Boards of Canada The Smallest Weird Number

I was just listening to Geogaddi when this track came on. Aside from its perfect segue from Julie and Candy, listening to this track in my bed, in the dark, was absolutely mind-blowing. I've always thought this to be a very special track (hell, it even got first place in my Geogaddi best-to-worst thread) but tonight, it seriously, seriously struck me.

I'm just gonna go ahead and say it. The Smallest Weird Number has the most powerful melody I have ever heard. I have no idea if there are any more powerful melodies than this, but all I know is I've heard a lot of music in my life and, as far as single melodies go when played by themselves, I've never heard any more powerful than this.

I've had experiences with weird states of mind, and this is a perfect emulation of the kind of feelings you get when your brain is fucked up. It just sounds so evil and twisted, it completely surrounds you and doesn't let you go until you've reached an epiphany. Some music is so powerful that it can actually touch the soul, but this track completely takes control over it and tries to twist it for its own satanic purposes. Seriously, who, other than Boards of Canada, can make music that does this?

If they had created nothing whatsoever except this track, they would still be two of the greatest artists in history. I don't even care if they release another album, this track (and indeed the entire album) is pure gold (that's an understatement, I couldn't think of a better description).

This thread is dedicated to the melody in The Smallest Weird Number, and all the weird, wonderful, horrifying, claustrophobic, ecstatic and haunting emotions that are conjured with every listen.

Everyone I know who listens to BoC has these moments where they go apeshit over the genious(sic) of BoC.

just listening to it now. makes me feel like i'm falling, not necessarily a nice feeling at that.

  On 11/17/2010 at 3:28 AM, Rhombix said:

I'm just gonna go ahead and say it. The Smallest Weird Number has the most powerful melody I have ever heard. I have no idea if there are any more powerful melodies than this, but all I know is I've heard a lot of music in my life and, as far as single melodies go when played by themselves, I've never heard any more powerful than this.

Great track indeed, but I'm curious of this: would you replace this with say Roygbiv or Everything You Do Is A Balloon, had they been stripped to their core melody?

  On 11/17/2010 at 3:52 AM, verticalhold said:

  On 11/17/2010 at 3:28 AM, Rhombix said:

I'm just gonna go ahead and say it. The Smallest Weird Number has the most powerful melody I have ever heard. I have no idea if there are any more powerful melodies than this, but all I know is I've heard a lot of music in my life and, as far as single melodies go when played by themselves, I've never heard any more powerful than this.

 

Great track indeed, but I'm curious of this: would you replace this with say Roygbiv or Everything You Do Is A Balloon, had they been stripped to their core melody?

Interesting. I guess I'd have to say that Roygbiv and EYDIAB are powerful the way they are, but not as powerful as The Smallest Weird Number. That shit really does stuff to your soul.

I mean usually, music doesn't have a significant amount of power until it has at least three or four different layers. Chords, percussion, multiple instruments etc. But we're talking about a track that has and incredible force using nothing but a melody with a simple backing, and THAT is talent.

there is something very real and thoughtful about this song and melody, I can picture the whole of humanity, so sure of it's own superiority in its head, blissfully unaware of the true state of things.

Although I can't recall what The Smallest Weird Number sounds like right now in my head... In the Annexe has just as powerful an effect on me. It's only 1:22 but it almost brings me to tears every time I hear it... not sure why, my heart is just filled with this enormous sense of emptiness.

Powerful stuff on Geogaddi!

i always visualised an old vhs tape with really shitty lo-fi film, depicting a shadowey figure of a man, but all very indistinguishable. a really creepy track

I always thought Beware the Friendly Stranger was their creepiest track.. mayybe because I first heard it in Salad Fingers

Over the Horizon Radar is my favorite vignette track on Geogaddi. The all knowing force of nature smiles upon you.

  On 11/18/2010 at 5:51 AM, Candiru said:

The all knowing force of nature smiles upon you.

  On 11/18/2010 at 5:51 AM, Candiru said:

Over the Horizon Radar is my favorite vignette track on Geogaddi. The all knowing force of nature smiles upon you.

  On 11/18/2010 at 5:51 AM, Candiru said:

The all knowing force of nature smiles upon you.

  Candiru said:

The all knowing force of nature smiles upon you.

I've always found The Smallest Weird Number perfectly forgettable, particularly on such a great album as Geogaddi.

And considering it's quite an old track (long before Geogaddi), and played 'properly' vs. what's on Geogaddi...

Don't care for the track. I also like Campfire Headphase and think Dayvan Cowboy is beautiful.

I guess I just hate BOC.

the melody's too meandering for it to be mind blowingly powerful for me. i prefer that flutey noodle in the intro.

I Saw Drones has a profound effect on me.

This track made me feel like everything good in the world was melting

It's a good track. Not my favorite on Geogaddi, but a good 'un. My favorite "short track" by BoC is probably "Into The Rainbow Vein". But I also like The Campfire Headphase more than most people.

I find it kind of difficult to narrow down my favorite tracks on Geogaddi. Some tracks like "1969" or "Dawn Chorus" work well by themselves, but a lot of songs I feel don't really work as well by themselves, and they're much more enjoyable when looking at them in the entire context of the album itself, like taking a listen from start to finish. This would be tracks like "Opening The Mouth", "Ready Lets Go", "The Smallest Weird Number" and I'd even say "The Beach At Redpoint".

Geogaddi is sort of like a book to me. And the tracks are like chapters. Some chapters might not make as much sense or be as enjoyable if you skipped over and just wanted to read say the 7th chapter, but when you sit down and read the book from start to finish the chapters make much more sense and you get the context it's meant to be seen and taken as.

That's at least how I look at Geogaddi.

[/nerd fanboy]

  On 3/20/2011 at 4:04 AM, ArbitersGround said:

Geogaddi is sort of like a book to me.

my one is!

  On 3/21/2011 at 6:40 PM, ezkerraldean said:

  On 3/20/2011 at 4:04 AM, ArbitersGround said:

Geogaddi is sort of like a book to me.

my one is!

  On 3/22/2011 at 8:56 AM, verticalhold said:

  On 3/21/2011 at 6:40 PM, ezkerraldean said:

  On 3/20/2011 at 4:04 AM, ArbitersGround said:

Geogaddi is sort of like a book to me.

my one is!

although I'm sure many on this board also have it.