BoC LPs as Elemental Concept Albums

I've mentioned this before, and a certain Site Administrator indicated we should probably revisit the topic some time after TH has been released, so I think this is a fair time to re-introduce this idea:

So far, the LPs have each had a distinct tone that could possibly be attributed to an element:

MHTRTC - Air (sounds play out as if at a distance and melodies like dust motes)

Geogaddi - Fire (reduced use of reverb, claustrophobic, dry tones, crackling sounds)

TCH - Water (more polished production/wet or clean sound, juxtaposed with some sounds I would say seem "water-damaged", drums in Dayvan Cowboy sound like a rhythmic representation of waves)

TH - Earth (I had kind of imagined a track like Palace Posey would be on this album even before the release, a sort of tribal/nature tone)

Depending on the mythology used, there could be additional elements in the lineup (Metal, Aether, or if you're a Captain Planet fan, Heart), but in referencing Aquarius it would look like there might have been a restriction to the Zodiac elements. If that is the case, I would anticipate the sound of any new LPs to be far removed from the previous four.

Discuss.

Ironically, the very thing that turned me off of The Campfire Headphase was how dry the acoustic guitars sounded. Along with the fact that fire is in the album title...

  On 1/24/2019 at 9:57 PM, Taupe Beats said:

Ironically, the very thing that turned me off of The Campfire Headphase was how dry the acoustic guitars sounded. Along with the fact that fire is in the album title...

The guitars were definitely less effect-layered, but the majority of the album has a clean or even "glittery" sound that I think compliments a dry acoustic guitar.

When it comes to the title, I don't put much faith that I'll be hearing the title in the song (or even the same album) from BoC. The "eagle in your mind" sample comes to mind in that respect. I'm curious, do you think you would have the same opinion if the tracks didn't have titles, and all you were left with was the sound?

the chinese 5 elements are metal, earth, fire, water and wood.. mhtrtc was clearly a wood album (the color of the fire duh)

so in conclusion their next bum will be a

metal album (nu metal)

  On 1/24/2019 at 10:18 PM, MIXL2 said:

the chinese 5 elements are metal, earth, fire, water and wood.. mhtrtc was clearly a wood album (the color of the fire duh)

 

so in conclusion their next bum will be a

 

metal album (nu metal)

I was a little afraid of this, actually.

I actually agree with your assignments - I tend to think of the BOC LPs as seasons more than elements:

MHTRTC: Winter

Geogaddi: Summer/Autumn

TCH: Spring/Summer

TH: Autumn/Winter

  On 1/24/2019 at 10:48 PM, Joyrex said:

I actually agree with your assignments - I tend to think of the BOC LPs as seasons more than elements:

 

MHTRTC: Winter

Geogaddi: Summer/Autumn

TCH: Spring/Summer

TH: Autumn/Winter

Oh THIS works nicely; I play Geogaddi more in the winter to "keep warm".

it's all about the he said she said bullshit

i think you better quit

lettin shit slip

or you'll be leavin with a fat lip

  On 1/24/2019 at 11:21 PM, span said:

it's all about the he said she said bullshit

i think you better quit

lettin shit slip

or you'll be leavin with a fat lip

Hahaha

Which element is this? 

I really wish they'd improve their performance by releasing some music. 

  On 1/24/2019 at 11:48 PM, Drum Up said:

 

  On 1/24/2019 at 11:21 PM, span said:

it's all about the he said she said bullshit

i think you better quit

lettin shit slip

or you'll be leavin with a fat lip

 

Hahaha

 

Which element is this? 

 

 

I really wish they'd improve their performance by releasing some music. 

 

That's a rainy, peat-soaked Scottish spring

  On 1/24/2019 at 11:48 PM, Drum Up said:

 

Hahaha

 

Which element is this? 

 

 

I really wish they'd improve their performance by reading the rules. 

 

I'm honestly satisfied with what they've released. I really feel like if TH was it, and there's no more to hear, I would be okay with it. 

If it's not the end of their releases, I would be very excited, but I've resigned myself to the idea that it's quite possible they are done.

welcome back.

oh yeah BoC theories *files in bin marked Twoism.org*

  On 1/25/2019 at 3:54 AM, usagi said:

welcome back.

 

oh yeah BoC theories *files in bin marked Twoism.org*

I've never considered visiting Twoism, for some reason I had the impression it was rife with rabid and overly emotional fans. Prolly not the place to start talk of the end of BoC's discography.

  On 1/25/2019 at 8:19 PM, OneToThirtySix said:

 

  On 1/25/2019 at 3:54 AM, usagi said:

welcome back.

 

oh yeah BoC theories *files in bin marked Twoism.org*

I've never considered visiting Twoism, for some reason I had the impression it was rife with rabid and overly emotional fans. Prolly not the place to start talk of the end of BoC's discography.

 

I made a login name but never dove in. Still been meaning to go on there to read up on / share suggestions on similar artists but the /r/boardsofcanada and r/soundslikeBoC subreddits fill that niche

  On 1/24/2019 at 10:19 PM, OneToThirtySix said:

 

  On 1/24/2019 at 10:18 PM, MIXL2 said:

the chinese 5 elements are metal, earth, fire, water and wood.. mhtrtc was clearly a wood album (the color of the fire duh)

 

so in conclusion their next bum will be a

 

metal album (nu metal)

 

I was a little afraid of this, actually.

 

I was thinking this:

EARTH

FIRE

WIND

WATER

heart   

  On 1/25/2019 at 12:03 AM, OneToThirtySix said:

 

  On 1/24/2019 at 11:48 PM, Drum Up said:

 

Hahaha

 

Which element is this? 

 

 

I really wish they'd improve their performance by reading the rules. 

 

 

I'm honestly satisfied with what they've released. I really feel like if TH was it, and there's no more to hear, I would be okay with it. 

 

If it's not the end of their releases, I would be very excited, but I've resigned myself to the idea that it's quite possible they are done.

 

I would too, all of their albums both individually and as a whole, are some of the best music ever made imo, can't even imagine how some of it was done. My friend who turned me on to them said he thought that they were able to project themselves into peoples' dreams and set up recording gear there. I feel you on linking MHTRTC with air, but I love the running water sounds on 'Aquarius' and also on TCH on 'Satellite Anthem Icarus.' Both these songs also have some nice birdsongs in the mix too, so I guess that counts as air, guess all of it does naturally since sound travels through air and I imagine all their sounds pass through the air and are captured on tape. 

  On 1/25/2019 at 9:03 PM, joshuatx said:

 

I was thinking this:

 

EARTH

FIRE

WIND

WATER

 

heart   

 

I put that in the OP

  On 1/25/2019 at 9:20 PM, Drum Up said:

 

I would too, all of their albums both individually and as a whole, are some of the best music ever made imo, can't even imagine how some of it was done. My friend who turned me on to them said he thought that they were able to project themselves into peoples' dreams and set up recording gear there. I feel you on linking MHTRTC with air, but I love the running water sounds on 'Aquarius' and also on TCH on 'Satellite Anthem Icarus.' Both these songs also have some nice birdsongs in the mix too, so I guess that counts as air, guess all of it does naturally since sound travels through air and I imagine all their sounds pass through the air and are captured on tape. 

 

Has this "friend" that turned you onto BoC ever considered not doing drugs? I feel psychically molested just thinking about the BoC sampling some of the dreams I've managed to dredge from the depths of my consciousness.

Since Aquarius is the "Water-Bearer", I have never been shocked by the swishing water sample in that track; I would also point out that Aquarius is attributed to the Air element in the Zodiac rotation, but that concept doesn't track well, since Gemini is also an Air sign, but the track title is on what would be the "Earth" album . . . [ASCIIshrug.png]

sorta like this really

  On 1/24/2019 at 10:48 PM, Joyrex said:

I actually agree with your assignments - I tend to think of the BOC LPs as seasons more than elements:

 

MHTRTC: Winter

Geogaddi: Summer/Autumn

TCH: Spring/Summer

TH: Autumn/Winter

I agree they attribute better to seasons, but I'd do it a little differently:

MHTRTC - Spring

Geogaddi - Fall

TCH - Summer

TH - Winter 

TH has a colder feel than MHTRTC, which makes me attribute it more to Winter than the others. Also MHTRTC is just so very Spring imo.

Strong summer associations for mhtrtc, and winter for Geo. Which is mostly from personal experiences while listening to those albums. And not some sort of pseudo music theory. If you want to theorize, take the release dates into account. Because the time of release will influence the tone of the album. ;)

So yeah. Hope they will release new tunes soon. And all that.

  On 1/26/2019 at 6:36 AM, Embers said:

sorta like this really

Dank BOC Memes

  On 1/28/2019 at 5:25 PM, Joyrex said:

 

  On 1/26/2019 at 6:36 AM, Embers said:

sorta like this really

Dank BOC Memes

 

I'm noticing that the "-oomer" in the middle isn't titled.

  On 1/24/2019 at 10:48 PM, Joyrex said:

I actually agree with your assignments - I tend to think of the BOC LPs as seasons more than elements:

 

MHTRTC: Winter

Geogaddi: Summer/Autumn

TCH: Spring/Summer

TH: Autumn/Winter

MHTRTC: Late autumn/winter (damp and cold)

[iABPOITC - Freezing mid-winter]

Geogaddi: Late summer/Early autumn (days have just started to draw in)

TCH: Spring/Summer (yeah, times on the beach - nice and warm, but not hot)

TH: Nuclear winter in the height of summer.

  On 1/28/2019 at 5:28 PM, OneToThirtySix said:

 

  On 1/28/2019 at 5:25 PM, Joyrex said:

 

  On 1/26/2019 at 6:36 AM, Embers said:

sorta like this really

Dank BOC Memes

I'm noticing that the "-oomer" in the middle isn't titled.

The one in the middle is Bocuma.

  On 1/26/2019 at 9:18 AM, goDel said:

Strong summer associations for mhtrtc, and winter for Geo. Which is mostly from personal experiences while listening to those albums. And not some sort of pseudo music theory. If you want to theorize, take the release dates into account. Because the time of release will influence the tone of the album. ;)

 

So yeah. Hope they will release new tunes soon. And all that.

I probably could have expounded on the idea, so it's fair to refer to it as being "pseudo music theory":

If each LP was a soundtrack to a documentary on elements, it would agree with their choices on which tracks were used for the EPs, since they aren't usually "in line" with the preceding LP's themes. To a more loose extent, it also can be applied to the artwork for each LP.