Edinburgh band Boards of Canada hits out at use of track on White House social media post
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Boards of Canada hit out at use of track on White House social media post
Edinburgh electronic music pioneers Boards of Canada have hit out at the White House after their music was used without permission in a video posted on social media.
The duo, comprising of Mike Sandison and Marcus Eoin, said in a statement, alongside record label Warp Records, that they do not condone the unauthorised use of their music for political messaging.
The track Deep Time, from their upcoming album, was used to accompany a clip posted on social media. In the clip helicopters arrive outside the White House and a Border Patrol boat travels across water accompanied by the track.
In a statement Boards of Canada said: "Warp Records and Boards of Canada do not condone the unauthorised use of their music for political messaging."
The clip is presented in a style reminiscent of Boards of Canada’s own, consisting of grainy and degraded video.
Use of the band’s music drew ire from fans - with a flood of comments criticising the US administration.
They follow a long line of artists who have criticised Donald Trump and the White House’s use of music without permission. In 2024, the estate of Sinead O’Connor demanded Donald Trump stop using Nothing Compares 2 U at his political rallies. Bruce Springsteen, the Rolling Stones and Rihanna have all issued similar requests.
Boards of Canada are set to release their first album, Inferno, in 13 years today. The brothers, who were originally born in Cullen, Moray, have been working together since the 1980s and have achieved legendary status in the electronic music scene.
They have become known for their reclusive nature, eclectic music style and novel promotional stunts - including sending mysterious VHS tapes to fans who had previously bought their albums. The tapes included visuals from analogue equipment, shortwave radio, and stacked voice snippets. It was discovered that the tapes were promotional materials for their newest album.
The White House has been approached for comment.