Will power, self discipline, circumstances... Burial’s Untrue continued to refine the damp sonics and urban mood exhibited on his self-titled album released only a year prior, this time honing in on the hair-raising melodics and fragmented diva vocals that made “Distant Lights” such a standout. Projecting the aesthetics of jungle & UK garage through a grey lens of lonerism and urban ambience, populated by constant rainfall, reverberated vocals, concrete atmosphere and sound effects snatched from Playstation games and YouTube, the elusive producer pivots from the slow lurch of halftime dubstep to upbeat and swingy 2-step rhythms. Tracks like “Near Dark,” “Endorphin” and “UK” embody the late night glow of a bus station from the perspective of an exhausted raver caught in the rain. Not for the faint of heart. This complete vinyl pressing includes euphoric “Dog Shelter” and “In McDonalds” plus early single “Ghost Hardware” and the untitled intro track, which were previously only available on CD and digital versions of the album. Strongly recommended.

• expanded 2016 edition includes full album tracklist on vinyl for the first time
  180g black double vinyl pressing
  
• digital download included
• original release year: 2007
• music label: Hyperdub 2016

reviewed by exit woundz 08/2017