Burial - Tunes 2011-2019

Hyperdub: 2019

Folks were so anxious to hear a third LP in the wake of Untrue, they didn't realize Burial had low-key released a double-LP's worth of material in the decade since. However, it was scattered about some seven singles, so never thought of as a singular listening experience. If only there was a way to consolidate all that music into such a format. By golly there is!

I kid, but honestly, Tunes 2011-2019 is quite handy for the casual Burial listener. While I'm sure such a compilation is highly redundant for a dedicated follower of Mr. Bevan's music, not everyone has time or interest in getting every EP as they come. Even myself, an individual who quite enjoys (and sure relates to) his post-clubbing come-down urban vibes, only ever sprung for the Rival Dealer EP. I had thought about getting others, even eyed the double-EP option of Street Halo / Kindred on many an occasion. I guess that procrastination paid off in that now I have them all in a single package.

Still, what's the big deal? Just all the singles appropriately aligned in chronological order, right? Been there, done that. Not at all! In fact, things have been arranged such that Tunes Of The '10s plays out like Burial had planned all these EPSs as a double-LP right from the get-go. Just, he needed a bit of an obtuse angle to initially approach it from, before realizing what overarching themes manifested with all these disparate compositions. Or it was just a big ol' coincidence things worked out they way they did.

Basically, each CD serves as its own narrative, disc one the more conceptual of the two. The first half mostly features his ambient and experimental works, and if nothing else, effectively creates a mood of back-alley squalor. Some of it does meander too long (too much field recording dithering in Subtemple), but all of it effectively builds a sense of isolation and loneliness that's only broken free from once the shimmering synths of Nightmarket hit. Then, we're off into the uplifting messaging of the Rival Dealer tracks, with the ol' school garage vibes of Claustro serving a perfect companion piece to them. Why there's even a call-back of sorts, the haunting ambience at the tail end of Hiders having been given expanded exploration in the earlier Beachfires.

By contrast, CD2 is the 'clubbier' of the two, if you could ever call Burial's post-Untrue works club worthy. For sure there are moments where a house groove or 2-step shuffle is in action, but the lengthy, stop-start nature of most of these tracks makes them rather unwieldy for the dancefloor. It's all about the atmosphere anyway. Especially with the final two cuts off the Street Halo EP, Stolen Dog and NYC. Ah, there's that Untrue feels. Wait a minute...

*checks track list again*

Oh, hah! Tune 2011-2019 is in mostly chronological order after all, just reverse. Funny how that worked out. Or a big ol' coincidence.

Burial - Untrue

Hyperdub: 2007

The only dubstep album you’re supposed to have, even if you’re not a fan of dubstep. Especially if you’re not a fan of dubstep, as this was the one that was supposed to convince you the genre wasn’t all bad. And that’s funny, because Burial’s Untrue isn’t even considered a dubstep record anymore. Even at the time of release, it was something of a nebulous demarcation, but because the genre hadn’t branched into splinter sub-genres in any significant way yet, it was hailed as the first Proper Dubstep Album Classic. I think folks stopped calling it that around 2009, when it became clear that dubstep’s growing popularity wasn’t going the way of these moody, atmospheric, intricate productions, but rather whatever obnoxious wub-wub nonsense Benga and Rusko were churning out. Quick, call it something else! Well, it’s still got some ties to UK Garage, but it’s like, futuristic sounding compared to original UK Garage. Hmm, what to call it indeed…

So Untrue is technically no longer a classic dubstep album, but it’s still considered a classic album within the lexicon of electronic music history. The impact it had in the year 2007 still resonates to this day, many up-and-coming ‘urban bass’ producers inspired, imitating, and cloning what Burial did with his sophomore album. The digitally distorted R&B vocals from memories long past, the thick beatcraft echoing off warehouse walls, the atmosphere drenched in rainfall and vinyl crackles, the introspective dusty ambient interludes, the grace in unpolished electronics, all things no one can go without mentioning in any review of Untrue, nor most Burial releases at this point.

Hell, I’m almost certain I’ve typed words similar to that in a previous Burial review, which makes me wonder if, much like Boards Of Canada, Mr. Bevan became trapped by his unique aesthetics’ success. Folks adored the raver nostalgia vibes his tunes generated, eager to hear more, even if from second-run acts filling those aching gaps. Some actually improved upon the template Burial set out here, though given that Untrue is nearly a decade old now (!!), there’s been plenty of time and opportunity to explore themes of post-party isolation in hazy 4am city streets. Besides, it’s not like Burial’s been in any hurry to produce a third LP.

Oh, he’s kept a steady rate of singles over the years, but to make a follow-up to one of the most critically hailed electronic albums in the wake of the new millennium? Hot damn, what pressure that must be! Wait, The Bug also had a huge, critically-hailed ‘dubstep’ album of his own in 2008, and he put out another album, eventually. Why the wait, Mr. Bevan? Surely whatever personal anxiety one must feel after such a release has waned by now, free to evolve as an artist without being crushed by expectation so close to the cultural supernova event that was Untrue (yay, hyperbole!). We’ve already heard some hints of this in recent singles - seems the time is about right to take on the album format again.

Burial - Rival Dealer

Hyperdub: 2013

I mean, if you have as dedicated and willing a listening audience as Burial’s, why not take the noble road with a Message Album? It’s tricky though, getting them across such that they’re understandable, but without coming off cloying and obvious as fuck. Also, when even the greatest songwriters look goofy in benefit concerts, what hope does a persistently reclusive sort like Mr. Bevan have, especially with a bevy of Burial backlashers waiting in the bleachers? And did they ever pounce when Rival Dealer came out, decrying it the point where Burial had finally fallen off (until this latest single Temple Sleeper anyway), straying too far from his future garage roots into sentimental pap in delivering his one very important thought. Others countered it was bold moving on from dubstep’s resolutely isolationist urban vibe in favor of something uplifting and socially embracing. Debates raged over intent of message versus calculated courting of controversy for the purpose of marketing, posts in comment threads reaching word counts longer than what I self-impose upon myself for these reviews. Oh shit, the review! I still have to talk about the music!

Three tracks make up Rival Dealer, though the way Burial changes course so frequently, it feels like twice as many shorter tunes mashed together forming a whole. The titular opener alone runs the gamut of darkcore jungle, ravey bosh, and rain-soaked cinematic ambience, all fed through Burial’s distinct crackly urban-soul production. Less about songcraft than sound collage, there’s much to digest, a sonic assault provoking a response – whee, art! Hiders, the short cut of the three (other two breach the ten minute mark each) goes in a synth-pop route, including swelling strings, uplifting pianos, and a lovely croon; then, over a minute of field recordings static and dark drone. Talk about contrasts.

Final cut Come Down To Us lays the sentiments on thick as syrup, though the broken beats Burial crafts are nice and thick too, so I can’t complain. As for his pull on your emotions, yeah, this is as subtle as a meat hook in your heart, but damn if he doesn’t pull it off. Burial’s ace remains his appeal to your base emotions, particularly tugs at nostalgia (hello eleven millionth Boards Of Canada comparison) - that he wrenches feeling out of issues of depression, isolation and hope doesn’t surprise me, and I’m more stunned he pulls it off without crossing that aforementioned line of corn. I can see how others wouldn’t agree, and deride Burial for even going there, but as far as I’m concerned, this is as tastefully done as one can hope, given the context of the subject matter.

As for that particular topic, I’m hardly the person to start preaching, but for what it’s worth, I believe it’s absolute shit the way LGBTQ folk have been generally treated. They deserve better, and am glad progress is made in their benefit, slow as it may be. As the sample on Rival Dealer consistently assures throughout, “you’re not alone”.

Burial - Burial

Hyperdub: 2006

About time I get some Burial up in this here bloggin' bitch. I've made reference to him in a dozen other reviews, so it's only proper that I take the once-enigmatic post-dubsteppy future-garageist darling under the critical scalpel at some point. If only he'd have a higher workrate, chucking out EPs, LPs, and CDs at enough of a clip that I'd have covered at least one release by now. Wait... no, never mind, it wouldn't matter anyway. Lord Discogs tells me almost all his musics are titled in the bottom end of the alphabet – that are available on compacted discual format anyway. Man, when Burial goes low, it be low indeed.

Appropriately enough, I'm beginning this Burial business with his self-titled debut album. Come, let me take you to a bizarre time in electronic music history, when dubstep had barely squirted out of the London City underground. Hyperdub, the ultra-cool, savvy UK bass music label known for critically hailed acts like Kode9, Zomby, and DJ Rashad, had just launched. Many pegged it an upstart in the early dubstep scene, as few looked capable of toppling the mighty Tempa in those days. But they hadn't counted on a secret weapon in the likes of Burial emerging from those grimy South London Burroughs.

Thing about early dubstep is it was still entirely indebted to grime rap for its inspiration, especially so the ‘dub’ instrumentals. Grime, however, had emerged from UK garage, a rugged, aggressive counter to that scene’s glitzy urban attributes. D’em London rude-boys, they want no girly vocals and emotions in their gritty beats. Then Burial said, “Nah, guy, we can bring the garage soul to the warehouse. Watch.” And that’s what he done did, taking in garage samples and overdubbing them so they came out as ethereal whispers of UK clubbing’s past, contorted into something abstract and haunting. And geez, does it ever tug at your nostalgia memory centres. Small surprise everyone was quick in making the Boards Of Canada comparison, and it can’t be a coincidence that the Scotland duo took a long hiatus almost immediately after Burial emerged (yes it can).

But that’s the Burial as we’ve come to know, which broke out of UK obscurity with his sophomore album, Untrue. For this album, we only hear that half the time, and no surprise these are among the best tracks within. Distant Lights, Southern Comfort, U Hurt Me, Gutted, and Pirates all play to a sense desolate inner-city soul, even as the rhythmic shuffle echoes crisp and clear off abandoned buildings recently used for squat parties. There’s gentle rain-soaked ambience too (Night Bus, Forgive), but the rest of Burial is still tied to dubstep’s pure-grime roots, music much too sparse and rhythmically clunky for those uninterested in anything UK bass related.

Ultimately, Burial’s debut sounds like he’s exploring where his music can potentially go rather than being bothered in creating a cohesive LP. Considering how many copy-cats its spawned though, he definitely hit upon something special here.