Fans are speculating new material is imminent after cryptic tapes reportedly arrived via Warp-linked channels.
Boards of Canada appear to be teasing a return, after fans began sharing footage of mysterious VHS tapes allegedly sent through distribution channels linked to Warp Records and its retail arm Bleep.
A video posted to Reddit shows degraded analogue visuals, shortwave-style audio and layered voice fragments, prompting widespread speculation that the long-dormant electronic duo are preparing new material. One user claiming to have received the tape said it arrived "randomly (…) from the same address that Warp and Bleep use for shipping" in the US.
The footage has already triggered detailed fan analysis, with listeners attempting to decode obscured phrases, symbolic imagery and bursts of what appears to be frequency-shift keying data embedded in the audio. Others have identified manipulated samples resembling material from the duo's Societas x Tape, alongside reversed and heavily processed vocal elements.
Multiple users suggest that more than one tape may be in circulation, echoing the kind of cryptic pre-release campaigns that preceded previous Boards of Canada projects, including their 2013 album Tomorrow's Harvest. Speculation ranges from a new album to a wider archival box set rollout, potentially timed around Record Store Day.
An ambiguous billboard campaign shared to Instagram by Warp has only heightened the fervour. Many Reddit users have intepreted the sun-bleached, nostalgic colours used in the campaign as "official acknowledgement" of the duo's return.
If verified, the campaign would mark the first new music from Boards of Canada in over a decade. Resident Advisor has reached out to the group's representatives. The label was, unusually, unavailable for comment.
See Warp's post in full.
Update, April 14th: This article was updated to mention Warp's billboard campaign.
