Boards of Canada Peacock Tail

Initially limited to 100 copies on Boards of Canada's own Music70 label, 1995's Twoism EP set a high standard for future BoC output - though only the few willing to pay silly money for it were able to hear for themselves until Warp quietly reissued it on CD at the tail end of 2002. For those trying to compare it to the full-length debut (Music Has the Right to Children), it holds up surprisingly well (granted, two tracks here were only slightly reworked for later release). Excepting only the rigid drum monster "Basefree" (which sounds a bit like Aphex Twin circa 1992), Twoism features the same exquisitely spooky, textured emotronica that fans will want to hear, all at as high a level as the brilliant Music Has the Right to Children to boot.

B.o.C chase up their hypnotic mix on the WXAXRXP NTS weekender with their a reissue of their 1998 ‘Peel Session’, augmented with the previously unavailable ‘XYZ’ off the same session. The OG EP’s trio of classic versions remain in place, revolving a beautifully reworked take on ‘Aquarius (Version 3)’, plus the neck-snap breaks and head kissing licks of ‘Happy Cycling’, and the bucolic air of ‘Olson (Version 3)’. ‘XYZ’ was recorded during the same session but never made it to the original release. It’s an eight minute beauty gently escalating from windswept, flyaway psych riffs to a fractious sort of folksy drill ’n bass onslaught.