Okay. So I yearn for more stuff like Boards of Canada and I get into some Black Moth Super Rainbow (lo-fi bedroom pop BoC) or some Bibio (folkie BoC). I seek out traces of that tape stretch warble blissout wherever I can. Soon I find myself grouping MVB and the like together with Boards and their like until everything's nice and blurry (see: a six-disc compilation that you spend needless late night hours working on). This is the first time, believe it or not, that I've begun to laugh at myself about this obsession. I listen to the "Aquarius" aping first track of Little Plastic Pilots, and I feel more than a little foolish. It's like some jerk (aka Sam Nelson) stole Boards of Canada's equipment and decided to make his own bootleg Boards of Canada album.
"...it is a reflection of my life, encapsulating my dreams, hopes and memories while giving me a soundtrack to experience from. It is a perfect representation, in musical form, of who I am."
Mr. Nelson, I'm sure, probably claims to have never heard the Scottish duo. Or something close to that. He cites Autechre, Brian Eno, Fugazi, and Four Tet as influences. All I here is ape-like aping from some man-ape in L.A. And I think I can wait for the next album from the masters themselves. I'll put it this way: If there's new Family Guy episodes on, I'm not gonna watch some formula copying (albeit, this is writers aping themselves) American Dad bullshit.
There's good music on this CD, but it's very, VERY familiar sounding. More than usual even. The band name evokes Orb and the music evokes modern IDM acts that evoke Brian Eno. It's an irritating feeling. I love me some ethereal, moony melodies, but I can't begin to rate this on its own merits. It's like Boards-by-the-numbers for the board meeting of bored people.
1. Words and Letters in Color
2. There's a Shipwreck Down There/From Lamey to L.A.
3. Love Song
4. The Grumpy Chinaman
5. A Courtyard Full of Sun
6. A Sam is Born
7. Lagunita Fog
8. Spring or Winter
9. Fighting Action Figures
10. Sleep Well
More about: Little Plastic Pilots
