[1][4] Compared with their previous releases, Boards of Canada aimed to record a project "with more facets, more detail and a kind of concentrated recipe of chaotic little melodies", as well as "more fuzzy and organic".

[5] The duo recorded over 90 tracks for the project from 1999 to 2001 at Hexagon Sun, their Pentland Hills studio,[6][7] ultimately choosing 22 based on how well they fit the intended atmosphere of the album.

[5] Michael Sandison, half of the duo, stated that the album features acoustic instrumentation that was significantly manipulated and processed, inspired by the traditional folk style of the British group the Incredible String Band[5] and the 1973 film The Wicker Man.

"[5] The September 11 attacks drastically influenced the tone of the album during its production in 2001, with the duo "glued to the TV for the whole day" and Sandison saying that they had subsequently been pushed "into making a darker record".

[9] Mark Richardson of Pitchfork wrote that "the atmosphere on this album is a shade darker than on previous releases, and comparatively tense with a noticeable thread of paranoia.

"[19] Mark Richardson of Pitchfork wrote: "While some will complain about Boards of Canada's failure to cover new territory, [...] the rest of us will delight in what we see as a very accomplished album packed with great music.