Boards of Canada are two Scottish guys-- Michael Sandison and Marcus Eoin-- that have been recording experimental music in various forms since their childhoods. Consequently, their sound is completely fucking bizarre. Allow me to elaborate: the band's American full- length debut, Music Has The Right To Children, sounds like the music you hear in dentist's offices-- sort of easy listening, Muzak- type instrumentals-- but much more ambient and ethereal, and occasionally with strange, drug- influenced percussion.

The album is also incredibly fluid; it's often difficult to determine where one track ends and another begins, allowing you to take in the album as a whole instead of as individual... er... experiments? Of course, it does have its standouts-- the gentle, spacecraft theme song "An Eagle In Your Mind;" the vibe- powered "Turquoise Hexagon Sun;" this record's answer to Land of the Loops' "Multi-Family Garage Sale," "Roygbiv;" the drugged- out surreal funk track "Aquarius..." in fact, practically every track over two minutes in length is a standout, and the rest of the tracks are there to provide stability and continuity for the album as a whole.

Music Has The Right To Children stands as an excellent example of what UK label Warp is doing for modern electronic music. Let's face it-- we've come a long way since Switched On Bach. But have we come a long way since Ninja Tune or Mo'Wax? We have now. Warp has taken a handful of killer acts whose only common trait is that they're electronic- focused, and created a sound that is both distinctly Warp, and yet completely unpredictible. Take a look at their roster if you don't believe me-- Squarepusher, Red Snapper, Autechre, Plaid, Aphex Twin... what other electronic label can boast such diversity?

By creating ambient music that's actually stimulating-- something that's so unbelievably rare among ambient acts-- and by mixing it with elements of funk and drum-n-bass, Boards of Canada are not only pioneering an entirely new genre, but also paving the way for more stimulating ambient/ electronic groups that will hopefully become increasingly prevalent in the new millennium. After all, electronic drug music has got to evolve past the Orb at some point. Why not now?

-Ryan Schreiber