In 1998, Scotland based IDM duo ‘Boards of Canada’ released their debut studio album ‘Music Has the Right to Children’. Being the first album following a steady release of EPs, it was met with widespread critical acclaim, and brought further attention to Warp Records (which was already known for musicians such as Aphex Twin and Autechre). The album was praised for its nostalgic, child-like feel and extremely tight production. But following this release, the band would go dormant to begin work on their next album. 

 During their recording sessions, they recorded 90+ tracks, but slowly narrowed their selection to 23. From 2000-2001, their live shows consisted of past material as well as new tracks from their next album. And on February 13th, 2002, Boards of Canada released their sophomore LP, ‘Geogaddi’.

In comparison to their first album, ‘Geogaddi’ took on a much darker tone, being influenced by the more tragic world events, including the September 11th terrorist attacks. Weaving backwards messages throughout the mix, using more abstract and less structured production techniques, and setting the runtime of the entire album to sixty six minutes and six seconds, the duo stated that they wanted the album to feel as if the Devil had created it. The inclusion of references to cryptology, numerology, and cults (notably, David Koresh from the Branch Davidians) helped bring the album’s tone to much darker places than their last one. 

But this dark approach has gone on to influence an entire generation, specifically, one that has been severely affected by the tragedies that influenced the album in the first place. This post 9/11 generation has used the album as a way to resonate with the darkness of the past, and the uncertainty of the future. 

The tone of the album shifts drastically throughout it’s 66 minutes and 6 seconds of runtime. Beginning with a droning pad to set the stage on ‘Ready Lets Go’, this is followed by ‘Music is Math’, which immediately shows the difference in tone from the group’s prior releases. Tracks such as ‘Gyroscope’ and ‘Sunshine Recorder’ continue to drag the listener into darker territory, with its rolling percussion and fuzzy distorted audio samples of, mainly, children. 

One of the biggest highlights on the album is the track ‘Julie and Candy’. A five and a half minute track that grows bigger and bigger, filled to the brim with swirling flutes, high pitched synth strings, and percussion that seems to bounce back and forth between itself. The track itself was used as a point of reference for the rest of the album in regards to its sound and style. On the track ‘1969’, references to the Branch Davidians, a religious group responsible for the Waco Siege in 1993, are littered throughout the autotuned vocals. 

‘Alpha and Omega’, the 14th track on the album, explores various synth arpeggios, elaborate percussion rhythms/break beats, and walls of pitch bends littered throughout its runtime. As the album progresses, the tone becomes even darker, with ‘The Devil is in the Details’ being an especially terrifying, almost occult like track. 

While not explicitly stated to be in reference to 9/11, the final tracks of the album have much to do with air travel and the sky itself, with track titles like ‘Over the Horizon Radar’ and ‘Diving Station’. All these themes that the album explores bubbles to a crescendo on the 21st track, ‘You Could Feel the Sky’, which has been interpreted by fans to be anything from references to Satan / a “God with Horns”, or an additional reference to 9/11. The second to last track, ‘Corsair’ consists of a droning, almost pulsing synth. While a somber conclusion to the album, it is often praised amongst fans as one of the most emotional songs the duo has made. This Is followed by the final track, ‘Magic Window’ which consists of one minute and 46 seconds of silence, perhaps to allow the runtime of the album to hit the runtime the duo desired. 

While this doesn’t cover everything in the album (hidden messages buried within the mixes, all the numerous interpretations of each song) ‘Geogaddi’ has been hailed by music enthusiasts as one of the greatest IDM releases of all time. From its terrifying subject matter, to its infectious melodies and elaborate percussion, it is unlikely that the album’s hype will die down, and will continue to be praised for years to come.