Boards of Canada's 'Inferno': A Deep Dive into Esoteric Electronic Soundscapes
Boards of Canada's long-awaited album, 'Inferno,' has emerged from a 13-year silence, presenting a compelling journey into the Scottish duo's distinctive electronic universe. This latest offering, lauded as one of their most engaging works since 'Geogaddi,' meticulously weaves together occult symbolism and mysterious audio fragments, creating a truly immersive auditory experience. The album's release was preceded by exclusive listening events across various venues globally, where the iconic hexagonal motif, central to the duo's artistic identity, subtly hinted at the record's profound themes. 'Inferno' masterfully balances powerful, rhythm-driven compositions with their characteristic atmospheric, nostalgia-infused interludes, promising listeners a deeply resonant and thought-provoking exploration of existence, belief, and the enigmatic.
The prelude to 'Inferno's' debut saw fans attending unique playback sessions, from art-house cinemas in Barcelona to churches worldwide. These events featured a flaming hexagon, a signature symbol of Boards of Canada, rotating in darkness, enveloping the audience in the album's sound. The Barcelona cinema, with its sleek, contemporary design, perfectly complemented the duo's retro-futuristic aesthetic, even featuring a hexagonal pattern within its lobby carpeting, a detail that resonated deeply with the band's lore.
Following these sessions, an observant listener noted the sudden ubiquity of hexagons in their daily life—from fashion patterns to tech logos, and even in nature's designs like wasp nests. This phenomenon speaks volumes about Boards of Canada's masterful world-building, where subtle details and esoteric references draw fans into a labyrinth of discovery. Since their 1998 classic 'Music Has the Right to Children,' brothers Marcus Eoin and Michael Sandison have been known for embedding their music with cryptic clues, transforming listening into an investigative quest. The hexagon, a recurring motif, symbolizes their fascination with the underlying mathematical patterns of reality, a concept Eoin described as 'the wizard' behind the curtain of existence.
On 'Inferno,' this 'wizardry' reaches new heights. The album is designed as a continuous sonic narrative, with a deluxe edition offering an uninterrupted mix. It deftly navigates between intense, percussive pieces and the ethereal, dreamlike passages that are the hallmark of Boards of Canada. Beyond its musical structure, 'Inferno' is rich with allusions to religious dogma, biological intricacies, and fundamental philosophical questions, promising revelations that unfold against some of their most captivating musical backdrops.
Despite the 13-year gap, Boards of Canada's core sound remains largely consistent, a testament to their ability to innovate within a defined sonic framework. While 'Tomorrow's Harvest' leaned into darker, drone-heavy textures, 'Inferno' distinguishes itself with a sharper, more defined palette, emphasizing crisp rhythms and a heightened sense of spatial depth. Tracks like 'Prophecy at 1420 MHz' showcase this evolution, layering complex synthscapes with a robotic voice pondering consciousness and divinity, setting the stage for the album's profound existential inquiry.
The album is a treasure trove for keen listeners, packed with 'Easter eggs' and coded messages. From computerized voices referencing the Antichrist and Osama bin Laden in 'Age of Capricorn' to sampled evangelical broadcasts in 'Father and Son,' these elements are initially jarring but eventually become integral to the music's fabric. These highly specific vocal snippets, reminiscent of The Books, act as enigmatic portals, inviting endless interpretation. As the album progresses, themes darken further, with 'Naraka' (Sanskrit for Hell) and 'All Reason Departs' delving into ominous territories, featuring texts by Aleister Crowley and sounds suggestive of distant chaos.
The true genius of 'Inferno' lies in its ability to animate these occult themes through scintillating musical craftsmanship. The album's intricate song structures draw listeners in, defying simple linear expectations with unconventional phrase lengths and unpredictable loop retriggers. While some fans may seek to decode the music as a complex puzzle, the true reward lies in the exceptional manipulation of mood and emotion. Just as the pre-release listening sessions prompted a heightened awareness of hexagons in everyday life, the elaborate mechanics of 'Inferno' ignite a belief in its profound, underlying artistry.