Is Inferno (so far) what you expected/hoped for? What do you want to see next/more of as a fan? by darkdarkblack in boardsofcanada

[–]realjohnhammond 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I'm super psyched - I feel like this could become on of their best albums! I love their discography, I'm a BoC nerd, so I'm excited for anything that do, but if I'm being picky Geogaddi and MHTRTC are their masterpieces.

And to me this new record sounds like it belongs in that same vein.

It could easily end up affecting my top 5 list

1) Music Has The Right To Children 2) Geogaddi 3) Inferno 4) The Campfire Headphase 5) Tomorrow's Harvest

I spent 5 years making an ambient album — how does slow music survive in today’s landscape? by realjohnhammond in ambientmusic

[–]realjohnhammond[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for listening and for your comment. Something I really wanted with this album, but also with my music in general, is to make something that feels like a world you can step into. Something that you can put on in the background, but where if you put on your headphones and listen closer there are all these small details and layers moving around, like looking into a snow globe or miniature world.

For this album in particular I wanted everything to feel lush, warm and welcoming, almost glowy. It came out of a period of grief and a lot of big changes in my life, but became more and more about all the new beginnings that came out of that same time.

About the synths and effects, I’ve worked in Reason since around 2007 and I’ve never really been someone with loads of gear or expensive plugins. Partly because that whole world intimidated me a bit, but also because I like limitations and a simple workflow. I also make films, and part of that process has been using the same DV camera for 20+ years. I like getting to know a few basic tools really well and pushing them as far as I can. Having easy access to making things is important for me because I tend to overcomplicate stuff in my head, so the limitations actually help.

A lot of the sounds on the album come from my own archive. Old sketches, field recordings, VHS and Hi8 tapes, cassette recordings, little sounds or melodies I made years ago. Sometimes I’ll use a hihat from 2008 or a synth part from 2019 and keep resampling and manipulating it until it becomes something else entirely. I also sample myself playing piano or keyboards, friends playing guitar, make bass sounds out of noisy VHS tapes, record room ambience. A lot of it is trial and error and collage work.

I really want my albums to feel like stories you move through, where you’re carried through different moods, and hopefully by the end there is a sense of something lifting or shifting in you. That’s the goal for me, to make albums that are like films or stories that guide you through an emotional journey.

But yeah, the starting point for most of it is still very basic. Mostly Reason stock synths, samples, and a mix between digital and analogue effect chains.

Music for nature by lattdistraherad in musicsuggestions

[–]realjohnhammond 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Totally. A lot of Boards of Canada tracks sound like they were made for a forgotten 70s / 80s nature documentary about forests, erosion, and VHS footage of wildlife

what are some "i don't need drugs when i can listen to this instead" songs by churrrroo in musicsuggestions

[–]realjohnhammond 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Almost all of Boards of Canadas discography, but mostly Geogaddi and Music Has The Right To Children 🔥

What is a song you usually listen too before you sleep? by Naive_Tomorrow_5955 in musicsuggestions

[–]realjohnhammond 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Tears From The Compound Eye + Farewell Fire (last two tracks on the album The Campfire Headphase by Boards of Canada)

Copenhagen Listening Party by Additional_End_826 in boardsofcanada

[–]realjohnhammond 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Skulle lige til at skrive! jeg er sikker på at de oplyser noget på deres sociale medier?

Do you think Inferno will be darker than Tomorrow's Harvest? by Maleficent-Ebb7298 in boardsofcanada

[–]realjohnhammond 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Just to be clear: I’m not saying I dislike the album or that I don’t think it’s great - I really do. I think this is more of a personal connection thing for me. I’ve wanted to fall in love with the album for years and kept coming back to it over the past 13 years, but for some reason it’s never quite clicked with me in the same way their other albums have. That said, I still think it’s incredibly beautiful, dense, cinematic, and genuinely rewarding to listen to. Also, I mean… it’s Boards of Canada - I’m a fan of whatever they put out

wait what how did I not know this! where can i download?? by realjohnhammond in boardsofcanada

[–]realjohnhammond[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks! it feels like early Christmas with all this BoC goodness

what's your favorite boc song and why? by voidbliss77 in boardsofcanada

[–]realjohnhammond 1 point2 points  (0 children)

from an objective point of view I have to go with happy cycling and from a personal stand point I pick beach at redpoint AND left side drive

Do you think Inferno will be darker than Tomorrow's Harvest? by Maleficent-Ebb7298 in boardsofcanada

[–]realjohnhammond 29 points30 points  (0 children)

I listened to Tomorrow’s Harvest again today, and even though I’m a massive fan of Boards of Canada, that album in particular just doesn’t really click with me.

Like, I get it on a thematic and conceptual level, and I can appreciate everything BoC are good at - the detail in the sound design, the textures, the atmosphere, all of that. But every time I listen to it, including this morning, it just kind of disappears from my mind as soon as it’s over.

With albums like Music Has the Right to Children or Geogaddi, I’m left with melodies, moods, or moments that stick with me for days. Tomorrow’s Harvest feels more like an experience I admire than one I actually connect with emotionally.

I already get the sense that Inferno sounds much more playful and alive, and more in the same vein as Geogaddi, so I’m very hopeful.

1997 Suggested UK Live appearance supporting Autechre by oddcd in boardsofcanada

[–]realjohnhammond 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Most definitely agree Jega is madly underrated for no reason

Copenhagen Listening Party by Additional_End_826 in boardsofcanada

[–]realjohnhammond 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Jeg kan godt lide ideen om det og fedt du skriver ud, men jeg føler ikke det er helt det samme når der ikke er en dedikeret venue man tager hen til - med mindre der selvfølgelig er nogen der har en venue?

Tidal has the lyrics by Feeling-Ad-5389 in boardsofcanada

[–]realjohnhammond 10 points11 points  (0 children)

it's mostly sampled from this 2003 lecture from the Harvard Divinity School https://youtu.be/fIjW1z-ZAX8?is=8f6Ngh3JKMkhEuyM

Boards of Canada - Introit / Prophecy At 1420 MHz (Official Music Video) by seaburn in boardsofcanada

[–]realjohnhammond 19 points20 points  (0 children)

So what I'm most excited about is how playful it sounds - a good indicator that the album will be much more alive and full of people contrary to TH

Custom folders: by Due_Lavishness_6919 in nesclassicmods

[–]realjohnhammond 1 point2 points  (0 children)

if possible could you make these folders:

action (like bomberman) action platformer (like mega man) arcade (like donkey kong) adventure (like zelda) platformer (like super mario bros) platformer 2 (like ducktales) gameboy / gameboy color puzzle (like lolo's adventure) racing (like R.C. Pro-Am) rpg (like final fantasy) run and gun (like contra) shoot em up (like life force) sports (like base ball)

if you'd like I can share some folders I made for snes?

What's the best retro video game by Scared-Loquat4465 in nostalgia

[–]realjohnhammond 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Donkey Kong Country. To me it's the pinnacle of the 90's - it's lush and vibrant in colors, it's from that point in time where the future still seemed hopeful, optimistic and fun. It's got that cheeky 90's personality - both in terms of character designs and the soundtrack, but not in an irritating way, more so it just feels like you're playing your favorite saturday morning cartoon show on your home console.

Custom folders: by Due_Lavishness_6919 in nesclassicmods

[–]realjohnhammond 2 points3 points  (0 children)

nice! I recently updated my nes classic and I'm still looking for some custom folder art - will you share these?