Last night, the social media accounts of President Trump’s White House posted their latest promotional video for U.S. nationalism. The eerie footage of windblown flags, detention centers, and a border patrol boat came with an unlikely soundtrack: Boards of Canada’s “Deep Time,” the song from new album Inferno that was initially released as “Tape 05.” Now, the reclusive Scottish duo’s label, Warp, has released a simple statement denouncing the video: “Warp Records and Boards of Canada do not condone the unauthorised use of their music for political messaging.”
In a further bizarre co-option, the White House’s video team adopted the staticky, VHS-style aesthetic associated with Boards of Canada; “Tape 05” itself was initially mailed to fans on VHS, and the videos for follow-up tracks “Introit” and “Prophecy at 1420 MHz” had a similar look—as well as some sinister imagery of cultlike figures.
Inferno, the duo’s first album in 13 years, is out tomorrow.
