13 years of Burial's Untrue
Remember remember the 5th of November. It was 13 years ago today that Burial’s Untrue was released into the sonic stratosphere. It’s now officially a teenager.
Burial had already gifted us with his self-titled album and a couple of EP’s, but this one hit differently.
I cried when I first heard it, as did my friend Hanna who upon her first listen, texted me to tell me that. I bet some of you reading this cried too.
The effect that it’s had on people on a personal level is evident all around the web; in social media comments, pictures of Burial tattoos, memes, “best album ever” charts.
I took the photos that are seen in the artwork so my name is on the back of the record and even I get messages from people asking me about it or wanting to know about Burial.
But let the music do the talking - deep, emotional, both joyful and sad, layered and complex, masculine & feminine, rooted in South London, rooted in rave, full of soul.
“Your tunes are like being in a fog, it’s diffuse but it’s all around you”
Or, read this interview with the late, great Mark Fisher, one of the few people to have interviewed Burial, in which they touch upon angels, ghosts and Burial’s unorthodox but innovative use of the software Sound Forge.
Untrue has also had a profound effect on wider culture - Burial-esque sounds (androgynous pitch-shifted vocals, crackle, fluttering beats etc) can be heard not just in underground music but in TV commercials and chart-topping pop songs. Back when he was anonymous, The Scum newspaper tried to uncover his identity; now his name appears in academic books in places like the Tate bookshop.
I love to think that there are people out there that weren’t born when it was released and are now turning 13 and might listen to Untrue for the first time. Interesting to know if it will still have the same effect on them as it did on me, my friends and so many others. I’m sure it will for many.
Happy Birthday Untrue!
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