Mysterious music producer Burial unveils a fresh 23-minute EP titled Comafields and Imaginary Festival.
London-based electronic musician Burial, real name William Bevan, has recently released a new two-track EP titled Comafields and Imaginary Festival. The EP, which was put out via his longtime record label Hyperdub, continues Burial's distinctive sound while subtly evolving his production techniques.
The two tracks on the EP, each over 10 minutes long, feature fragile garage-influenced beats and faded trance synths that intermittently appear and disappear, creating a unique, atmospheric soundscape. The incidental vocals and layered crackles in the latest tracks suggest a continuation of Burial's collage-like approach from earlier releases.
Burial is known for producing his music primarily using an early version of Sony Sound Forge software on a Windows PC. He relies heavily on sample manipulation, editing, and layering without extensive use of hardware synths or MIDI controllers. This minimalist, sample-driven approach has been a hallmark of his style since his emergence in the mid-'00s, characterised by chopped-up, atmospheric samples and a lo-fi aesthetic with vinyl crackle and urban ambience.
Over the years, while Burial has stuck mostly to this approach, his production has gradually incorporated a wider range of influences and more complex rhythmic textures. For instance, there are hints of new influences in the EP, with Comafields building into layered synth drones that feel almost post-rock.
Despite the subtle evolution in his production, Burial has stated that he has no knowledge of other production programs. He remains elusive about specific gear or software changes publicly, maintaining a mystique around his creative process.
Burial's 2007 album Untrue saw him break out of the London underground music scene and into the public consciousness, earning a nomination for that year's Mercury Music Prize. Since then, he has released several EPs and remixes, with the last full EP being Dreamfear/Boy Sent From Above in 2024.
In the past year, Burial provided the soundtrack to Harmony Korine's AI-powered film Baby Invasion, but the soundtrack has not received a standalone release. The EP was released on Bandcamp and streaming services last night, with a vinyl release scheduled for September 19.
For those seeking precise, updated information on Burial's setup or evolution, this might be found through interviews or direct sources outside the current search results.
The EP, Comafields and Imaginary Festival, showcases Burial's distinctive style of music, blending fragile garage-influenced beats with subtle synth melodies, creating a unique, atmospheric soundscape. Burial's approach to entertainment, particularly in music production, remains rooted in sample manipulation, editing, and layering, as evident in his minimalist, sample-driven style.
