Twoism
Originally issued in 1995, Boards of Canada'sTwoismEP makes it clear the Scottish duo of Michael Sandison and Marcus Eoin were on to something from the start. As their first recorded work, scarce, vinyl-only copies ofTwoismhave been lustily sought after by rabid fans since the 1998 release of BoC's amazing, impossibly originalMusic Has The Right To Childrenand the quieter, but equally devastatingGeogaddi. While not as adventuresome as those records, this EP is still Boards Of Canada all the way, as ample chunks of the band's unsettling and deeply involving style are easily found in songs like "Smokes Quantity" and the title track. Other songs such as the almost danceable "Seeya Later" show a more straightforward ambient/techno side that, while presented more nakedly here, is still quite apparent in their later work. While some might be disappointed after spending God knows what on a copy ofTwoismonly to find it suddenly available anywhere, others looking for more of BoC's melancholy, spellbinding compositions should take fast advantage.--Matthew Cooke