| Average Rating: |
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| Sales Rank: | 4999 (lower is better) |
| Price Used: | $6.58 |
| Shipping: | Free Shipping on most orders over $25* |
| Availability: | Usually ships in 24 hours |
| Release Date: | 2006-05-30 |
| Label: | Warp Records |
| UPC: | 801061920029 |
| Binding: | Audio CD |
| Published By: | Warp Records |
| ASIN: | B000F8DTNW |
| Category: | Music |
Tracks on Trans Canada Highway by Warp Records
- Dayvan Cowboy
- Left Side Drive
- Heard from Telegraph Lines
- Skyliner
- Under the Coke Sign
- Dayvan Cowboy
Customer Reviews
On the highway - Reviewed on 2007-06-25
2 customers found this review helpful.
The Boards of Canada took a lot of flack for their fuzzy, less ethereal "The Campfire Headphase," which basically explores whole new avenues of music, but didn't sound anything like what they had done before.
But one of those songs comes across far better in "Trans Canada Highway," spearheading an EP of the kind of music that Boards of Canada is known for -- rippling electronica, crammed with atmosphere and chilly beauty. It's a nicely solid little EP, covering both sides of the band's musical palette.
It opens with "Dayvan Cowboy," a mass of fuzz with a rambly little guitar melody in the middle, and decorated with some delicate chiming sounds. About halfway through, a gust of wind blows away all the fuzz and chimes, leaving just a the hesitant guitar, clashing cymbals and a trembling violin. But slowly the fuzz and chimes creep back in....
... just in time for the rattly, atmospheric sweeps of "Left Side Drive," which is more typical of Boards of Canada's music. It's mellow, smooth and atmospheric, with some nice beats. From there they explore the dreamlike prettiness of "Heard From Telegraph Lines" and the staticky "Under the Coke Sign," and the angular synth stretches of "Skyliner."
And finally there's he Odd Nosdam remix of "Dayvan Cowboy." Hoo, this one takes a little getting used to -- for awhile you can just hear planes taking off, it softly segues into a chilly ambient sweep... before finally getting into the expansive, swirling main melody. It takes a LONG time to get anywhere, but it's brilliant when it really gets moving.
"Trans Canada Highway" has a little of every Boards of Canada "sound" in it, flickering through their prior "sounds" with new little songs. And it really makes "Dayvan Cowboy" sound appealing as it didn't before, by letting it be judged on its own merits. It's actually a pretty good song.
Except for an angelic-sounding chorale which only appears for a second, there aren't any vocals in this. Instead, the music is pure -- it's full of shimmering warm analog synth, sharply-defined beats, heavy fuzz, and in "Dayvan Cowboy," a twining of more conventional instrumentation like violin, guitar and clashing drums.
"Trans Canada Highway" is a beautiful little EP, bringing two very different styles for Boards of Canada together. Definitely a good listen.
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Book Subjects
- Ambient Techno
- Dance Music
- Dance, DJ
- Electronic
- Electronica
- IDM
- Pop
- Scotland