Special Note: The 2020k review of Tomorrow’s Harvest by Boards of Canada is available here. Below is our coverage of the viral marketing campaign which lead up to the announcement of this record.

THIS IS ABSOLUTELY NOT A DRILL.

It seems as though Warp Records took to National Record Store day today to let us know that Boards of Canada’s follow up to their 2005 release The Campfire Headphase is well on its way!

Hidden throughout several record stores today was a 12 inch vinyl for sale. We’re not sure how many of these have been pressed, or what’s on them. However, information will be edited into this post, equipped with edit tags on them, as we sift through the details that are being provided.

Currently, we know that @Imnopandabear from New York City, known as Lilcakey on Reddit found and purchased one of these promotional vinyl from Other Music. His account of the product lets us know that the packaging dates this as a Warp 2013 release and contains 20 seconds of audio on one side of the vinyl that says a six digit number one time, then cuts out.

This purchaser goes on to describe more information that he gathered from the store itself. “Clearly I have one of six similar Boards of Canada records released today and distributed “randomly” around the world (Other Music said they received the record with no word / acknowledgement of its existence, it was just there in a shipment they received). I think that if all of the numbers are gathered and arranged in a proper order, we might be able to figure something out, so we just need the other 5 people who found the record (or maybe they haven’t been found yet) to reveal their numbers and where they fit in the sequence, and then of course, have to decipher what the numbers together mean.”

Regardless, the devil is in the details right now, guys. So if you happen to have acquired one of these vinyl records, please leave a comment below with what’s on them so we can compile all the information we can! Everything is pure speculation at this point, but this does seem very legitimate and we are piecing together the puzzle…on the date of the fifteenth anniversary of Music Has a Right to Children, no less!

Keep the 2020k Twitter page on check, too. We’re following information closely and retweeting as necessary. All information will ultimately be reported on this blog.

EDIT #1: Youtube video of the vinyl playing is up. Watch it here. 936,557 is the number on this copy. The music is beautiful. Thank you, Lilcakey for posting in our comments. Please keep us posted!

EDIT #2: Boards Of Canada do have a page on Recordstoreday.com.

EDIT #3: This one is to be taken with a grain of salt. A YouTube video on Boards Of Canada’s official playlist show “Julie and Candy,” from Geogaddi, with a strange video description. Click here to see the full playlist. The video is number eight. While this playlist compiles fan made videos, for the most part, the video description is interestingly  “——/——/——/——/——/—–­-“.

EDIT #4: The video description to edit #3 seems to have changed again. It now reads “1977 snow computing amateur footage beards synthesizer”. But, YouTube user wentingtonful left it as a comment on the video. Presumably just to note that it was there at one point in time. Please keep in mind that the “Julie and Candy” video was uploaded by user Ataalantafugiens, who only has this video on their channel. The version of this song seems to be a soundboard recording from one of Boards of Canada’s only live performances. We’re still unsure, since its upload, how this user got a hold of it.

For notes: The year in the description has also altered several times in the last few minutes. 1976, 1977, 1978. Seem to be staying on ’77 now. However, the dashes are back. Go to 4:20 on the video and pause. No, wait. The placement has changed. Go to 4:19 and pause. (A rumored, possible countdown?)

It is also noteworthy that the description of the video used to read “1977 snow computing amateur footage beards synthesizer salopette endtimes uaevuon yera”

EDIT #5: Album out in June according to Tweet from Iain Stewart, who is a friend of a friend of the band. Tweet dated 4/11/13.

EDIT #6: Warp Records has just followed Other Music on Twitter.

EDIT #7: The record is number stations influenced (The Conet Project is a good place to start for beginners at this). So, there are a few number theories floating around. They’re only theories, but the number 6 keeps popping up quite a bit, and with the Tweet from Iain Stewart mentioning a possible June release, I will keep all number theories inside this edit.

Theory 1: The Julie and Candy video. Presumably, the position of the dashes and slash marks started at 4:20 on 4/20. Today, they were moved down to 4:19. Tomorrow, if they move to 4:18, this could possibly be a countdown of some sorts to something. This positioning has not moved. Theory debunked.

Theory 2: The full video description on the “Julie and Candy” video and the six set of numbers correlate:

——/——/——/——/936557 /——
1977/snow/computing/amateur footage/beards/synthesizer

Theory 3: Each of the vinyl records will contain a different set of numbers. So far, we have the fourth set since this looks like the fourth copy of the vinyl made, judging by the X’s. So far only one vinyl has been found. A second set of numbers came from a YouTube video. See Edit #12

EDIT #8: krs from the Twoism.org message board spoke to Other Music who confirmed that there is only one Boards of Canada Record Store Day vinyl released in the United States. A Warp Rep brought in the vinyl to the store. This has been obtained. The rest of them? Apparently they’re in other countries. Get searching. Update in the comments section if you obtain one. You can listen to the phone conversation here. Voice in the phone recording isn’t board member krs.

“Just got off the phone with the guy from Other Music again, and he said they DID INFACT have it at the store!!!!!! He said a warp representative brought it in at 3pm the day before record store day. He also said that the one found in their store is THE ONLY ONE IN THE U.S.!!!!! THE OTHERS ARE IN FACT IN DIFFERENT COUNTRIES!!!! He didn’t specify, but they way he said it, I imagine this is what the representative from warp told him.”

EDIT #9: Pitchfork (twice!) & The Consequence of Sound have linked 2020k as a main source in their articles for this Boards of Canada mystery. I am a huge follower of both publications. Thank you for spreading the word, guys. A thank you to bocpages.org as well. Updates to this article will continue as information rolls in. Pitchfork has apparently confirmed that this is a legitimate Warp release. The Guardian has picked up this article. Shout out to Jakub over at Tycho’s blog. Thank you. Thanks to FACTmag too (check your Tweets). SPIN has also reported.

4/22/2013

EDIT #10: The “Julie and Candy” video has not been altered today, debunking the rumor that the annotations were a countdown to something. The source of the video and affiliation with Boards of Canada to the user is still noteworthy, as the video is reportedly a backdrop used for their ATP performance, and the version of the song is presumably the soundboard recording of the live performance (or a live, studio version of the track).

EDIT #11: Also relevant, Other Music tweets out that they did receive a copy of this vinyl, finally confirming that this is an official Record Store Day release by Warp and Boards of Canada

EDIT #12: The official Hell Interface Youtube channel (which is the name Boards went under before they were Boards of Canada) posted this three second video, which links to this video that plays a new jingle. The video is called “csch” by tarekeys. More numbers. This time, the numbers are: 717228

Edit #13: Hellinterface YouTube account just posted a comment under an “Everything You Do Is A Balloon” YouTube video. Points to the same hellinterface YouTube account video as the numbers in edit #12. Also, Youtube Video name is CSCH. Well look what happens when you add a .ca after it. The link is speculation at this point and seems more coincidental at this point, than anything. The 3 second video shows images when you hover over the timeline and drag. click for pic!

Edit #14: The new placement for the 717228 number seems to be the following: ——/——/717228/936557/——/—— The  reasoning behind this being that the text “—— / —— / XXXXXX / —— / —— / ——” appears on the csch video at approximately 0:40 for exactly two frames.

An enhanced picture from the 3 second YouTube video can be seen below. Thank you to the Boards of Canada (unofficial) IRC for figuring this edit out. Also, it seems as though the stills are from The Little House On The Prairie, Episode 69 68, “Times of Change”, aired Sept 19 1977. [Source needed for airing date].

EDIT #15: The order of the videos on the Boards Of Canada YouTube playlist has been changed. The Felix Baumgartner “Dayvan Cowboy” video used to be the starting video. Now, three others are on top of it. The “Julie and Candy” video which contained the first hint, the “Everything You Do is a Balloon” video which contained the second hint, and below those two videos is a video for “Trails”. Speculation is that “Trails” will contain the next hint.

4/23/2013

EDIT #16: Rough Trade reports a second vinyl has been sold from their store. Posts three pictures. We don’t know the numbers. I playfully yelled at them on Twitter. The xxxxxx’s are in the same spot as the first vinyl sold.

Rough Trade has tweeted the number: 936557 and the audio from their copy. The same number as the vinyl found in New York.

Edit #17: Looks like BBC Radio 1 is in on it too! Here’s a screencap taken at 3:20PM EST by us. It was played on the Zane Lowe show. Did anyone tune in? Playlist reads: Unknown —— / ——- / —— / —— / —— / XXXXXX

The clip is now DOWNLOADABLE on BBC’s website. Click here for the MP3. New numbers: 519225

So, now we have ——/——/717228/936557/699742/519225

EDIT #18: NPR have posted a string of numbers on All Things Considered. These numbers are 699742.

——/——/717228/936557/——/519225

Theory: All of the numbers, except the NPR number have a double digit in the last three numbers. 717228, 936557, 519225 However, if you reverse the NPR number completely backwards so that it reads 247996 instead of 699742, it follows suit with the double digit theory.

Then, after the NPR number is reversed, take a look at the last number following the double digit. 717228, 936557, 519225, and if we reverse the NPR number we get 247996. With this theory, the string of numbers would be ——/——/717228/936557/699742 (or, reversed 247996)/519225. So, the first set of numbers should theoretically end in a double digit, followed by a 0 (or possibly xxx110). The second set of numbers should theoretically end in a double digit, followed by a 9.

No word on what this all means or if this theory is legitimate in the long run. Extraordinary thanks to @cydoniac for this! If anything, it’s good thinking. After finding the Soundcloud numbers, unfortunately this theory seems void.

EDIT #19: Background on Boards of Canada’s Youtube page has changed to a snowy/sky blue background and the annotations have changed on the “Julie & Candy” video. At 4:19 and 4:20, where the annotations are, there are now boxes. You cannot click them, but they are small, new editions.

4/26/2013

EDIT #20: Looks like Twoism.org is in on the fun! On Youtube, the infamous playlist on Boards of Canada’s profile updated so that a video for “Twoism” was in the number one spot. The website’s banner altered, leaving six hints:

“GIF89a
csch,hexagon sun,boc,hell interface,boards of canada,music70,boctransmission,hexagonsun,fyt,twoism
http://snd.sc/11W7vpv
http://snd.sc/11W726Q
there is another…
GIF89ai”

which lead to a Soundcloud page which held two audiofiles (Audiofile #1 called “∑” & Audiofile #2 entitled the same thing).

The album art shows a diagram of a signal mixer which sums two inputs. By summing the two Soundcloud files we’ve received the new number: 628315.

EDIT #20.5: It look as though when viewing the ID tags of the .WAV files on these uploads, we find some great information. Audio#1 is entitled “AAAA.wav” and the second being “BBBB.wav”. However, what’s even better is that in the description it mentions these files being clues for “Cosecha,” which is spanish for the word harvest and is being speculated as the album’s title. This would make sense, seeing as though the Youtube “csch” links to a video called “neuvas,” which is spanish for new seeds.

The website’s banner on Twoism.org also linked to .gif files that, when manipulated, will display where the new number from the Soundcloud files will go. Click for the picture.

699742/628315/717228/936557/——/519225

EDIT #21: Rough Trade, the record store in which one of the vinyl releases was found has been posting some cryptic Twitter status updates, including a “Boards of Canada loop” playing outside a building across the street at the Loading Bay Art Gallery. A video has been posted, along with a time stamp of “20:35?”, but no more information has been released as of yet beyond the loop. Video has also been posted, but while it showed a sunny desert, only X’s have been broadcasted so far, no number. There is audio that is being broadcasted as well, changing once, but nothing new.

The #BoC loop from outside Rough Trade East is here >>> youtube.com/watch?v=uZXFSn… Thank you @aertime!!

— Rough Trade (@RoughTrade) April 26, 2013

EDIT #22: Adult Swim aired an advertisement in the United States. No new number, but confirms the 699742, which is the number NPR also gave on their broadcast a few days ago.

EDIT#23: http://www.boardsofcanada.com currently redirects to http://cosecha-transmisiones.com/ and is asking for a password. Viewing the page source displays the code in a huge Hexagon with X’s where the missing numbers in our string of code is.

EDIT #24: Your password, thanks to Noby at Twoism.org (how he obtained this is to be determined):. 699742628315717228936557813386519225. Upon entering the password, you see a video that confirms a June 10th, 2013 release date for a new Boards of Canada album titled “Tomorrow’s Harvest”, which you can pre-order on Bleep.com (CD or Vinyl) by clicking here.

EDIT #25: The missing numbers seem to have been coded into the header of the source code on Boardsofcanada.com. The missing numbers? 7813386.

699742/628315/71722/893655/7813386/519225

We did it, guys.

All information on the release can currently be seen via the new entry, which you can see by clicking here.

5/21/2013

EDIT #26: Coverage continues. Boards of Canada have just updated their Facebook with a status! Let the more traditional promotion begin? Or is this some more cryptic goodness? The status reads: “May 22nd 24:00 @ 1-23-10 Jinnan Shibuya-ku Tokyo”

EDIT #27: A new song and some visuals from Tomorrow’s Harvest was debuted in Jinnan Shibuya-ku Tokyo on a large screen. Unofficial Ustream captured it live for us. Upload and song title are pending.

EDIT #27.5: Video is up.

EDIT #28: Zane Lowe premiered “Reach For the Dead” at 2:55 EST PM on BBC Radio 1, which is the same track featured in the aforementioned YouTube video!

EDIT #29: Warp Records has put up a stream of the song. Boards of Canada have uploaded the video to their YouTube channel. Click here to see and listen.

5/26

EDIT #30: Boards of Canada tweeted this, which lead to an Abandoned Water Park in SoCal, here. 5PM PSD, which is 8PM EST.

EDIT #31: Boards of Canada Transmission in Detroit, Michigan at the Movement Electronic Music Festival. A new song! An amazing sounding new song that’s rumored to be “Cold Earth”. A Tweet from Warp confirms this.

5/27

EDIT #32: New Hell Interface YouTube video confirms the location in EDIT #30.

EDIT #33: The California Tweet/Hell Interface video location is a place which held an official listening party for Tomorrow’s Harvest. The attendees? Just those who could make it. An introductory speaker asked the individuals to please only record audio of the first three songs. So, we have “Gemini,” “Reach For The Dead,” and “White Cyclosa” over at this unofficial uStream.

Oh, “Jacquard Causeway” is also on the stream. “Reach For The Dead” didn’t count, right? 😉