Flame 1: Fog / Shrine (Burial, The Bug) Vinyl 12"

Way back before the artist now known as William Bevan was posting selfies on Hyperdub’s website, the enigmatic producer was rumored to be a nom-de-plume of Kevin Martin aka The Bug (as well as Basic Channel and Kode9… I know, a stretch, but try to imagine). While we appreciated Burial’s recent collabs with Four Tet, Zomby and Thom Yorke, this one’s special to us. Two artists working on the fringes of dubstep (Martin trafficking in the weightier end rooted in soundsystem tradition, Burial on the steppier, UK Garage-indebted side) come together for a DSF lurker’s wet dream session. While both artists have been consistently throwing curveballs at their fans for the last 5 or 6 years, this collaboration is precisely what you’d want it to sound like. Martin's eyes-down dance murderation hasn’t been executed this lethally since “Poison Dart”, and it’s rendered all the more sublime drenched in Burial’s signature pirate crackle and rain-soaked atmosphere (Mackintosh not included) that’s as grey as the sleeve it shipped in. The missing link between Mala and O'Malley you didn’t know you needed. Double a-side 12-inch single released on Kevin Martin’s appropriately-titled Pressure imprint, housed in custom die-cut jacket. Recommended.

• black vinyl 12"
• 2-track collaboration between Burial + The Bug
• music label: Pressure 2018

reviewed by exit woundz 04/2018