Reach for the Dead

Last updated

"Reach for the Dead"
Boards of Canada - Reach for the Dead.jpg
Single by Boards of Canada
from the album Tomorrow's Harvest
Released23 May 2013 (2013-05-23)
Recorded2005 (2005)–2012 (2012) at Hexagon Sun near Pentland Hills, Scotland
Genre Downtempo, drone [1]
Length4:47
Label Warp
Songwriter(s) Marcus Eoin, Mike Sandison
Producer(s) Marcus Eoin, Mike Sandison
Boards of Canada singles chronology
"------ / ------ / ------ / XXXXXX / ------ / ------"
(2013)		"Reach for the Dead"
(2013)

"Reach for the Dead" is a song by the Scottish electronic music duo Boards of Canada. It is the second track and lead single from the duo's fourth studio album, Tomorrow's Harvest (2013). "Reach for the Dead" was premiered on Zane Lowe's programme on BBC Radio 1 on 23 May 2013 [2] and released later the same day on Warp Records' official SoundCloud. [3] [4]

Contents

The single was preceded by "------ / ------ / ------ / XXXXXX / ------ / ------", an exclusive 12" single released on Record Store Day 2013, which contained cryptic clues about Tomorrow's Harvest's release. [5] A music video directed by Neil Krug, a Los Angeles–based photographer, was later premiered in Tokyo, Japan, and a reversed version of the video was released online. Critical reception to "Reach for the Dead" was generally positive.

Release and reception

"Reach for the Dead" was premiered on Zane Lowe's programme on BBC Radio 1 on 23 May 2013. [2] Following the broadcast, it was released on Warp Records official SoundCloud [3] and made available through online digital retailers. A promotional CD single was released in Europe on 17 June 2013, following Tomorrow's Harvest's release. [6] [7]

Critical response to "Reach for the Dead" was very positive. Billboard writer Lars Bradle said that "if [Boards of Canada]'s followers were hoping for an upbeat treat in the vein of 2005's 'Dayvan Cowboy,' then think again. 'Reach for the Dead' finds the act in an experimental, and slightly off-key mode. It's a haunting track. There's not a hint of a drum beat until the 2:50-minute mark. But it's unmistakably [Boards of Canada]." He added that "the duo don't make bombastic music [...] but in the world of low-key electronic music, they're arguably the best at what they do." [8] Brock Thiessen of Exclaim! wrote: "much like you'd expect, the track takes a sombre route, hitting those [Boards of Canada] touchstones while adding a whole new layer of updated and wicked-eerie atmospherics to the mix" [9] and The A.V. Club 's Marah Eakin noted that "Reach for the Dead" was "for all intents and purposes, a Boards of Canada single, complete with experimental tones and a complete lack of drums for most of the track." [10] Nick Neyland of Pitchfork Media stated that the song is "much darker than most of their prior material, marrying the mournfulness of Popol Vuh's soundtrack work with the swell of underground artists producing John Carpenter-indebted electronica." [11] Tom Breihan of Stereogum described the song as "an ominous, humming instrumental drone-piece with just a few hints of the sad nostalgia that the group used to radiate." He also stated that "until the glitchy drums kick in two-thirds of the way through", the song sounds like "something that would be playing on the score of a great '80s sci-fi movie." [1]

Music video

The music video for "Reach for the Dead" was directed by Neil Krug, a Los Angeles–based photographer and director who had previously created an unofficial music video for the Boards of Canada song "In a Beautiful Place Out in the Country". The music video features "hazy imagery of a mid-west desert and its anonymous, bleak ghost-town." Billboard referred to the video as "a precise fit" for "the tune's warm, sweeping sounds." [8] NPR writer Otis Hart praised Krug's direction, comparing his work on "Reach for the Dead" to "In a Beautiful Place Out in the Country" and describing it as "equally beautiful, but way more eerie." [12]

"Reach for the Dead"'s music video premiered in Tokyo, Japan at midnight on 23 May 2013. The video was projected on a large screen, which was attached to a building in Shibuya, one of the special wards of Tokyo. [13] [14] The video was later released on YouTube and Vimeo. The following day, Warp Records published a post on Twitter, "with no context or reason", and announced the release of a reversed version of the video. [15]

Track listing

Digital download [16] and European promotional CD [6]
  1. "Reach for the Dead" – 4:47

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boards of Canada</span> Scottish electronic music duo

Boards of Canada are a Scottish electronic music duo consisting of the brothers Michael Sandison and Marcus Eoin, formed initially as a group in 1986 before becoming a duo in the 1990s. Signing first to Skam followed by Warp Records in the 1990s, the duo received recognition following the release of their debut album Music Has the Right to Children on Warp in 1998. They followed with the critically acclaimed albums Geogaddi (2002), The Campfire Headphase (2005) and Tomorrow's Harvest (2013).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Warp (record label)</span> British record label

Warp Records is a British independent record label founded in Sheffield in 1989 by record store employees Steve Beckett and Rob Mitchell and record producer Robert Gordon. It is currently based in London.

<i>Geogaddi</i> 2002 studio album by Boards of Canada

Geogaddi is the second studio album by Scottish electronic music duo Boards of Canada. It was released on 13 February 2002 in Japan, then five days later in Europe, by Warp. The album is darker in tone than their previous studio album Music Has the Right to Children (1998), and it has subsequently been praised as a standout album in the duo's discography.

<i>Music Has the Right to Children</i> 1998 studio album by Boards of Canada

Music Has the Right to Children is the debut studio album by Scottish electronic music duo Boards of Canada, released on 20 April 1998 in the United Kingdom by Warp and Skam Records and in the United States by Matador. The album was produced at Hexagon Sun, the duo's personal recording studio in Pentland Hills, and continued their distinctive style of electronica, featuring vintage synthesisers, degraded analogue production, found sounds and samples, and hip hop-inspired rhythms that had been featured on their first two EPs Twoism (1995) and Hi Scores (1996).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Broadcast (band)</span> British electronic rock music group

Broadcast were an English band formed in Birmingham in 1995 by Trish Keenan and James Cargill (bass). Their musical style blended elements of 1960s psychedelia with early electronic music and samples from esoteric sources; it earned the band a cult following.

<i>In a Beautiful Place Out in the Country</i> 2000 EP by Boards of Canada

In a Beautiful Place Out in the Country is an EP by Scottish electronic music duo Boards of Canada. It was released by Warp and music70 on 27 November 2000, in the period between the duo's albums Music Has the Right to Children and Geogaddi. Like those albums, it was well received by critics. It peaked at number 15 on the UK Independent Albums Chart. Originally pressed on blue vinyl, the vinyl version of the EP was reissued on black vinyl in 2013.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tomahawk (band)</span> American rock band

Tomahawk is an American rock supergroup. They formed in 1999 when singer/keyboardist Mike Patton met guitar player Duane Denison and the pair started swapping tapes with the intention of collaborating. Denison then recruited drummer John Stanier (Helmet), while Patton invited bass player Kevin Rutmanis (Melvins/ex-Cows). The group recorded three albums and toured extensively from 2000–2007 then went on extended hiatus, and reformed in 2013 with Trevor Dunn replacing Rutmanis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Relient K</span> American alternative rock band

Relient K is an American rock band formed in 1998 in Canton, Ohio, by Matt Thiessen, Matt Hoopes, and Brian Pittman during their third year in high school and time at Malone University. The band is named after guitarist Hoopes' automobile, a Plymouth Reliant K car, with the spelling intentionally altered to avoid trademark infringement over the Reliant name.

<i>The Campfire Headphase</i> 2005 studio album by Boards of Canada

The Campfire Headphase is the third studio album by Scottish electronic music duo Boards of Canada, released on 17 October 2005 by Warp Records. The album features the addition of more organic musical elements, including heavily treated acoustic guitars and more conventional song structures. It received generally positive reviews from critics, and reached number 41 on the UK albums chart.

Stephen James Wilkinson, better known as Bibio, is an English musician and producer. He is known for a distinct analog lo-fi sound, and for working in a diverse range of genres, beginning in folktronica and ambient and later stretching to include instrumental hip hop, indie pop, electronica, soul, funk, and alternative R&B.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crystal Castles</span> Canadian electronic music group

Crystal Castles was a Canadian electronic music group formed in 2006 in Toronto, Ontario, formed by songwriter-producer Ethan Kath and singer-songwriter Alice Glass, who later left and was replaced by Edith Frances. Crystal Castles were known for their chaotic live shows and lo-fi melancholic homemade productions. They released many limited vinyl singles between 2006 and 2007 before releasing four studio albums between 2008 and 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flying Lotus</span> American record producer from California

Steven D. Bingley-Ellison, known by his stage name Flying Lotus or sometimes FlyLo, is an American record producer, DJ, filmmaker and rapper from Los Angeles. He is also the founder of the record label Brainfeeder.

Kwes is a British music producer, composer and artist from London, England. Kwes is also currently signed to Warp as a solo artist and released his debut album, ilp in October 2013. He has since gone on to produce music for the likes of Damon Albarn, Bobby Womack, Solange Knowles, Sampha, Loyle Carner, Black Coffee, Nubya Garcia, Tirzah and numerous others.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Death Grips</span> American experimental hip-hop group

Death Grips is an American experimental hip hop group formed in 2010 in Sacramento, California. The group consists of producers Zach Hill (drums) and Andy Morin (keyboards), and vocalist Stefan Burnett, also known as MC Ride. Though he is not the group's frontman, Hill has been credited with being the driving creative force behind the project. Drawing from punk rock, electronic, noise, and industrial styles, the band's innovative and often difficult-to-categorize sound has earned critical acclaim and a cult following, while their aggressive performance style and cryptic interactions with their fans and the media have gained widespread notoriety.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bury Tomorrow</span> British metalcore band

Bury Tomorrow are a British metalcore band formed in 2006 in Southampton, Hampshire, England. The band is composed of six members; lead vocalist Daniel Winter-Bates, bassist Davyd Winter-Bates, drummer Adam Jackson, lead guitarist Kristan Dawson, who replaced founding guitarist Mehdi Vismara in 2013, rhythm guitarist Ed Hartwell, and keyboardist and vocalist Tom Prendergast, who both replaced Jason Cameron in 2021. Bury Tomorrow have released seven studio albums, their most recent being The Seventh Sun, released on 31 March 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">TR/ST</span> Canadian electronic project

TR/ST is the Canadian electronic music project of Robert Alfons. It was formed as a band in 2010 when Alfons met Maya Postepski of Austra, but Postepski left in 2012. The project has spawned four albums so far: TRST (2012), Joyland (2014), The Destroyer and The Destroyer (2019). Alfons has also produced remixes for Feist, Moby, Zhala and Jonna Lee.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kilo Kish</span> American singer-songwriter and artist

Lakisha Kimberly Robinson, known professionally as Kilo Kish, is an American singer-songwriter and visual artist.

<i>Tomorrows Harvest</i> 2013 studio album by Boards of Canada

Tomorrow's Harvest is the fourth studio album by Scottish electronic music duo Boards of Canada, released on 5 June 2013 by Warp. The duo began composing and recording following the release of The Campfire Headphase in 2005 and the expansion of their studio at Hexagon Sun near the Pentland Hills. They continued recording intermittently until late 2012, when large parts of the album were recorded. Influenced by film soundtracks from the 1970s and 1980s, Tomorrow's Harvest features a more menacing and foreboding tone, with themes of isolation and decay.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Mother We Share</span> 2012 single by Chvrches

"The Mother We Share" is the debut single by Scottish indietronica band Chvrches from their debut studio album, The Bones of What You Believe. The song was re-released in the United Kingdom on 15 September 2013 by Virgin Records. The re-release peaked within the top 40 of the UK Singles Chart, reaching number 38 in September 2013. This made it their highest-charting single until 2019 when their collaboration with Marshmello's "Here With Me" reached number 9 on the UK Singles Chart in April 2019.

<i>Band of Brothers</i> (Willie Nelson album) 2014 studio album by Willie Nelson

Band of Brothers is the 63rd studio album by country music singer-songwriter Willie Nelson. The album marks Nelson's return to writing after sixteen years, with nine out of the fourteen tracks being new original songs.

References

  1. 1 2 Breihan, Tom (23 May 2013). "Boards of Canada – "Reach for the Dead"". Stereogum . Retrieved 17 October 2013.
  2. 1 2 Minkser, Evan; Phillips, Amy (23 May 2013). "Watch/Listen: Boards of Canada: Reach for the Dead | News". Pitchfork Media . Retrieved 25 May 2013.
  3. 1 2 "Boards of Canada – Reach for the Dead by Warp Records". SoundCloud. 23 May 2013. Archived from the original on 8 June 2013. Retrieved 25 May 2013.
  4. ↑ "Listen to new Boards of Canada: "Reach for the Dead"". Consequence of Sound. 23 May 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2013.
  5. ↑ Michaels, Sean (30 April 2013). "Boards of Canada announce first new album in eight years | Music". The Guardian . Guardian Media Group . Retrieved 25 May 2013.
  6. 1 2 "Boards of Canada – Reach for the Dead". irish-charts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 21 June 2013.
  7. ↑ "Boards of Canada – Reach for the Dead". Hitparade (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 21 June 2013.
  8. 1 2 Bradle, Lars (24 May 2013). "Boards of Canada Release New Video for "Reach for the Dead": Watch". Billboard . Prometheus Global Media . Retrieved 25 May 2013.
  9. ↑ Thiessen, Brock (23 May 2013). "Boards of Canada – "Reach for the Dead" • Music / Video". Exclaim! . 1059434 Ontario. Retrieved 25 May 2013.
  10. ↑ Eakin, Marah (24 May 2013). "The new Boards of Canada single sure sounds like a Boards of Canada single | Music". The A.V. Club . The Onion . Retrieved 25 May 2013.
  11. ↑ Neyland, Nick (23 May 2013). "Boards of Canada – "Reach for the Dead"". Pitchfork . Retrieved 16 October 2013.
  12. ↑ Hart, Otis (23 May 2013). "Boards of Canada Share New Video, Song". All Songs Considered . National Public Radio . Retrieved 25 May 2013.
  13. ↑ "News | Listen: New Boards of Canada". The Quietus . 23 May 2013. Retrieved 25 May 2013.
  14. ↑ Murray, Robin (24 May 2013). "Listen: Boards of Canada – Reach for the Dead". Clash . Retrieved 17 October 2013.
  15. ↑ Haas, Rachel (24 May 2013). "Watch the video for Boards of Canada's New Track "Reach for the Dead" :: Music News". Paste . Wolfgang's Vault . Retrieved 25 May 2013.
  16. ↑ "Reach for the Dead: Boards of Canada: MP3 Downloads". Amazon . Retrieved 28 May 2013.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.