Boards Of Canada seem to be teasing their long-awaited return.
Speculation has sparked after a number of fans were sent mysterious VHS tapes through distribution channels linked to their label Warp Records, as well as its retail arm Bleep. A video posted to Reddit, showing what was on the VHS, features decaying analogue visuals, shortwave-style audio and fragments of vocal samples, leading to rumours that the duo are preparing to release their first new music in over a decade. One Reddit user claiming to have received the VHS tape said it arrived “from the same address that Warp and Bleep use for shipping” in the US.
Some eagle-eyed fans have identified manipulated samples that resemble material from the duo’s Societas x Tape, which they recorded to air on NTS in 2019.
Multiple fans on Reddit have suggested that there may be more than one tape in circulation, which harks back to the cryptic pre-release campaigns that previewed past Boards of Canada releases, such as their last album, 2013’s ‘Tomorrow’s Harvest’. While the VHS tapes could be teasing new material, others have speculated that the duo could be preparing for an archival reissue campaign of some sort.
Warp Records hasn’t commented on the speculation.
Boards Of Canada’s music previously featured on the label’s ‘WXAXRXP Sessions’ 10xLP box set in 2019.
