title	All The Mysteries Are Revealed
author
publication	Night Out
date	2013/08
issue
pages

"All The Mysteries Are Revealed" was an interview (in Japanese) originally published August 2013 in Night Out.

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BOARDS OF CANADA

Complete Guide to the New Work Tomorrow's Harvest

Now, all the mysteries are revealed…!

On April 20, 2013, a new record by BOARDS OF CANADA was suddenly discovered at a record store in New York. Engraved on its title was: “------/------/-----/XXXXXX/-----/-----” accompanied by a short 20-second synth sound, a voice was recorded reading the number “936557”.

A series of mysteries followed from BOARDS OF CANADA leading up to the release of their first new work in 8 years, Tomorrow's Harvest.

With valuable interviews, we unravel the most important release of 2013!

As per their history, Boards of Canada built up a mysterious promotional campaign for the release of Tomorrow's Harvest, their first full album in about 8 years. But this wasn't just a new record — it was one that sparked extraordinary expectations. What is it that makes their work so unique? This interview with Michael Sandison and Marcus Eoin dives deep into their creative process, offering rare insight into the mysterious duo.

Part 1

Q: It's been a long time—about 8 years—since the last album. How have you been spending your time?

Michael: “For a while, we were each working on solo or group projects. We also spent time living in New Zealand. That doesn't mean we stopped making music — just that we weren't working together as BOC. Eventually, we returned to our studio in Scotland and gradually began preparing for this record. Over the years we'd been collecting lots of gear and laying groundwork.”

Q: Did the time between albums bring any new influences from outside the music world?

Marcus: “Honestly, we've never cared about what's 'in' or the latest trends. We've always done things independently. That said, changes in gear and production techniques were significant. We spent a lot of time revisiting past methods and trying out unusual techniques. Looking backward helped us move forward.”

Q: When did you actually begin creating this album? Were there any major differences in the production process compared to your past records?

Michael: “We started sketching out ideas around 2006. From there, we built a lot of material. Some of the early tracks ended up on Tomorrow's Harvest. Our creative direction this time was very cinematic. The atmosphere of early science documentaries and horror films from the 1980s really influenced us. We hunted down analog synthesizers that were used in that era and brought them into our setup. We used those sounds intentionally to give the album a kind of decayed, vintage texture. We also used a sampler to process sound like film scores — as if we were scoring imaginary old footage. The idea was to take ourselves out of the present and recreate the feeling of an abandoned past.”

Q: The album's themes seem very cinematic and mysterious. Even the promotional campaign had a kind of suspense or detective-novel vibe. Was that deliberate?

Marcus: “Yeah, we really wanted to recreate the feel of a movie trailer or a spy story. The team at Warp worked closely with us to build that. Everything was part of a bigger puzzle — from the teaser videos to the secret 12-inch vinyls placed around the world. It was exciting to watch fans piece together the fragments online. That sense of uncovering something secret and otherworldly — that was the feeling we wanted people to have even before hearing a note of the album.”

Q: Some track titles suggest scientific or even evolutionary ideas. For example, "Sick Times" and "Split Your Infinities". Were you trying to evoke those themes intentionally?

Michael: “We're definitely inspired by things like the structure of DNA, the symmetry of molecules, and the hidden geometry of the universe. There's a lot of beauty in biology, especially in how order arises from chaos. That plays into how we think about music. It's not a strict concept album, but those ideas were in our heads.”

Q: The idea of nature and artificial life seems central to BOC's work. Could you elaborate on how those themes influence your music or titles?

Marcus: “We've always been fascinated by the point where nature and machines intersect. A lot of our songs reflect that—both in sound and meaning. Think about the music used in old educational films. It had this creepy optimism, like it was trying to make sense of a world that was already falling apart. That contrast — between sterile presentation and disturbing content — really stuck with us. The track titles are part of that language.”

Q: Finally, what kind of visual imagery do you start with when composing a song? Do you begin with a mental picture, or does the sound come first?

Michael: “Usually it begins with an emotional landscape. For example, a visual memory from childhood, or a dream. Once we have that, we start sculpting the sounds to match that image. Field recordings help — they give it realism, like the hiss of film or the hum of an old TV.”

Marcus: “Sometimes it starts with a word or phrase. We'll build the music around that feeling. It's very intuitive — we don't try to overthink it. The song tells us where it wants to go.”

Part 2

"Why does the universe have order instead of chaos?"

After 8 long years, Tomorrow's Harvest has arrived—Boards of Canada's long-awaited new album. With their distinctive sound that walks the line between nostalgia and unease, the Scottish duo Michael Sandison and Marcus Eoin return with a darker, more structured vision than ever before. We continue our deep dive into their thoughts and creative process.

Q: What kind of mindset did you have going into this album after such a long break?

Marcus: “The emotional core of this album is really despair. That may sound bleak, but it's not hopeless. It's more about confronting the truth of our reality. Tomorrow's Harvest carries a tone that's clearly darker than our past work—like a realization gradually coming into focus.”

Q: Compared to earlier albums, the tracklist on Tomorrow's Harvest feels more deliberately structured. Was that intentional?

Michael: “Yeah, this time we wanted to create something cohesive—as if it were a single film or story. We carefully arranged the order of the tracks. We even placed markers—like "Cold Earth" and "Nothing Is Real"—as emotional anchors throughout. Those songs act like milestones in the narrative.”

Q: What's the meaning behind the album title, Tomorrow's Harvest?

Marcus: “Tomorrow's Harvest suggests the consequences of today's actions. It's about inheriting the outcomes of decisions made long ago—social, environmental, even cosmic. There's a sadness in that, a sense of inevitability.”

Q: The record begins with a [mystery campaign]—how did that idea come about? Also, do you believe in the existence of intelligent life in the universe?

Michael: “The promotional campaign was inspired by shortwave radio number stations, secret codes, and Cold War paranoia. It wasn't just marketing—it was a continuation of the album's world-building. We love that kind of cryptic storytelling.”

Marcus: “As for intelligent life—absolutely. It seems statistically impossible that we're alone. But whether contact would be beneficial or dangerous is another question entirely.”

Q: One track, "Sundown" feels especially intimate. What inspired it?

Michael: “The track actually began as a collaboration with another band, but the timing didn't work out. We reworked it alone. It's a minimal piece, but emotionally heavy. It's like watching the sun set on something irreversible. I'm glad it made the album.”

Q: The album is filled with haunting sci-fi aesthetics and sounds that feel retro-futuristic. Was that conscious?

Marcus: “Yeah. We were definitely drawn to 1960s and '70s sci-fi films—the kind that feel eerie even without showing anything explicitly scary. Also, the way analog synths sound slightly broken adds to that atmosphere. We wanted the album to feel like a relic from an alternate past.”

Q: Do you plan to tour or perform live?

Marcus: “Not really. We're not planning any live shows right now. Touring is exhausting and not something we enjoy. Our music is really built for introspective listening, not festivals. So no immediate plans, sorry.”

Q: Any message for your fans in Japan?

Michael: “We've always felt a strong connection to our Japanese fans. We really appreciate the deep understanding and support from that part of the world. Japan has always been close to our hearts—and we hope the album resonates with you.”

CHECK!!

BOARDS OF CANADA - Tomorrow's Harvest

Label: Warp Records / Beat Records

Available now

BOARDS OF CANADA

Formed: Early 1990s

Signed to Warp Records in 1998

Known for albums like Music Has the Right to Children (1998), Geogaddi (2002), and The Campfire Headphase (2005)

Their sound blends IDM, ambient, and analog warmth, often evoking themes of memory, nature, and forgotten media.

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Highlights

• Michael: "For a while, we were each working on solo or group projects."
• Marcus: "Looking backward helped us move forward."
• Michael: "It's not a strict concept album."
• Michael: "Sundown actually began as a collaboration with another band, but the timing didn't work out."
• Marcus: "We're not planning any live shows right now. Touring is exhausting and not something we enjoy."

See Also

• Tomorrow's Harvest Viral Marketing
• Tomorrow's Harvest interviews
• Category: Japanese interviews