------ / ------ / ------ / XXXXXX / ------ / ------
| "------ / ------ / ------ / XXXXXX / ------ / ------" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Boards of Canada | ||||
| Released | 20 April 2013 | |||
| Recorded | 2013 | |||
| Studio | Hexagon Sun (Pentland Hills, Scotland) | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 0:40 | |||
| Label | Warp | |||
| Producers | Marcus Eoin, Mike Sandison | |||
| Boards of Canada singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"------ / ------ / ------ / XXXXXX / ------ / ------" is a song by the Scottish electronic music duo Boards of Canada. It was created as part of a promotional campaign for their fourth studio album, Tomorrow's Harvest (2013). It was exclusively released as a limited-edition single-sided 12-inch vinyl record. While the release of the single coincided with 2013's Record Store Day, the record was hand-delivered to record stores by employees of Warp Records.[3] While six copies of the single are confirmed to exist,[4] only three have been actually found.[5]
Background
After the release of The Campfire Headphase (2005) and Trans Canada Highway (2006), Eoin and Sandison "took some time out, and spent some time travelling".[6] They had also taken time to expand their studio space. In February 2012, a BBC radio personality noted that a new album from Boards of Canada was "on the way".[7] A fan asked the duo on Facebook about this comment, to which they responded with "yes".[8]
Release
On 20 April 2013, the same day as Record Store Day, one person was able to find a copy of the single in Other Music.[9] The release was packaged in a basic cardboard sleeve, with the group's logo and the title of the single on the front. The audio on the record itself consisted of a distorted snippet of music,[10] coupled with a vocoded voice reading the numbers "9-3-6-5-5-7".[11]
Fans realised that the numbers likely formed a code when put together.[12] Other pieces of the sequence were found in various places, such as a Boards of Canada fan forum, a video found on the duo's YouTube account, and two audio clips aired on BBC Radio and NPR Radio.[13][7][3] Eventually, the code could be entered on a cryptic website, to which the release date and name of their new album, Tomorrow's Harvest, was revealed.[8]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "------ / ------ / ------ / XXXXXX / ------ / ------" | 0:40 |
| Total length: | 0:40 | |
References
- ^ McGovern, Kyle (22 April 2013). "Boards of Canada Set Bizarre Easter Egg Hunt in Motion With Surprise Record Store Day Vinyl". SPIN. Archived from the original on 8 December 2023. Retrieved 5 November 2024.
- ^ Michaels, Sean (22 April 2013). "Does Boards of Canada's record-store clue point to new album?". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 10 January 2014. Retrieved 5 November 2024.
- ^ a b Young, Alex (23 April 2013). "Update: Boards of Canada tease new music with surprise Record Store Day release". Consequence. Archived from the original on 4 November 2024. Retrieved 4 November 2024.
- ^ Breihan, Tom (22 April 2013). "Boards Of Canada Release Mysterious 12″ For Record Store Day". Stereogum. Retrieved 5 November 2024.
- ^ Wilson, Scott (31 March 2016). "Rare Boards of Canada vinyl appears on Discogs for $4,500". Fact. Retrieved 4 November 2024.
- ^ Pattison, Louis (6 June 2013). "Boards of Canada: 'We've become a lot more nihilistic over the years'". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 21 July 2014. Retrieved 4 November 2024.
- ^ a b Yenigun, Sami (12 April 2013). "Boards Of Canada Tap A Devout Following To Push New Album". NPR. Archived from the original on 25 May 2024. Retrieved 4 November 2024.
- ^ a b Brandle, Lars (30 April 2013). "Boards of Canada Return with 'Tomorrow's Harvest'". Billboard. Archived from the original on 2 June 2023. Retrieved 4 November 2024.
- ^ Minsker, Evan (21 April 2013). "Boards of Canada Released a Mysterious 12" on Record Store Day". Pitchfork. Retrieved 4 November 2024.
- ^ "Boards Of Canada release mystery single – the full story so far". Fact Magazine. 22 April 2013. Archived from the original on 1 December 2023. Retrieved 4 November 2024.
- ^ Jenke, Tyler (6 September 2021). "13 bands with the smartest marketing campaigns in music". Tone Deaf. Retrieved 4 November 2024.
- ^ Kreps, Daniel (9 September 2014). "15 Innovative Album Releases That Shook the Music Industry". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 4 November 2024.
- ^ "Boards of Canada hint at album title in latest cryptic clue". Consequence. 26 April 2013. Archived from the original on 30 May 2023. Retrieved 4 November 2024.