noise. Borrowing the words of [[Mike]], who recently became a father, the “sense of being isolated from reality” behind their sound might be like this: | ||
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| + | {{boc|'''Mike''': “A child’s perspective is interesting. For example, she might keep her hand under the flowing water from a faucet because she doesn’t yet understand that gravity pulls water down. Our music, always conscious of such perspectives that look back at what we usually see, incorporates many subtle and delicate elements. So, if you listen with headphones, isolating yourself from the world, many tiny details will reveal themselves. It’s like a child gazing intently at the light outside from inside a tunnel during the process of discovering the world.”}} | ||
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| + | To those who pride themselves on having listened to most music, I urge you to listen to ''[[The Campfire Headphase]]'' with headphones. [[BOC]] will surely awaken that sense of wonder at the things in front of you. | ||
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Latest revision as of 14:22, 21 June 2024
| title | Vintage Psychedelia |
|---|---|
| author | Riow Harada |
| publication | Bounce |
| date | 2005/10/25 |
| issue | 270 (2005/11) |
| pages | 28-29 |
"Vintage Psychedelia" was an interview (in Japanese) by Riow Harada originally published October 25 2005[1] in Bounce magazine Number 270 (Nov 2005).
Original Text[edit]
This is an original text copied verbatim from the original source. Do not edit this text to correct errors or misspellings. Aside from added wikilinks, this text is exactly as it originally appeared.
Vintage Psychedelia
いまいる地平よりも、ずっと遠い世界から届けられるような、はかなく、荘厳で、淡く、無邪気で、聴いたことはないのに懐かしい、ヴィンテージなサイケデリア。耳を澄ませば、ボーズ・オブ・カナダの蠢く音がする……
文/リョウ 原田
古いロード・ムーヴィーみたいに
スコットランドに暮らすマイク・サンディソンとマーカス・イオンによる音響創作ユニット、ボーズ・オブ・カナダ（以下BOC）はどうにも不思議な存在だ。デビュー当時はマイ・ブラディ・ヴァレンタインを引き合いに称賛を受けたが、彼らは決してロック・バンドではない。また、前作『Geogaddi』は〈エレクトロニカ〉というカテゴリーの決定盤としての評価も受けたものの、マイクは「僕らはラップトップ・ミュージックを作ったことがないし、そういった音楽をあまり聴かない」とまで話しているのだ。
ともかく、新鮮で懐かしい宅録傑作を提供してきたBOC。今年に入ってからはベック“Broken Drum”の傑作リミックスを手掛けていたが、3年ぶりとなる新作『The Campfire Headphase』での彼らはそこから翻って、懐かしくも新鮮な音楽を提供している。そこにあるのは2人がストロークするギターの音色、ゆったりと振られるシェイカー、チューニングの緩んだスネアの軋みなどが散りばめられた、木造のサイケデリア。マイペースを貫く彼らはこう語る。
いわゆる〈エレクトロニカ〉という枠組みに収めるには、若手ラップトップ・アーティストと世代を隔てているBOCは、そもそも80年代から活動するヴェテラン。ゆえに今作では彼らのめざす〈ヴィンテージのロード・ムーヴィーみたいな音〉を実現するために、多様な音楽体験のひとつを取り出してみたということだろう。例えば“Dayvan Cowboy”での幾重にもフィードバックするギターにシューゲイザーの影を見い出す人もいるかもしれない。
別の次元から流れてくる音楽
一方、音の骨格を支えるビートに関しては、初期作品で見せていたようなヒップホップ感覚もある。
クラウト・ロック、シューゲイザー、ニュー・スクール以降のヒップホップ……『The Campfire Headphase』の音の隙間からはさまざまな背景（や世代観）を見い出すことができそうだが、一方でそうした文脈はあくまでも〈気配〉を感じさせる程度に止められている。サウンドの総体はいつものように、水彩絵の具で何層にも濃淡をつけた風景画の如く、シンプルでおぼろげだ。例えばアルバムの終局を飾る“Farewell Fire”ではパイプオルガンのような荘厳な響きを聴けるが、それはオルガンそのものの音ではない。
川のせせらぎや、ヴィンテージな質感のノイズ。その音の背景にある〈現実から隔離された感覚〉とは、最近女の子の父親になったというマイクの言葉を借りるなら、こういうことかもしれない。
たいていの音楽は聴き尽くした──そう自負する方にこそ、この『The Campfire Headphase』を、ぜひヘッドフォンで聴いてもらいたい。目の前にあるものを不思議と思える、そんな感覚をBOCがきっと呼び覚ましてくれるだろうから。
Translated text[edit]
note: translation done via ChatGPT-4o.
A vintage psychedelia that feels ephemeral, solemn, faint, innocent, and nostalgic, as if delivered from a world far beyond the horizon. Listen closely, and you’ll hear the throbbing sounds of Boards of Canada…
Written by Ryo Harada
Like an old road movie
Boards of Canada (hereafter BOC), a sound creation unit consisting of Mike Sandison and Marcus Eoin living in Scotland, is a mysterious existence. At the time of their debut, they were praised in comparison to My Bloody Valentine, but they are not a rock band. Also, their previous work, Geogaddi, was acclaimed as a definitive album in the electronica category, but Mike said,
In any case, BOC, who have consistently provided fresh and nostalgic home-recorded masterpieces, have reversed their approach this year with their new work, The Campfire Headphase, their first in three years, offering music that is both nostalgic and fresh. It features guitar tones stroked by the two, gently swung shakers, creaking loose-tuned snare, and other elements scattered throughout, creating a wooden psychedelia. Sticking to their own pace, they explain:
To fit BOC into the so-called “electronica” framework would separate them from the younger laptop artists by a generation; they are veterans active since the 80s. Therefore, in this work, to achieve the “vintage road movie-like sound” they aimed for, they seem to have pulled out one of their diverse musical experiences. For example, some might find shadows of shoegaze in the multi-layered feedback guitars of "Dayvan Cowboy".
Music flowing from another dimension
Meanwhile, regarding the beats supporting the backbone of their sound, there is also a hip-hop sensibility reminiscent of their early works.
Krautrock, Shoegaze, post-new school hip-hop… The Campfire Headphase" seems to reveal various backgrounds (and generational views) through its sound gaps, but these contexts are kept to the level of a mere “presence.” The overall sound remains as usual: simple and obscure like a landscape painting with multiple layers of watercolor. For example, in "Farewell Fire", which closes the album, you can hear a solemn tone like that of a pipe organ, but it’s not the sound of an organ itself.
The babbling of a river, the vintage texture of noise. Borrowing the words of Mike, who recently became a father, the “sense of being isolated from reality” behind their sound might be like this:
To those who pride themselves on having listened to most music, I urge you to listen to The Campfire Headphase with headphones. BOC will surely awaken that sense of wonder at the things in front of you.
