Music Has the Right to Children

I love this record! Immediate five stars without even having to listen to it, but of course I will listen to it right now because I love this record.

I have to confess that I only heard the classic "Music Has the Right to Children" for the first time 2 or 3 years ago. We were listening to one of our usual freeform radio shows and the dj played "Aquarius." That track immediately grabbed me: the guy saying "Orange" in a quirky voice, the sampled children laughing, the woman counting.

And off to Bandcamp I went to get a copy of this record, and it's been on very frequent rotation ever since. It's a mesmerizing record that rewards close attention; headphones or a long highway drive. "Aquarius" stands out, of course, and also "Telephasic Workshop," with its stuttering sampled voices. But the whole thing is great, a nice blur of electronica with well-chosen, subtle samples, most with a constant beat.

Sixty-ten stars

It's weird seeing people complain on here about the vaguely threatening title of this album, especially since it makes sense when contextualuzed by the vaguely threatening artwork and abstractly eerie music. In fact, I'd actually argue that it helps put a face to the album a little and paints the music in a light that makes it feel creepier than it would have, I think in a good way. Boards of Canada are working in a more ambient nook of the IDM space. The songs are built around strange, jittery percussion, chilling, disembodied samples, and what sounds like really creative analog synthesis. And even though this is some abstract, occasionally formless music: the textures still feel fresh and compelling, and the compositions jump past background music, almost putting you in a trance. Music Has The Right To Children is an album you can really fall into, and it truly urges you to explore its alien landscapes. I do think Boards of Canada topped this eventually, and there are some shorter songs here that you don't really go back to. But the full album listening experience is super unique and is an example of how Boards of Canada can wield very abstract elements to great emotional effect.

It’s a masterclass in false nostalgia, blending ambient textures with trip hop beats that sound like they were recorded on decaying tape. While many of us find it to be a perfect, immersive experience that captures the bittersweet haze of childhood, it's truly a test for your patience and mood. If you’re looking for a soundtrack for a productive workday or a late night drive, the vintage synths and Sesame Street-esque samples create a vibe that is uniquely otherworldly. However, if you aren't in the right headspace, or perhaps haven't brought the right chemical assistance, it can easily slip into throbbing tedium.

Don't really listen to this style of music, but there was something really captivating here

Start with a drum loop, add some ethereal synth sounds, throw in a random vocal sample, rinse and repeat and you have this album.

In 1998 it seemed such a big deal people making innovative electronic music that wasn't frenetic and/or hard edged. It's funny how something that can be allowed to be so unobtrusive seems to provoke so many 1 star reviews.

Calming and contemplative, quietly dramatic, a world of moods and ambience conjured from the subtle variation of bleeps and bloops, textures, rhythm, and synth tones. Magic.

Oh, REAL shit.

1.28

A strange one this, managing to both love and be extremely bored by it, sometimes within the same song.
My overall feeling though is that I liked it

THIS ALBUM MAKES ME FEEL LIKE I'M BEING HUNTED FOR SPORT

Kind of boring and didn’t really resonate with me at all. Made decent background music though I suppose.

Enjoyed some tracks (like turquoise hexagon sun), others gave me anxiety.
Innovative, but as much as I like electronic, I also don't enjoy more anxiety than what I'm already prone to.
3*

My entry point to electronic music was Daft Punk’s Discovery in 2002. This is a far cry from that.
I’m hard pressed to point to any moment of this album that caught my attention, so I’d put this firmly into the “background music” category… The grandfather of the ‘Chill Electronic Study Music’ Playlist, perhaps.

Better than Coldplay

This is a very chill vibe. Good to work with in the background. Probably not something I would have listened to on my own, but I’m glad I did. Favorites were Telephastic Workshop, Triangles & Rhombuses, Turquoise Hexagon Sun, and Roygbiv.

Interesting album. My wife called it "elevator-music" from the other room.

Sweet fuck, ambient electronica? I envy the dopamine content of the brains of anyone who can treat this as an active listening exercise.

Alas, I have a dopamine-starved ADHD brain. The only way I can review ambient is by putting it on while I do chores - it's actually an effective focus enhancer for tedious tasks. My rating is going to be based on how well I manage to get through the mountain of clean laundry I've been needing to put away for a couple days now. Yaaaaaay.

Okay! I was pretty productive until it reached Aquarius, now I'm distracted. 4/5.

Good background music. Keeps my head bopping to the rhythm, but as usual with this type of music, I get bored fast. Really feels empty without an MC with good flow, rhyming over the top.

There wasn't much here for me. I forgot I was listening to it at one point.