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Burial
Antidawn
(Hyperdub)
THE debut album from Burial in 2006 came from the conceptual viewpoint of south London being flooded and overrun by the Thames river. It represented a milestone in left field experimental dub step. Few in the genre were not deeply affected by it and put Hyperdub, the label behind Burial, centre stage.
The album Untrue in 2007, equally unique and since then a series of EPs, 12inch releases and the Tunes 2011-2019 collection. Work with Four Tet and Thom Yorke and in December 2020 Chemz, a rave-inspired fusion of breaks, UK garage, 90s hardcore and pitch-shifted repetitive vocal samples.
Antidawn is Burial’s 2022 release, a 43-minute five-track surreal eclectic sonic feast.
Strange Neighbourhood, the opener, haunts around juxtaposed voices, echoing clicks, bleeps, glacial Joy Division-inspired synth pads and no beats. Hinted fragments shine then fade, tempting a guarded optimism. Emotions quickly shift, evoking deeply troubled times.
The lyrics, presenting characters drifting in and out of focus. Included looped “nowhere to go,” pitch-shifted as if coming from a hidden, trapped, plea-ridden child. Then a male voice admitting, “I’ve been a bad place.” Lost lonely phrases, paint an increasingly chilling picture.
The music is a beautiful freed-up work. Frameworks often put in place, then withdrawn. The same mood continues on Antidawn.
An ambient beatless melancholic triumph voices again drifting. Seemingly the music a no man’s land, lyrics taking precedence over song, lonely phrases colour the haze, a stark and fragmented structure makes time slow down.
Antidawn seems to tell a story of a wintertime city, the same feelings echoed from Burial’s debut album. Something beckons listeners to follow it into the night. The result is both comforting and disturbing, producing a quiet and uncanny glow against the cold. At times the resulting emotion is breathtaking.
Shadow Paradise, next up, a 10-minute track, works around emotive subdued gospel organ chords and a repeated vocal hook of “let me hold you,” alluding to a curious optimism. More surreal glitches and scratches continue in the wind-chimes and at times up tempo drama.
Concluding, Upstairs Flat is both sonically thrilling and disturbing, with sharp-edged instruments reminiscent of the build-up to a jump-scare horror film moment. Its lyrical “loving arms” motions bringing optimism.
Burial continues to thrill, inspire and reach to new found territory. To date no live performance, perhaps more than fans can hope for.
At a time when the immersive term is overused and lacking in content, Burial’s music would work brilliantly around a world-class multiposition loudspeaker set up.
Simon Duff