Electronic music icons Boards Of Canada have officially broken their long silence, releasing the first new material from their highly anticipated comeback album, Inferno. Fans can now listen to the double A-side release, featuring the tracks 'Introit' and 'Prophecy At 1420 MHz'.
The Scottish duo is set to release their fifth studio album on May 29 via Warp. Inferno serves as the long-awaited follow-up to their 2013 critically acclaimed record, Tomorrow’s Harvest. The new project will be available across multiple physical formats as well as digital platforms.
The newly released tracks offer a glimpse into the sonic landscape of the upcoming record. 'Introit' functions as a mysterious, atmospheric prelude characterized by spectral, retro-futurist synths. It is paired with 'Prophecy At 1420 MHz', a hypnotic and ominous composition named after the deep space frequency associated with the search for extra-terrestrial life. The track features muffled, mutated vocals that seem to emerge from a sea of static.
The visual accompaniment for the two tracks was directed by Robert Beatty. You can watch the video below:
The path to this release has been marked by cryptic activity. Rumors of the band's return began circulating after fans spotted poster campaigns in London, New York, California, and Shibuya, featuring designs reminiscent of the artwork from their 1998 debut, Music Has The Right To Children. Further clues emerged through a revived website and the distribution of mysterious VHS tapes to fans, which reportedly contained audio from an obscure 1991 bible school magazine advertisement.
With Inferno, the duo looks to build upon a legacy that has remained influential despite their sporadic output over the last 13 years. Their previous effort, Tomorrow’s Harvest, was lauded for its dark, atmospheric depth, with critics often citing the band as a unique, introspective counterpoint to the more mainstream electronic sounds of their contemporaries.