Antidawn [EP]

It’s certainly frustrating at first, especially if you’re expecting another dubstep masterpiece. But it grows on you given openness and attention – the kind of attention that Burial has earned through years of consistent brilliance. Love it or hate it, ‘Antidawn’ is one of the most unique releases you’re likely to hear in 2022.

Although ‘ANTIDAWN’ isn’t by any means an easy listen or an EP made for casual ears, the level of intricate detail and world-building achieved proves that, more than a decade since his arrival, nobody does immersive electronica quite like Burial.

What elevates Antidawn to a work of genius is not just this dexterous use of materials, the intricate detail, the disciplined avoidance of obviousness. To me, this feels like an entirely new genre of field recording. Here, Bevan hasn’t merely documented uncanny fragments of nature or some grand scene; he’s come close to painting a sonic portrait of domestic life.

It's often mournful in tone, dwelling on loss and abandonment. But Bevan infuses his music with a glowing warmth, these tunes framed like prayers for happier times ahead. [Apr 2022, p.25]

In recent years, Burial has increasingly tried to escape the linearity of dance music by cobbling together pieces of songs into multi-part suites. With Antidawn, he makes the most of that technique; every track is riddled with fake-outs, false endings, and trapdoors. In that sense, despite the record’s heavy-handedness, there is something playful about Antidawn.