I'll admit I was very late coming around to Burial. I heard Untrue when it first dropped and didn't think it was anything special, ooooh boy was I wrong. Looking back, no one did music like this back then. Even today no one does this style as well as Burial did it on Untrue.
Burial creates beat driven ambient music on Untrue. You could consider this dance music possibly but that would be missing the point entirely. This release focuses much more on the experience and the atmosphere than the dancability of the tracks.
The percussion - when it's there - is well executed and varied. The drum work on the album alone is often as intricate as some jungle (or drum n bass) artists of the time. It's enough to make an album around the drums just by themselves, but again there is so much more than just that one element.
There is a distant quality to the music. The vocals are haunting in a deep and frightening way. They are obviously human but they are just alien enough to feel uncomfortable. It's similar to hearing someone in another room, or under water. You can make out some words, but it's not clear what is going on... there is a distance to the sound... the music.
In addition to the more conventional percussion driven tracks there is a strong emphasis on atmosphere. There are effects, layers, sound pads, and a myriad of other elements that create this effect. The atmosphere is so minimal yet so complete that it feels like a paradox. These tracks evoke the deepest emotions in me: reflection, stillness, wonder, and awe.
Burial is ever changing. Burial is never content to repeat himself. As such this is the only album that we got in this style. Would I like more? Possibly, but I feel like any attempt to go back to the style of Untrue would be half hearted and wouldn't capture the same magic. The release is strong enough as it is, and holds up well over a decade later after it's initial release.
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