Burial returns to Hyperdub with his most crucial missive in years! “Claustro” is a no-frills 2 step rhythm with a repurposed Brandy-ish vocal in classic Untrue fashion, paired with one of those bleep techno basslines he’s been deploying in more recent dancefloor-leaning gear. As with any Burial record, stay tuned after the fade for the little snacks tacked on at the end, lest you miss some of his most potent little sizzles of music in years. Flipside “State Forest” is quintessential inward-facing Burial, with echoing pads and drones weaving and folding in on one another. He rolls out all the classics: fog, crackle, angel voices, gliding blade sounds. Deeply evocative, it’s Burial at his most soundtrackiest (no, really!) and at 8+ minutes, I can really zone out to this one in a way I haven’t been able to since, like, “Night Bus.” Its the first-ever Burial Hyperdub 12” in a pic sleeve, so cross your fingers extra hard this means there’s some sort of album on the horizon. Recommended.

• 180g heavyweight black vinyl
• housed in pic sleeve
• music label: Hyperdub 2019

reviewed by exit woundz 06/2019