Revision as of 13:48, 27 August 2008

Twoism
Label(s)	Music 70 Warp Records
Catalogue No(s)	WARPCD70 WARPLP70
Release date(s)	1995, 2002
Format(s)	Casette 12" CD
Running time(s)	36:37

Limited to roughly 100 copies and distributed privately by Boards of Canada themselves via their Music70 label, 1995's Twoism successfully landed the brothers a recording contract with the highly respected indie-electronica label SKAM Records. Public availability of original copies of this work were largely thanks to the efforts of early BoC webmaster The Cosmic Crofter, who received permission to distribute back copies to interested fans through the EHX website and the IDM mailing list. [1]

Effectively representing the earliest known official output from the duo (and almost totally unavailable until its repressing in 2002), the original Twoism release has been highly sought after and has been known to sell for over $1,000 in online auctions. When asked by HMV about the obscenely high prices the record was going for, Marcus Sandison replied wryly that "[s]ome people have clearly got too much money on their hands" (HMV Interview, 2002).

Some of the allure surrounding the release (and perhaps contributing to its high selling price) stems from the inclusion of a credit to an early third member of Boards of Canada, Christopher Horne (credited as Chris H.) on the original release. This credit was removed from the artwork of the subsequent 2002 reissue on Warp Records.

Stylistically, the album foreshadows what was to come on subsequent Boards of Canada releases, with two of the tracks (Seeya Later and Smokes Quantity) being re-released on later records. One artistic deviation of note, however, is found in the track "Basefree," representing one of Boards of Canada's few forays into industrial territory.

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  Cassette sleeve featuring Chris Horne credit

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  Sticker included with 2002 Warp Records 12" & CD reissue

Twoism Trivia

• The cover art of Twoism is taken from the 1980 science fiction film "The Killings at Outpost Zeta."
  • No audio samples are used from the film, so if you were planning to get it to check that, don't bother! The film's budget was not very large, as can be inferred by the way motorcycle gear and helmets were intended to pass as "spacesuits". You can just see the black "breathing tube" coming from the helmet of the character on the right, hanging down under the chin, though it's mostly behind the helmet.
  • The frame is taken from about 5 minutes from the end of the film; Captain Young is on the left, and Dr Saunders (female) on the right; at this point in the film, these are the only 2 left alive. In the film, there are a few sequences where, as seen from the "baddies'" perspective, the astronauts are seen wandering about on the landscape as though viewed through a fish-eye lens. Interestingly, some of BoC's own photos of themselves are in that style. Film info, [DC].
• The channels are reversed on the CD reissue compared to the original vinyl EP.

Tracks

1. "Sixtyniner" – 5:40
2. "Oirectine" – 5:11
3. "Iced Cooly" – 2:22
4. "Basefree" – 6:35
5. "Twoism" – 6:06
6. "Seeya Later" – 4:33
7. "Melissa Juice" – 1:32
8. "Smokes Quantity" – 3:07
9. "1986 Summer Fire" – 1:36

Please note that "1986 Summer Fire" does not appear on the sleeve notes.