Can I redo my 2008 best of list? So my hard drive completely died this week and most of my music wasn’t backed up. Now I’m piecing back together my iTunes library with the help of a lot of friends. My friend Praveen sent me this Lone – Lemurian LP this morning and my jaw has slowly been dropping throughout the day. It’s if Flying Lotus and Casino Versus Japan had a baby, I can’t stop listening to it. Maybe I’m overly passionate because of the hard drive failure, but I think this may be the real deal. Let me know what you think, I know there are some Boards Of Canada fans lurking around on the blog from time to time but Lone isn’t as dark as BoC, at least not from what i’ve heard. How unfitting is that cover though?
Lone – Lemurian
12.24.2008
oh wow. best xmas gift ever. thank you, good sir.
this blew me away too. the perfect match between flying lotus and BoC. I agree.
Phthalo Blue is great, thanks a lot for sharing!
I have to agree, it’s has a great sound. I accidentally found the album on nodata dot tv. I would recommend the blog. They post promo albums and new ep’s with on a wide alternative gerne. Let me know which artists you’ve found worth listening
Jakub,
Lone – seriously? They’re the most BoC-derivative act I have ever heard, and nowhere in the league of CvJ (hell, I even like Flying Lotus better than this tripe). They’re trying waaay too hard to sound “retro” and capture the magic that BoC and other contemporaries mastered decades ago. The last track you posted, “Phthalo Blue” is simply cut up bits of the Joy of Painting theme song – with very little effort to disguise the fact. At least when BoC wholesale borrowed the sample for “Energy Warning” on Geogaddi, they put some warbly reverb over it 🙂
You’ve introduced me (personally) to some great music via this blog, but I’m frankly a bit shocked at this entry. Sorry if this sounds like I’m having a go at you, but this is an affront to the hard work BoC and their contemporaries have put forward in the “nostalgic sound” department.
Ever heard of Goddamn Electric Bill? They’re amazing, i am surprised they haven’t been mentioned on here.
Joyrex –
I’m with you on a few points but a BoC fan like yourself needs to realize they are DARK really dark, Lone is closer to something like the music on “Love Boat” and even touching new territories with tracks like “Sunken” feel like BoC would never touch with a ten foot pole because they have slow disco and surf elements to them.
Lone feels more american to me too, like some employee video from the 70s from Pennsylvania.
The shuffle hip hop Flying Lotus beat w/ clap isn’t BoC at all either, dont you agree?
I do want to say that BoC is the original nostalgia real deal, without them some idiot would of butchered the rerelease of the PBS sound. Don’t get me wrong I adore BoC, I have a 6 foot tall Geogaddi poster that pretty much taking up my whole small Brooklyn apartment but I wanna hear offshoots like like Black Moth Super Rainbow, Boreal Network, etc
Jackson –
I’ve checked out Goddamn Electric Bill a couple times, kinda nice but really stripped down but definitely some pretty moments on a few songs
As always, thanks Jakub for your work!
I recently stumbled upon a band thanks to Last.FM, and thought you might find them interesting as well, it’s not electronic music, but I still greatly enjoy it: http://www.last.fm/music/Balmorhea
i got into lone about a year ago via his myspace and have been a huge fan since. he also does shit in a duo as ‘kona triangle’ which is also amazing and they have a debut forthcoming in the new year.
ps-he has a new ep slated for january release called ‘cluster dreams’..from the little tidbits i’ve heard it’s going to be another tasty release. there is also a new exclusive track coming out on a bleep compilation in the new year, and it’s amazing also…it can be previewed at his myspace right now called ‘wonderment montage’.
oh…and last thing…just for the curious…..he did a thing before that had moderate success in the UK as Kids in Tracksuits. i recommend you avoid any urge to check them out.
Tardlovski –
“he did a thing before that had moderate success in the UK as Kids in Tracksuits. i recommend you avoid any urge to check them out.”
LOL
Lemurian is definitely in the top 10 of the greatest albums this year…too many good songs on there not to recognize it!
jakub…it’s not like it’s terrible, just really bboy/breakbeat/party flavour…straight ahead ninja tune style.
lone is definitely the real deal, and if it adds any weight he’s labelmates with stephen wilkinson aka bibio/duckular. watch his myspace, he frequently puts up unreleased material that is totally amazing – definitely as good as any tracks on lemurian, even better.
on a sidenote, myspace is an amazing resource for finding unreleased and new music. it’s a bit of a time eater, but well worth it.
oh god, that’s what i’ve been waitin’ so long. (sorry the lame italian english)
I agree Tardlovski…myspace, although somewhat lame for various reasons, is also very beneficial and great when it comes to the music side. I’ve been checking out Lone’s myspace for a while now and have built up a nice collection of unreleased material that is very pleasing to the ears. myspace is also huge for reminding me of those shows that are within proximity that I should get off my ass and go see…
oh and just reading back through all of the comments, I completely agree with Jakub in that Lone (one man, not they) definitely has his own feel for that nostalgic BoC sound and is more airy and light than the dark BoC comparisons. I could never see BoC using some of the stuff on this album because of the previously mentioned “slow disco and surf elements” that it apparently has and is definitely supported by the album cover. (which can I also say is quite corny, yet somehow fitting in a coked out Miami Vice sorta way.)
personally i think lone has way better beats than BoC as well. all fucked up and off kilter. he’s carved out his own beat signature in my opinion, which is huge considering the amount of dilla spin offs in the last few years.
pthalo blue is somewhat nostalgic and rather hypnotizing.
notice the the late great bob ross loop?
i’ve been a big lone fan.
crimson drank is a good one too, but i’m used to this guy already.
lately it’s been ulrich schnauss as if you’ve never been away.
sorry to hear about your music collection. my wife and i went through a huge scare that the same thing had happened to us the other night, but iTunes had simply created a new library file. luckily i was able to piece things back together once i realized what was going on!
totally diggin lone, thanks for posting this.
OMG i fell in love after hearing the first note of the first song! beautiful stuff for BoC fans wishing they were more lighthearted! 🙂 thanks for the always wonderful musical enlightenment
and well i do have to agree partly with Joyrex on BoC, quite awesome pioneers in their field that deserve great appreciation. but still, Lone has a different sound so far, a bit similar, but who said you can’t imitate something great? that’s what all inspiration is as far as i have discovered. Many people call Tycho a BoC copy, which i COMPLETELY disagree with. sure, he’s electronica-nature-awesomeness, similar to BoC, but a TOTALLY different feel, design, aesthetic, concept, mix of sounds. btw, Tycho, givin ya some props here, but can’t WAIT for your new album playa! keep up the always beautifully invigorating tunes my friend!
you can knit pick every style of music to death. but the fact is … its OK to be influenced …. never forget that…….i think people get stuck on this boc made this that and the other.. if you think boc is anything new .. your an un educated listener. its that simple..
jakub.. this is a great find.. leatherette is a great duo to check out from the sample circle of friends of artist valley records.. all those kids or good by me.. they keep the sound alive and extend your mind and your soul!!
have you checked out this 2 hour BBC Essential mix by Flying Lotus? It’s nuts.
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=XRCPGDYZ
hey rent, i have a few unreleased tunes as well, but one that i missed and want dearly is ‘lynncroft’…do you have it?
Is this the same Joyrex who administrates WATMM? If it is, that is some close associations with BoC.
Has anyone heard Gabriel? He is just phenomenal.
http://www.myspace.com/gabrielsuniverse
Lithium Enchantment is some really awesome and unique 80s inspired ‘tronica:
http://www.myspace.com/lithiumenchantment
And Saturday Index
http://www.myspace.com/saturdayindex
To anyone who’s putting down Lone for sounding like BoC, I’d have to question why you’re checking out the Tyco blog in the first place. I’ll leave it at that… 😉
That being said, I found out about Lone from Myspace as well about a year ago. He’s friends with Bibio, Clark and that whole Nottingham crew. They have a collective for their side projects called Artist Valley Records that’s worth checking out, especially Kona Triangle and Loafe & Merge.
http://www.myspace.com/artistsvalleyrecords
http://www.myspace.com/loafemerge
http://www.myspace.com/konatriangle
Thanks to Phader for that amazing Flying Lotus mix! I noticed some Computer Blossom samples and couldn’t resist posting this link. Get ready to have your mind blown:
http://www.mediafire.com/?yujjztwxent
WH –
That is THE Joyrex from WATMM, thanks for the links
spacerockjoe –
Do you even listen to BoC and Tycho? its like night and day if you actually spend the time with the music, I think its sooo f-in’ funny when people compare Scott to BoC, maybe people listen to this music on laptop speakers or earbuds. Grab a Tycho LP and a BoC LP and get some good speakers and let me know what your true feelings are then
jakub, read our comments more!
https://blog.iso50.com/2008/11/19/boreal-networkchristjc-harnellboc/#comments
Grady –
Thank you! now that I have a blank hard drive and on vacation i’ve been clicking on everything
Sorry, didn’t mean to offend. Yes, I do listen to and enjoy both and never on speakers with less than 5″ drivers unless they’re headphones. I’m not saying they sound the exactly the same but it’s safe to say there’s a lot of influence there as there likely is an all of the music produced by myself and others who comment on this blog.
What I meant to get across in that comment was my opinion that Tyco and Lone equally share aesthetic similarities to BoC. That’s by no means a bad thing as both artists have very much their own approach and their own sound.
Sunshine Boards of Canada!
I have this already, sea spray the obvious highlight, and the rest blurs nicely with the whole nostalgic feel. This is a lot more catchy than BoC, I love the not quite solid beats too
I remember before Campfire Headphase came out there was a bunch of albums that became available before launch claiming to be pre release leaks. To me this sounds very similar to these. I see what the guy is trying to do, and some of the tracks are very catchy, but it lacks something that Tycho and Boc manage to achieve – depth and cohesion. The tracks don’t flow for me as I go through the album.
Kinda like alot of bastardisations that filter down from originality these days, you still enjoy it as on the surface as it is pleasurable to listen to, but there is nothing in there that makes me want to lose myself in it and be taken to other worlds.
That said this kid is young, and I am sure in time his music will mature and take a more interesting direction as he is evidently talented. I sure as shit couldn’t come up with it! So easy to be a critic. 🙂
Oh yeah and WTF at that cover? lol
Looks like a bad Ibiza flyer.
my 2cents: everyone’s got an opinion of course, but i think there’s something to be said about people that have been obsessively listening to, involved in, and creating this type of music for 10-15yrs giving him props and putting this on best of lists. this is not a cheap BoC bite and any discerning critical listener that’s spent the required time familiarizing themselves should be able to realize it.
I’d say Lone sounds like the more MHTRTC Boards of Canada and Tycho sounds like the more TCH Boards of Canada. Lone has that lofi 80s feel with a beach feel to it and Tycho’s got the more melancholic and lush sound.
I don’t know why everyone rips on them for having BOC influence because everyone has an influence. The only Tycho song that REALLY reminds me of BOC is From Home, but other than that I think he sounds a lot like Air or something. They should just complain that Lone is ripping off Baywatch and BOC is ripping off 80s commercial music.
no mention of Kids in Tracksuits yet?
camaaan
Wow, didn’t expect such a response 🙂
Personally, I don’t think Tycho is derivative of BoC no more than BoC are derivative of the music from CBC and TVOntario and NFBoC that influenced their signature sound – I guess to clarify what I find unappealing about Lone’s music (and I fully appreciate those who do like it, as music (and the like or dislike of a particular sound) is such a subjective topic) is it seems like he’s trying too hard – the cliche tracknames, the detuned sounds and stair-step beats, etc. I can appreciate good music in a similar vein (Casino vs. Japan comes to mind) for it’s familiar (but original) qualities to BoC’s sound, but I feel like Lone is trying to be too much like BoC and not stand enough on his own musical merits. To be fair, I listened to the rest of the tracks off Lemurian at Bleep.com, and there were a few that didn’t seem so formulaic as these, but nothing that stood out at me.
this blog is great. we’re all so diplomatic. i think what’s really come out of this discussion are the little idiosyncrasies we all have when it comes to what we hone in on as derivative/original.
anybody that hasn’t checked out the whole lone album yet, definitely try to find it online and at least give it one listen all the way through. the samples above don’t even touch the funk and soul influence that lone references through the album. those are the aspects of lone’s music that makes lemurian distinct from anything else in the genre and convinces me that he’s the real deal.
also, i must admit im a sucker for the sidechained compression on warbly backwards samples.
I got to say i like this, on first impressions looking at the album cover I thought it might be a knock of crappy Hed Kandi wannabe. But it’s a total red herring, the music is great, not the same league as; Flying Lotus : Tea Leaf Dancer, but defiantly someone who I’ll be keeping an eye on!
Cheers!
Just going through the comments I gotta thank Phader and spacerockjoe. That’s my music to work to sorted for the day!
I’ve heard Fling Lotus and Lone use this predominately; what is the technique called when the bass hits, it “quiets” all the other treble? Sorry its hard to describe.
Well described! Dunno what it’s called either, but to me it feels like a vacuum, or something like that. As if the air is sucked out of your ears for a split second. Quite lovely.
its called side chaining.
some of you may enjoy this guy – http://www.myspace.com/orangemelamine
Love this dude…sounds like an infinitely looping Baywatch episode guest starring Madlib
Joyrex, (or anyone else) do you by any chance know where the sample for BoC’s “Energy Warning” actually came from?
YO……good to see lots of talk about Lone! All i’d say is if people want to pick up the album please do it in a legal way and pay for it!! Lone basically still has to work for min wage in a shitty supermarket and for him to improve his music and make more people need to support by paying a fair price for it!
I discovered Lone after perusing a BoC forum and I was absolutely captivated by his music. I produce music myself and I can definitely appreciate his musical abilities to produce such warm and enchanting harmonics that truly do make me feel like I’m in a mythical land like Lemuria. I promoted his music on my website so that others can get exposure to his amazing sounds. Sure, I can definitely see the BoC inspiration for his music but I perceive that is an extremely good thing. The music Lone produces does not produce the same states of consciousness as BoC does. I feel Lone’s music is more etheric and of a higher level of consciousness that transcends petty and minuscule daily events and allows one to venture into higher dimensions of being.
Can’t get enough of this album…it must be listened to while driving on a really hot summer day after dropping a few tabs….unbelievable….great music for the THC high too.