Review: The Campfire Headphase by Boards of Canada

Boards of Canada is a Scottish duo that makes electronic music for people who prefer headphones to speakers, indoors to outdoors and slippers to shoes. The duo has an uncanny knack of creating repeating rhythms that place the listener into a trance like state that induces introspection and fear. The Campfire Headphase, the group's third full-length, is no different.

Nestled in history three years after their last effort, Geogaddi, The Campfire Headphase might turn the heads of lonely college interns and record store eyeglasses, but will not change the view of those who may have come to hate or despise the band already. The reason is simple: with the exception of the introduction of live guitar (which, to be perfectly honest, sounds like keyboard riffs anyway), Boards of Canada hasn't changed much since their debut album, Music Has the Right to Children. The effort and original ingenuity is still here, for the most part the band has simply continued on in their trek to integrate the music of Brian Eno-esque ballads and Autechre inspired electronic manipulation. Tracks like "A Moment of Clarity," and "Into the Rainbow Vein" showcase Boards in a state of mutual respect and fear of technology and nature, synonymously attacking yet welcoming change and destruction.

Stuffed somewhere inside the mind of a '70s computer engineer, The Campfire Headphase eliminates much of the quirk that was present in their earlier work, relying more on movements and transitions than ridiculous audio exerts and digital tomfoolery.

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