History of Boards of Canada in Timeline

Boards of Canada is a Scottish electronic music duo comprised of brothers Mike Sandison and Marcus Eoin. They gained prominence after signing with Warp Records in 1998 and releasing their debut album, Music Has the Right to Children, which is now recognized as a seminal work in electronic music. Their subsequent albums, Geogaddi, explored darker themes, while The Campfire Headphase incorporated more organic sounds. After a hiatus, they returned with Tomorrow's Harvest. Their fifth studio album Inferno is scheduled for release in May 2026.

July 1971: Michael Peter Sandison's Birth

Michael Peter Sandison, one half of Boards of Canada, was born in July 1971.

May 1973: Marcus Eoin Sandison's Birth

Marcus Eoin Sandison, the other half of Boards of Canada, was born in May 1973.

1979: Move to Calgary, Canada

From 1979 to 1980, the Sandison family resided in Calgary, Canada, due to their father's involvement in the construction of the Saddledome.

1980: Return from Calgary, Canada

In 1980, the Sandison family returned from Calgary, Canada after a stay lasting about a year while their father worked on the Saddledome project.

1986: Line-up changes

In 1986, Boards of Canada began experiencing frequent line-up changes.

1986: Formation of Boards of Canada

In 1986, Boards of Canada was formed by brothers Mike Sandison and Marcus Eoin, marking the beginning of their journey in electronic music.

1986: Marcus joins Mike's Band

In 1986, Marcus joined Mike's band as a bassist which marked the formation of Boards of Canada.

1987: Release of Catalog 3

In 1987, Boards of Canada self-released their first known work, Catalog 3, on cassette tape through their own label, Music70.

1989: Frequent Line-up changes end

By 1989, Boards of Canada had gone through frequent line-up changes that saw fourteen different members come and go.

1989: Release of Acid Memories

In 1989, Boards of Canada released the album Acid Memories. The band also reduced to its core membership: Mike Sandison, Marcus Eoin, and Chris Horne.

1992: Participation in Small Projects

From 1992 to 1994, Boards of Canada engaged in various small musical and visual projects.

1994: Participation in Small Projects

From 1992 to 1994, Boards of Canada engaged in various small musical and visual projects.

1994: Releases of Play By Numbers and Hooper Bay

In 1994, Boards of Canada released Play By Numbers and Hooper Bay, both of which were primarily distributed to friends and family.

August 1995: Release of Twoism

In August 1995, Boards of Canada self-financed the limited release of Twoism, which marked the group's first public release.

1995: Recording of Music Has the Right to Children

Boards of Canada started recording Music Has the Right to Children album sometime between 1995 and 1997.

1995: Naming of Hexagon Sun Studio

In the summer of 1995, Boards of Canada and friends officially named their studio in the Pentland Hills “Hexagon Sun”.

July 1996: Live Show in London

In July 1996, Boards of Canada performed a full live show with Super-8 and video visuals in London alongside Autechre, Panasonic and Cylob.

1996: Release of Hi Scores and Boc Maxima

In 1996, Boards of Canada released Hi Scores on Skam Records and Boc Maxima through Music70, with limited distribution.

1996: Chris Horne's Departure

In 1996, Chris Horne departed from Boards of Canada, transforming the group into a duo consisting of the brothers Mike Sandison and Marcus Eoin.

1997: Recording of Music Has the Right to Children

Boards of Canada started recording Music Has the Right to Children album sometime between 1995 and 1997.

1997: Re-release of Catalog 3

In 1997, Catalog 3, the first known work from Boards of Canada, was re-released on CD through the group's Music70 label.

April 1998: Release of Music Has the Right to Children

In April 1998, Boards of Canada released their debut studio album, Music Has the Right to Children, joint-released by Skam Records and Warp Records, to widespread critical acclaim.

1998: Signing to Warp Records and Release of Music Has the Right to Children

In 1998, Boards of Canada signed to Warp Records and released their debut album, Music Has the Right to Children. The release garnered widespread critical acclaim and is now considered a landmark album in electronic music.

1999: Recording of Geogaddi

Boards of Canada began recording their next album, Geogaddi, sometime between 1999 and 2001.

2001: Recording of Geogaddi

Boards of Canada began recording their next album, Geogaddi, sometime between 1999 and 2001.

2001: Last Live Performance

Since 2001, Boards of Canada has not performed live, maintaining a reclusive stance regarding public appearances.

January 2002: Geogaddi Release in Japan

On January 8, 2002, Boards of Canada officially released Geogaddi in Japan through Vivid.

February 2002: Geogaddi Release in Europe

On February 18, 2002, Boards of Canada officially released Geogaddi in Europe through Warp Records.

2002: Sketches for The Campfire Headphase

As early as 2002, Boards of Canada began working on sketches for their next studio album, The Campfire Headphase.

2002: Release of Geogaddi

In 2002, Boards of Canada released their second studio album, Geogaddi, which featured a darker tone and references to religious cults and the occult.

2004: Studio Work for The Campfire Headphase

In 2004, Boards of Canada started the studio work for their next studio album, The Campfire Headphase.

October 2005: Release of The Campfire Headphase

On October 17, 2005, Boards of Canada released The Campfire Headphase, their next studio album.

2005: Release of The Campfire Headphase

In 2005, Boards of Canada released their third studio album, The Campfire Headphase, emphasizing more organic instrumentation and conventional song structures.

2005: Disclosure of Brotherhood

In 2005, Mike and Marcus Sandison revealed in an interview with Pitchfork that they are brothers, having previously avoided comparisons to Orbital.

February 2012: Rumors of New Album

In February 2012, a BBC Radio personality hinted that a new album from Boards of Canada was "on the way".

June 2013: Release of Tomorrow's Harvest

Boards of Canada released their fourth studio album, Tomorrow's Harvest, on June 5, 2013 in Japan, June 10, 2013 in Europe, and June 11, 2013 in the United States to widespread critical acclaim. The album's announcement was preceded by a marketing campaign involving hidden codes and online puzzles.

2013: Boards of Canada released "Tape 05"

In 2013, Boards of Canada released a new video on social media channels titled "Tape 05". It featured new music described as a dark ambient song with evolving moods, accompanied by VHS-style visuals and documentary footage about cults.

2013: Release of Tomorrow's Harvest

In 2013, after a seven-year hiatus, Boards of Canada returned with their fourth studio album, Tomorrow's Harvest, which drew inspiration from film scores.

2013: Vinyl Record Surfaces on Record Store Day

On Record Store Day in 2013, a vinyl record containing a short clip of music and a distorted voice speaking a six digit code surfaced at the New York record store Other Music. It was believed to be the work of Boards of Canada, and Warp Records vouched for the record's authenticity.

January 2016: Release of Nevermen "Mr Mistake" Remix

On January 12, 2016, Boards of Canada released a remix of Nevermen's "Mr Mistake".

February 2016: Release of Odd Nosdam "Sisters" Remix

On February 22, 2016, Boards of Canada released a remix of "Sisters" by Odd Nosdam.

February 2017: Release of Instrumental "Mr Mistake" Remix

On February 17, 2017, Boards of Canada released an instrumental version of their "Mr Mistake" remix.

July 2017: Release of "Sometimes" Remix

On July 29, 2017, Boards of Canada released a remix of "Sometimes" by The Sexual Objects.

June 2019: Airing of Societas X Tape

On June 23, 2019, Boards of Canada's two-hour mixtape titled Societas X Tape aired on NTS Radio as part of Warp Records' 30th-anniversary celebrations. The mixtape included music from artists such as Grace Jones, Devo, and Yellow Magic Orchestra, as well as spoken word samples and rumored unreleased music from Boards of Canada.

July 3, 2021: Release of "Treat Em Right" Remix

On July 3, 2021, Boards of Canada released a remix of a second Nevermen song, "Treat Em Right".

October 2025: "Olson" Played on PDP-1 Computer

In October 2025, Boards of Canada's track "Olson" was programmed as a sequence of tones and played on the last operable Digital Equipment Corporation PDP-1 computer, which is displayed at the Computer History Museum of California.

April 2026: Mysterious VHS Tapes Sent to Fans

In April 2026, mysterious VHS tapes featuring Boards of Canada iconography were sent to fans who had previously purchased merchandise on Bleep. The tapes and a revived website hinted at new music from the duo.