The wait is finally over: Boards of Canada have officially announced their return with an expansive new studio album.
Breaking a decade-long silence, the influential electronic duo is set to unveil Inferno next month. The project is a massive 18-track double album, spanning an immersive 70 minutes of new material.
While the duo recently teased fans with the meditative track “Tape 05”—which appeared as a cryptic easter egg during a social media rollout—that specific piece is notably absent from the official Inferno tracklist.
For a dedicated fanbase that has endured years of anticipation, this announcement feels like a watershed moment. The duo’s previous effort, 2013’s Tomorrow’s Harvest, marked a career high-point, garnering significant critical acclaim and their strongest international chart performance to date.
Then, the silence fell. For thirteen years, the duo retreated from the spotlight, leaving followers to wonder if they would ever re-emerge.
Only the most steadfast supporters dared to hope for a new chapter. However, the wait has concluded with a series of atmospheric social media updates that blend iconic, hazy imagery with the group’s signature vintage aesthetic—capturing a sun-drenched sense of nostalgia that feels unmistakably like Boards of Canada.
Comprised of Scottish brothers Mike Sandison and Marcus Eoin, the pair remains one of the most enigmatic forces in electronic music. Known for their reluctance to tour or grant interviews, they operate in a world of their own making, prioritizing artistic mystery over traditional industry noise.
Though they rarely chase conventional hits, their influence on the electronic landscape is immeasurable. Tomorrow’s Harvest proved their reach was growing, landing at No. 7 in the U.K. and securing their first-ever entry on the Billboard 200.
The duo offered a small glimmer of activity in 2019 with the release of “XYZ,” a remastered track from their 1998 Peel Session, featured on the WXAXRXP Sessions anniversary compilation.
Inferno is scheduled for release on May 29 across digital, CD, and 2xLP formats. You can secure your pre-order or save the album now via the official Boards of Canada website.
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