Boards Of Canada

Boards of Canada make brilliant background music, and I say that as a statement of praise rather than disparagement. Ordinarily I’d use the term ‘background music’ to refer to something that vaguely sounds pleasant, remaining inoffensive and enjoyable to listen to for most of its length, but Boards of Canada do something different. They manage to produce music that develops slowly and is happy to sit in the background, while still remaining engaging, innovative and interesting throughout. Music Has the Right to Children is an excellent example of this too, and it easily does enough to hold a listeners attention throughout.
“Telephasic Workshop” and “Sixtyten” are great examples early on in the album. Both running around the six-minute mark, they begin with a simple, relatively sparse, rolling musical idea, until further layers of tightly cut samples trickle in, expanding across the top of the track. These samples smattered throughout the album are what guards the music from sounding mechanical, adding a human element to what are, in some cases, pretty tightly driven, insular beats. This is used to great effect in “Aquarius”, an eerie, other-worldly track only made more curious by its vocal samples. The album manages to remain intriguing throughout, lacking those moments where a theme outstays its welcome, or a filler track that pads out the album. It makes for fantastic listen. Production is top notch, and it’s clear that everything has been very purposely placed in the mix.

It’s hard to fault the album at all, but if I had to I’d go for the end, which feels a little muddled and a touch weaker, despite “Happy Cycling” being one the more memorable tracks from the album. Music Has the Right to Children is an exceptional entry in Boards of Canada’s very solid discography, and it fills a unique space that very few artists manage to pull off.