Burial - s/t 2xLP

Label: Hyperdub

Our Review:

This record totally knocked us for a loop as an impossible mix of grimy dubstep, murky triphop and minimal spaced out dub. When we first threw this on, we were immediately transported back to when we first heard Massive Attack or Portishead, when a whole new world suddenly opened up to us. This creepy, muted world of barebones beats and haunting atmospheres would go on to inspire legions of modern day electronic dub practitioners. This is the first release on Hyperdub, a label run by grime / dubstep DJ Kode9. We expected a blasting barrage of grimy beats. Instead, Burial conjured a swirling vortex of late night groove and midnight stutter. Think those Rhythm And Sound Burial Mix EPs, mixed with some Pole-like glitched-out dub and Portishead's slow-burning smolder. Creepy and crawly, mysterious and moody. Beats suspend in a black shimmering fog with snippets of vocals drenched in reverb. All of this chopped up and let loose to drift over super dark, muffled dubscapes. Huge rumbling bass lines, like distant foghorns, dreamy ambience sort of drifting and ethereal but so so ominous. Tiny sonic sparkles glimmer like some alien sonar, drifting dreamily through fuzzy darkness. Drowned and submerged grooves, all muffled muted melody and shuffling minimal beats. Suffocating atmospheres of low end thrum, record crackle and shortwave interference into a blackened glacial dub jam. So fucking awesome.