Re: The Guardian (UK): Boards of Canada: Infe rno review – after 13 years away, their prodigal retu rn is a big disappointment

David Newman <[email protected]> Tue, 2 Jun 2026 19:32:53 +0100
Newsgroups gmane.music.idm
Message-ID <[email protected]>
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The vowel, timing bending on father and son is very interesting!
Best wishes

David Newman

www.audiobulb.com <http://www.audiobulb.com/> : exploratory music

www.audiomoves.com <http://www.audiomoves.com/> : ambient music sync =
specialist

www.volume-objects.com <http://www.volume-objects.com/> : abstract =
ambience :: broken space


On 2 Jun 2026, at 17:59, Alan Lucas <[email protected]> wrote:

On the contrary, I=E2=80=99m quite happy to hear all manner of opinions.

I like a lot of the album so far, but Father And Son sounds like =
something that The Books would have done back around 2005. Same with The =
Word Becomes Flesh, but that one is slightly less bothersome to me for =
whatever reason.=20


On Tue, Jun 2, 2026 at 10:37=E2=80=AFAM Jordan Meinecke =
<[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>> wrote:
> No one wants to hear your negative opinions
>=20
>> On Jun 1, 2026, at 5:58=E2=80=AFPM, Theo Philip <[email protected] =
<mailto:[email protected]>> wrote:
>>=20
>> =EF=BB=BF
>=20
>> I think I agree with the reviewer. BoC's drum beats are just so =
boring. The songs I really like of theirs, happen to be the ones without =
drums, Memory Death and Deep Time on Inferno, Bocuma and The Color of =
The Fire on music has the right to children. Compare to a contemporary =
like Amon Tobin, and this is for me what would make their tracks more =
enjoyable to listen to.=20
>>=20
>> On Mon, 1 Jun 2026 at 22:03, Zheanna Murray <[email protected] =
<mailto:[email protected]>> wrote:
>>> Have had a chance to spin it a few times now front to back; it =
certainly sounds more "modern" than any prior BOC stuff, in my opinion - =
not that that's a bad thing at all. It still feels very BOC, and while =
it doesn't feel like anything particularly revolutionary (can anyone say =
they truly expected that from them to begin with?), it's a pleasure to =
listen to and I'm certain it will grow on me even more over time.=20
>>>=20
>>> Everyone seems to be enamored with Father And Son but there's =
something about those vocal slices that is unsettling, and I don't just =
mean their subject matter. Several tracks (Hydrogen Helium Lithium =
Leviathan and Arena Americanada especially) remind me a bit of the =
catalogue stuff made for Bruton Music in the 80s....shades of Mark =
Shreeve's masterwork "Mephisto", for example, or Francis Monkman's =
"Perpetual Motion" off the Energism album. Love that bold sound.
>>>=20
>>> Z
>>>=20
>>> On Mon, Jun 1, 2026 at 1:42=E2=80=AFPM Rjyan Kidwell =
<[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>> wrote:
>>>> That said,
>>>> The Crowded House-adjacent guitar this time around is their coolest =
deployment of guitar ever imo and I would be psyched if there's any more =
of that to come.=20
>>>>=20
>>>> Also the synthetic Clouddead flows in the super cutup vocals tracks =
is a bold choice that works way better than I would have expected.=20
>>>>=20
>>>>=20
>>>> -rk
>>>>=20
>>>> On Mon, Jun 1, 2026, 4:18 AM Rjyan Kidwell <[email protected] =
<mailto:[email protected]>> wrote:
>>>>> When I listened to bits and pieces of it while doing other things, =
I didn't care for it at all.
>>>>> Then today I ended up sitting down on a couch and listening to the =
whole thing (on shuffle, by accident) without doing or focusing on =
anything else and I had a real good time.=20
>>>>>=20
>>>>> I think the increasing enshittification of everything tech, and =
trashiness of everything about AI, has kinda called the whole "artist =
must make PROGRESS" framing into question for me on a fundamental level. =
At age 40 I prob would have been right there with ppl saying, "They've =
added nothing/They've evolved none!" but at age 45 I'm actually really =
genuinely glad that these two weirdos still get to live in a beautiful =
place out in the highlands and make the exact sounds they want to make. =
I don't think they need to invent a whole nother aesthetic or History of =
The Nuum moment to be a net gain/good deal for the rest of the species.=20=

>>>>>=20
>>>>>=20
>>>>> -rk
>>>>>=20
>>>>> On Sat, May 30, 2026 at 7:40=E2=80=AFAM Elijah Fink =
<[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>> wrote:
>>>>>> The album rules, review is rubbish
>>>>>>=20
>>>>>> On Fri, 29 May 2026, 06:12 David Newman, <[email protected] =
<mailto:[email protected]>> wrote:
>>>>>>> Just going to a listening party=E2=80=A6 with open ears and an =
open mind =E2=80=A6. If it=E2=80=99s better than tomorrow=E2=80=99s =
harvest I=E2=80=99m happy=20
>>>>>>>=20
>>>>>>> Best wishes
>>>>>>>=20
>>>>>>> David Newman - shorter message sent from a mobile device =F0=9F=93=
=B2
>>>>>>>=20
>>>>>>>> On 28 May 2026, at 21:00, Zombiefly <[email protected] =
<mailto:[email protected]>> wrote:
>>>>>>>>=20
>>>>>>>> =EF=BB=BF
>>>>>>>> just heard it.
>>>>>>>> the review is bang on.
>>>>>>>>=20
>>>>>>>> how disappointing
>>>>>>>>=20
>>>>>>>> On Mon, 25 May 2026 at 23:55, steven richard price =
<[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>> wrote:
>>>>>>>>> Truly awful review.=20
>>>>>>>>>=20
>>>>>>>>> On Mon, 25 May 2026, 20:04 Seth Branum, <[email protected] =
<mailto:[email protected]>> wrote:
>>>>>>>>>> BoC's religious/cult themes made him squeamish.  =F0=9F=98=85
>>>>>>>>>>=20
>>>>>>>>>>=20
>>>>>>>>>> On Mon, May 25, 2026 at 6:10=E2=80=AFAM Ren=C3=A9 Wilhelm =
<[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>> wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>> ragebait
>>>>>>>>>>>=20
>>>>>>>>>>> On Mon, 25 May 2026 at 15:05, Richard Barnett =
<[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>> =
wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>>> =
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2026/may/23/boards-of-canada-inferno-rev=
iew-after-13-years-away-their-prodigal-return-is-a-big-disappointment
>>>>>>>>>>>>=20
>>>>>>>>>>>> --
>>>>>>>>>>>> Richard Barnett
>>>>>>>>>>>>=20
>>>>>>>>>>>>=20
>>>>>>>>=20
>>>>>>>>=20
>>>>>>>>=20
>>>>>>>> --
>>>>>>>> ----------------------------------------
>>>>>>>>      not sent from an iDevice
>>>>>>>> ----------------------------------------
>>=20
>>=20
>>=20
>> --
>> ~Theo Philip
>> [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>

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<html aria-label=3D"message body"><head><meta http-equiv=3D"content-type" =
content=3D"text/html; charset=3Dutf-8"></head><body =
style=3D"overflow-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; =
line-break: after-white-space;">The vowel, timing bending on father and =
son is very interesting!<br id=3D"lineBreakAtBeginningOfMessage"><div>
<meta charset=3D"UTF-8"><div dir=3D"auto" style=3D"caret-color: rgb(0, =
0, 0); color: rgb(0, 0, 0); letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; =
text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; =
word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration: =
none; overflow-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: =
after-white-space;"><div dir=3D"auto" style=3D"caret-color: rgb(0, 0, =
0); color: rgb(0, 0, 0); letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; =
text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; =
word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration: =
none; overflow-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: =
after-white-space;"><div><p class=3D"MsoNormal">Best wishes</p><p =
class=3D"MsoNormal">David Newman</p><p class=3D"MsoNormal"><span =
style=3D"font-size: 10pt; font-family: &quot;Helvetica Light&quot;, =
sans-serif; color: rgb(11, 118, 160);"><a =
href=3D"http://www.audiobulb.com/"><span style=3D"color: rgb(11, 118, =
160);">www.audiobulb.com</span></a>&nbsp;:&nbsp;</span><span =
style=3D"font-size: 10pt; font-family: &quot;Helvetica Light&quot;, =
sans-serif;">exploratory music</span><span style=3D"font-size: =
10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=3D"MsoNormal"><span =
style=3D"font-size: 10pt; font-family: &quot;Helvetica Light&quot;, =
sans-serif; color: rgb(11, 118, 160);"><a =
href=3D"http://www.audiomoves.com/"><span style=3D"color: rgb(11, 118, =
160);">www.audiomoves.com</span></a></span><span style=3D"font-size: =
10pt; font-family: &quot;Helvetica Light&quot;, sans-serif;">&nbsp;: =
ambient music sync&nbsp;specialist</span><span style=3D"font-size: =
10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=3D"MsoNormal"><span =
style=3D"font-size: 10pt; font-family: &quot;Helvetica Light&quot;, =
sans-serif; color: rgb(11, 118, 160);"><a =
href=3D"http://www.volume-objects.com/"><span style=3D"color: rgb(11, =
118, 160);">www.volume-objects.com</span></a></span><span =
style=3D"font-size: 10pt; font-family: &quot;Helvetica Light&quot;, =
sans-serif;">&nbsp;: abstract ambience :: broken =
space</span></p></div></div></div>
</div>
<div><br><div>On 2 Jun 2026, at 17:59, Alan Lucas =
&lt;[email protected]&gt; wrote:</div><br =
class=3D"Apple-interchange-newline"><div><div dir=3D"auto">On the =
contrary, I=E2=80=99m quite happy to hear all manner of =
opinions.</div><div dir=3D"auto"><br></div><div dir=3D"auto">I like a =
lot of the album so far, but Father And Son sounds like something that =
The Books would have done back around 2005. Same with The Word Becomes =
Flesh, but that one is slightly less bothersome to me for whatever =
reason.&nbsp;</div><div dir=3D"auto"><br></div><div dir=3D"auto"><br><div =
class=3D"gmail_quote gmail_quote_container" dir=3D"auto"><div dir=3D"ltr" =
class=3D"gmail_attr">On Tue, Jun 2, 2026 at 10:37=E2=80=AFAM Jordan =
Meinecke &lt;<a =
href=3D"mailto:[email protected]">[email protected]</a>&gt; =
wrote:<br></div><blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margin:0px =
0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid =
rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex"><div dir=3D"auto"><div =
dir=3D"ltr"></div><div dir=3D"ltr">No one wants to hear your negative =
opinions</div><div dir=3D"ltr"><br><blockquote type=3D"cite">On Jun 1, =
2026, at 5:58=E2=80=AFPM, Theo Philip &lt;<a =
href=3D"mailto:[email protected]" =
target=3D"_blank">[email protected]</a>&gt; =
wrote:<br><br></blockquote></div><blockquote type=3D"cite"><div =
dir=3D"ltr">=EF=BB=BF</div></blockquote></div><div =
dir=3D"auto"><blockquote type=3D"cite"><div dir=3D"ltr"><div dir=3D"ltr">I=
 think I agree with the&nbsp;reviewer. BoC's drum beats are just so =
boring. The songs I really like of theirs, happen to be the ones without =
drums, Memory Death and Deep Time on Inferno, Bocuma and The Color of =
The Fire on music has the right to children. Compare to a contemporary =
like Amon Tobin, and this is for me what would make their tracks more =
enjoyable to listen to.&nbsp;</div><br><div class=3D"gmail_quote"><div =
dir=3D"ltr" class=3D"gmail_attr">On Mon, 1 Jun 2026 at 22:03, Zheanna =
Murray &lt;<a href=3D"mailto:[email protected]" =
target=3D"_blank">[email protected]</a>&gt; =
wrote:<br></div><blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margin:0px =
0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid =
rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex"><div dir=3D"ltr">Have had a chance to =
spin it a few times now front to back; it certainly sounds more "modern" =
than any prior BOC stuff, in my opinion - not that that's a bad thing at =
all. It still feels very BOC, and while it doesn't feel like anything =
particularly revolutionary (can anyone say they truly expected that from =
them to begin with?), it's a pleasure to listen to and I'm certain it =
will grow on me even more over time.&nbsp;<div><br></div><div>Everyone =
seems to be enamored with Father And Son but there's something about =
those vocal slices that is unsettling, and I don't just mean their =
subject matter. Several tracks (Hydrogen Helium Lithium Leviathan and =
Arena Americanada especially) remind me a bit of the catalogue stuff =
made for Bruton Music in the 80s....shades of Mark Shreeve's masterwork =
"Mephisto", for example, or Francis Monkman's "Perpetual Motion" off the =
Energism album. Love that bold =
sound.</div><div><br></div><div>Z</div></div><br><div =
class=3D"gmail_quote"><div dir=3D"ltr" class=3D"gmail_attr">On Mon, Jun =
1, 2026 at 1:42=E2=80=AFPM Rjyan Kidwell &lt;<a =
href=3D"mailto:[email protected]" =
target=3D"_blank">[email protected]</a>&gt; wrote:<br></div><blockquote =
class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px =
solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex"><div dir=3D"auto">That =
said,<div dir=3D"auto">The Crowded House-adjacent guitar this time =
around is their coolest deployment of guitar ever imo and I would be =
psyched if there's any more of that to come.&nbsp;</div><div =
dir=3D"auto"><br></div><div dir=3D"auto">Also the synthetic Clouddead =
flows in the super cutup vocals tracks is a bold choice that works way =
better than I would have expected.&nbsp;</div><div =
dir=3D"auto"><br></div><div dir=3D"auto"><br></div><div =
dir=3D"auto">-rk</div></div><br><div class=3D"gmail_quote"><div =
dir=3D"ltr" class=3D"gmail_attr">On Mon, Jun 1, 2026, 4:18 AM Rjyan =
Kidwell &lt;<a href=3D"mailto:[email protected]" =
target=3D"_blank">[email protected]</a>&gt; wrote:<br></div><blockquote =
class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px =
solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex"><div dir=3D"ltr">When I =
listened to bits and pieces of it while doing other things, I didn't =
care for it at all.<div>Then today I ended up sitting down on a couch =
and listening to the whole thing (on shuffle, by accident) without doing =
or focusing on anything else and I had a real good =
time.&nbsp;</div><div><br>I think the increasing enshittification of =
everything tech, and trashiness of everything about AI, has kinda called =
the whole "artist must make PROGRESS" framing into question for me on a =
fundamental level. At age 40 I prob would have been right there with ppl =
saying, "They've added nothing/They've evolved none!" but at age 45 I'm =
actually really genuinely glad that these two weirdos still get to live =
in a beautiful place out in the highlands and make the exact sounds they =
want to make.&nbsp;I don't think they need to invent a whole nother =
aesthetic or History of The Nuum moment to be a net gain/good deal for =
the rest of the =
species.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>-rk</div></div><br>=
<div class=3D"gmail_quote"><div dir=3D"ltr" class=3D"gmail_attr">On Sat, =
May 30, 2026 at 7:40=E2=80=AFAM Elijah Fink &lt;<a =
href=3D"mailto:[email protected]" rel=3D"noreferrer" =
target=3D"_blank">[email protected]</a>&gt; wrote:<br></div><blockquote =
class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px =
solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex"><div dir=3D"auto">The album =
rules, review is rubbish</div><br><div class=3D"gmail_quote"><div =
dir=3D"ltr" class=3D"gmail_attr">On Fri, 29 May 2026, 06:12 David =
Newman, &lt;<a href=3D"mailto:[email protected]" rel=3D"noreferrer" =
target=3D"_blank">[email protected]</a>&gt; =
wrote:<br></div><blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margin:0px =
0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid =
rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex"><div dir=3D"auto">Just going to a =
listening party=E2=80=A6 with open ears and an open mind =E2=80=A6. If =
it=E2=80=99s better than tomorrow=E2=80=99s harvest I=E2=80=99m =
happy&nbsp;<div><br =
id=3D"m_-3072126643699566337m_-2512781088294948826m_-6851406460683774907m_=
194040298882962608m_4473043227417954994m_200966731321310408lineBreakAtBegi=
nningOfSignature"><div dir=3D"ltr"><div>Best =
wishes</div><div><br></div>David Newman - shorter message sent from a =
mobile device =F0=9F=93=B2</div><div dir=3D"ltr"><br><blockquote =
type=3D"cite">On 28 May 2026, at 21:00, Zombiefly &lt;<a =
href=3D"mailto:[email protected]" rel=3D"noreferrer noreferrer" =
target=3D"_blank">[email protected]</a>&gt; =
wrote:<br><br></blockquote></div><blockquote type=3D"cite"><div =
dir=3D"ltr">=EF=BB=BF<div dir=3D"ltr"><span =
style=3D"border-style:none;background:0% 0% repeat">just</span> heard =
it.<div><span style=3D"border-style:none;background:0% 0% =
repeat">the</span> review is bang on.</div><div><br></div><div>how =
disappointing</div></div><br><div class=3D"gmail_quote"><div dir=3D"ltr" =
class=3D"gmail_attr">On Mon, 25 May 2026 at 23:55, steven richard price =
&lt;<a href=3D"mailto:[email protected]" rel=3D"noreferrer noreferrer" =
target=3D"_blank">[email protected]</a>&gt; wrote:<br></div><blockquote =
class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px =
solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex"><div dir=3D"auto">Truly awful =
review.&nbsp;</div><br><div class=3D"gmail_quote"><div dir=3D"ltr" =
class=3D"gmail_attr">On Mon, 25 May 2026, 20:04 Seth Branum, &lt;<a =
href=3D"mailto:[email protected]" rel=3D"noreferrer noreferrer" =
target=3D"_blank">[email protected]</a>&gt; wrote:<br></div><blockquote =
class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px =
solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex"><div dir=3D"ltr">BoC's =
religious/cult themes made him =
squeamish.&nbsp;&nbsp;=F0=9F=98=85<br><br></div><br><div =
class=3D"gmail_quote"><div dir=3D"ltr" class=3D"gmail_attr">On Mon, May =
25, 2026 at 6:10=E2=80=AFAM Ren=C3=A9 Wilhelm &lt;<a =
href=3D"mailto:[email protected]" rel=3D"noreferrer noreferrer =
noreferrer" target=3D"_blank">[email protected]</a>&gt; =
wrote:<br></div><blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margin:0px =
0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid =
rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex"><div dir=3D"ltr"><div =
class=3D"gmail_default" =
style=3D"font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">ragebait</div></div><br><=
div class=3D"gmail_quote"><div dir=3D"ltr" class=3D"gmail_attr">On Mon, =
25 May 2026 at 15:05, Richard Barnett &lt;<a =
href=3D"mailto:[email protected]" rel=3D"noreferrer noreferrer =
noreferrer" target=3D"_blank">[email protected]</a>&gt; =
wrote:<br></div><blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margin:0px =
0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid =
rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex"><div dir=3D"ltr"><div><a =
href=3D"https://www.theguardian.com/music/2026/may/23/boards-of-canada-inf=
erno-review-after-13-years-away-their-prodigal-return-is-a-big-disappointm=
ent" rel=3D"noreferrer noreferrer noreferrer" =
target=3D"_blank">https://www.theguardian.com/music/2026/may/23/boards-of-=
canada-inferno-review-after-13-years-away-their-prodigal-return-is-a-big-d=
isappointment</a></div><div><br></div><span =
class=3D"gmail_signature_prefix">-- </span><br><div dir=3D"ltr" =
class=3D"gmail_signature"><div dir=3D"ltr"><div dir=3D"ltr"><div>Richard =
Barnett<br><br></div><div><br></div></div></div></div></div>
</blockquote></div>
</blockquote></div>
</blockquote></div>
</blockquote></div><div><br clear=3D"all"></div><div><br></div><span =
class=3D"gmail_signature_prefix">-- </span><br><div dir=3D"ltr" =
class=3D"gmail_signature"><div dir=3D"ltr"><font face=3D"tahoma, =
sans-serif" style=3D"font-family: tahoma, =
sans-serif;">----------------------------------------</font><div><font =
face=3D"tahoma, sans-serif" style=3D"font-family: tahoma, =
sans-serif;">&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;not sent from an =
iDevice</font></div><div><span style=3D"font-size:12.8px"><font =
face=3D"tahoma, sans-serif" style=3D"font-family: tahoma, =
sans-serif;">----------------------------------------</font></span><br></d=
iv></div></div>
</div></blockquote></div></div></blockquote></div>
</blockquote></div>
</blockquote></div>
</blockquote></div>
</blockquote></div><div><br clear=3D"all"></div><div><br></div><span =
class=3D"gmail_signature_prefix">-- </span><br><div dir=3D"ltr" =
class=3D"gmail_signature">~Theo Philip<div><a =
href=3D"mailto:[email protected]" =
target=3D"_blank">[email protected]</a></div></div>
</div></blockquote></div></blockquote></div></div>
</div></div><br></body></html>=

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