Boards of Canada 
Inferno  
(Warp)
⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑

EARLIER this year strange posters started to appear around London, depicting simple hexagonal white shapes set against a black background. It was the start of an album campaign for Inferno, the new work from Boards of Canada. Formed in the late 1980s, the Sottish duo have been at the vanguard of a radical, intelligent and socially charged left-of-centre electronic dance music. Releasing on the highly influential Warp label, Inferno is their fifth album and does not disappoint.    

First track Introit, is a 30-second fast-paced repeated synth fanfare, designed to probe. Next up Prophecy At 1420 MHz is a slow tempo dusty distant bubbling cacophony of arpeggiated synths, robotic godlike low male vocal lines, deep snares and high octane Cocteau Twins inspired treated guitar lines. The title refers to the radio frequency used by The International Telecommunications Union who regard it as a likely channel for extra-terrestrial communication. The mystery of this is well defined and carries over on the next track Hydrogen Helium Lithium Leviathan, complete with fog like haze chords, melodic organ bells and almost hidden chanting seemingly summoned up from the underworld.

Age of Capricorn contains detailed texture pulsing drama set against high atmospheric American evangelical prayer, major chord progressions, linked counterpoint harmonic optimistic intent and anchoring basslines. The engagement with religion continues on Father and Son, complete with vary speed voice snippets, set over shuffling drum loops The tempo slows on the instrumental track Somewhere Right Now in The Future, working around simple melodic, de-tuned refrains that would not have been out of place in either Blade Runner movie. Naraka, the Sanskrit term for hell, hits the duo’s often used organ chords, along with bells eastern percussion and processed distant Krishna vocal samples. The majestic Into The Magic Land features deep guitar textures, widescreen woodwind and soft shifting synths.

The album also includes Deep Time, originally titled Tape 05, the track stolen by the White House for a militaristic video, which use the band, to their credit, refused to authorise.

Boards of Canada have never sounded better, as their courageous and ambitious journey continues. Without doubt a contender for album of the year.