Enigmatic as they come is as enigmatic as they sound in their return. It’s been 13 years since Boards of Canada released new album in 2013’s ambient electronic journey Tomorrow’s Harvest, and in what’s become a typical muted approach to reentering this world of noise, the Scottish duo toe their way back into our conscious with a couple of new listens introducing their latest phase, Inferno, with minimal friction.

The album title itself speaks to our current climate, and for Mike Sandison and Marcus Eoin, the temperature very much boils down their sound to something ominous yet equally beguiling as the electronic psychedelia that has precluded it on “Introit” and “Prophecy At 1420 MHz”. Following the former — a warm, 36-second vintage synth sunburst that feels like waking morning light — its predecessor peers beyond to its surroundings and sees a darker energy enveloping, chilling those beams with a dance between cold laser synths and MIDI in arpeggio.

“I am God, the ultimate resonance / The spirit and the soul, or the psyche / Unconscious, transcendent source / Seat of consciousness / Power,” declares a digitized voice. Through its vessel, BoC speak to predictions of a conflation between religion and technology. Though it’s telling this god may not be a benevolent one.

Directed by: Robert Beatty

Boards of Canada’s Inferno will be released May 28th on Warp Records.