As we move into 2021, the typical seasonal gloom is compounded by the terrors of 2020. The final months were a bleak and sad time; perhaps there was no better combination of people than Burial, Thom Yorke, and Four Tet to write a few songs for its soundtrack.
Last collaborating in 2011 for another double-track vinyl release “Ego”/ “Mirror” (which is missing from streaming platforms, but of course is on YouTube), this group of UK giants teamed up again to give us this sorrowful electronic two-track single.
Thom Yorke and Burial are known for their melancholy and occasionally depressive soundscapes, as well as being two iconic and highly influential British electronic artists. Four Tet, also an iconic producer, tends to be a little more lighthearted, even cutesy, recently releasing a bouncy, more dance-oriented four-track EP under his wingdings side project.
But, it was certainly Yorke and Burial’s tendencies that won out on these two songs. Though the production techniques and moments of lovely hope that shine through on the tracks can be somewhat attributed to Four Tet, the overwhelming mood of these songs is truly somber.
The first track, “Her Revolution,” begins with a light piano melody and the typical warm vinyl sounds of Burial. Then the “slowed and reverb type drums kick in and a repeating sitar sample overlaid with Thom’s languid, slightly-whiny singing.
The textures of the song, the skipping vinyl noise, the drums with skipping, heavy-landing beats are all typical of Burial productions, and probably why he has gained such a massive following. But the depth of sound on this track and lush layering fading into more traditional electronic territory have the mark of Four Tet.
The lyrics, heavy echo, and reverb on Yorke’s voice are typical of him and work excellently here. The vague lyrics “She is watching us now, she will sell us out” are somehow both sweet and ominous.
Repetitions of “revolution” bring to mind the anxieties of the current moment. The ending and the repeated scratchy sample repetitions and jumps, along with a step-ladder synth, fade in and out, becoming almost radio-like with the distortion and sweet melody fade out.
The lyrics and low-fi beat vibes of the track gird its seemingly lovely little melodies with a depth that evokes feelings and moments reminiscent of 2020. Burial and Yorke’s typical morose, navel-gazing music seems perfect for our current moment.
The track is homely, perhaps comforting sounding like something you would put on at the end of an early night, yet there is a thin line between peace and solitude and this track seems to criss-cross through it. As sorrowful and haunting as it is sweet and comforting, “Her Revolution” leads perfectly into “His Rope.”
The glitchy, almost underwater-sounding entrance of “His Rope” sounds like early Burial, something off his 2007 Untrue album. Yorke’s oppressive and oblique fragmented singing repeats on this track. The wavering, looped melody underscored his lyricism more directly here, a somber, dark, and perhaps regretful tone creating a truly melancholic atmosphere.
Like the terrible year that precedes it, “His Rope” evokes violence and loss, the lyrics “Total self-destruction,” “I cut the rope/Step out/In an instant it’s all over/I’m done” carrying with them the weight and toll of a year so many are struggling to get through.
The focus of this track is turned away from a concentration on lush instrumentation and programming to Yorke’s hum-like, moaning singing in and out, punctuated with the beat, angelic voice, and whispers.
The rising and falling tones of the song along with tin-can, underwater-like distortions increase attention to the intimacy of the track’s sorrow. Yet, the abrupt typical Burial interrupting loops and increasing vinyl distortion allow the listener a sort of comfort as it fades out on a low hum.
While Burial and Thom Yorke may often be associated with the morose, “music aficionado” /mu board types, I believe these tracks can speak to anyone who struggled this winter.
COVID-19 and tragedies abound; we are all barely scraping through, often stuck with the feelings of sorrow, melancholy, and distress that Yorke, Tet, and Burial evoke here. If you feel like wallowing a bit, or simply somberly reflecting, give these tracks a listen.
Written by Xia Jimenez