Boards of Canada

Music Has the Right to Children

First released1998

Music Has the Right to Children, released in 1998, was recorded by Scottish brothers Mike Sandison and Marcus Eoin over several years in their home studio in Pentland Hills near Edinburgh, establishing their signature lo-fi aesthetic that contrasted with the polished electronic music of the era. The album was engineered and produced entirely by the duo themselves, who utilized vintage synthesizers, tape manipulation, and samples processed through analog equipment to create warm, nostalgic textures that became their hallmark sound. Their deliberate use of degraded audio quality, tape saturation, and found sounds was a creative choice rather than a limitation, reflecting their interest in documentary films and childhood memory. The album's production approach was revolutionary for electronic music at the time, inspiring a generation of artists to embrace imperfection and analog warmth in digital music production. Released on Warp Records, Music Has the Right to Children became highly influential in establishing the IDM and electronic music landscape of the late 1990s and early 2000s.