Subtemple / Beachfires

Last updated
Subtemple / Beachfires
BurialSubtemple.png
EP by
Released19 May 2017
Genre Ambient, ambient dub
Length17:17
Label Hyperdub
Producer Burial
Burial chronology
Young Death / Nightmarket
(2016)
Subtemple / Beachfires
(2017)
Pre Dawn / Indoors
(2017)

Subtemple / Beachfires is the ninth extended play of English electronic musician William Emmanuel Bevan, known by his stage name as Burial. It was released on 19 May 2017 by the label Hyperdub. It is an ambient record that only includes the quiet synthesizers and ghostly vocal samples of Burial's sound and does not include any percussion. Responses from professional music journalists were generally mixed to positive.

Contents

Composition

Subtemple / Beachfires is devoid of percussion and only depicts the atmospheric parts of Burial's signature sound, such as quiet synthesizers and haunting vocal samples. [1] Critic Luke Pearson analyzed that the EP, while maintaining the "menacing" vibe of Burial's past works, uses less "urban" sound textures than what is normally in a Burial track. [1] Philip Sherburne labeled the tracks as "musical descriptions of white-out conditions—far northern reaches lashed by chilly winds, where compasses fail and visibility lingers near zero," given that none of the sounds follow a clear rhythm. [2]

"Subtemple" is a track where, as Ray Philp of Resident Advisor analyzed, "many details emerge, but few say much." [3] He wrote that it consists of several field recording sounds such as footsteps, clock ticks, breathing, and water surrounded by crackle noises, with claps and a "tentative toy melody" occasionally coming into the mix. [3] The sounds overlay via echo to make a "internal rhythm," Pearson wrote. [1] A person saying "all that's left is the procedure" and a stopwatch bleep sound is heard later in the track's length. [3] Sherburne analyzed the track heavily includes sounds that "suggest" actual objects, such as clicks indicating a fishing rod, a rumble suggesting an ocean from far away, and a chime indicating a pinging sound from a car. [2]

"Beachfires" is the more melodic track on Subtemple / Beachfires, its only bits of melodies coming from what Sherburne described as "doleful synthesizer tones that circle slowly round and round." [2] Person wrote that "Beachfires" has an "especially haunting atmosphere, featuring what sounds like the ominous chants of a male choir issuing from the primal depths — like [the listener is] secretly witnessing an ancient rite [he has] no business being privy too." [1] Philp, analogizing the track as Burial "lost" in worshipping voids, wrote that the voices "glide in various pitches, from angelic registers to wails that resemble Gregorian chants." [3] In addition to voices, there are chime textures that indicate subtle mutations in the track's tone as well as wind and thunder sound effects. [3]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Exclaim! 7/10 [1]
Pretty Much AmazingC [4]
Resident Advisor 3.2/5 [3]

Pearson wrote that "no one sounds quite like [Burial], and [Subtemple / Beachfires] is no exception." [1] However, he recommended that only Burial fans who enjoy the producer's sound design and atmosphere should buy the EP, and people that are new to his work or are only into his beat-based material should listen to a different record by the musician. [1] Philp opined that "Beachfires" was a better track on the EP due to its "emotional potency." [3] Sherburne enjoyed the EP because, "like a scene filmed in near darkness, the music gives us just enough detail to let the imagination run wild," [2] while Noisey called it "terrifying and brilliant." [5] A mixed review came from Landon MacDonald of Pretty Much Amazing, who criticized the EP for being less like Burial's signature sound that defined him on many of his past records: "As Burial continues to explore the outer reaches of ambient dub, he is just sailing endless gray swamps. Is it relatively unexplored territory? Sure. But maybe it's unexplored for a reason." [4]

Track listing

All tracks written and produced by Burial.

No.TitleLength
1."Subtemple"7:23
2."Beachfires"9:54
Total length:17:17

Release history

RegionDateFormat(s)Label
Worldwide [6] 19 May 2017 Digital download Hyperdub
26 May 2017Vinyl

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Burial (musician)</span> British electronic musician

William Emmanuel Bevan, known by his recording alias Burial, is a British electronic musician from South London. Initially remaining anonymous, Burial became the first artist signed to Kode9's electronic label Hyperdub in 2005. He won acclaim the following year for his self-titled debut album, an influential release in the UK's dubstep scene which showcased a dark, emotive take on UK rave music styles such as UK garage and 2-step; it was named the album of the year by The Wire. Burial's second album, Untrue, was released to further critical acclaim in 2007.

<i>An Empty Bliss Beyond This World</i> 2011 studio album by the Caretaker

An Empty Bliss Beyond This World is the ninth studio album by the Caretaker, an ambient music project of English musician Leyland Kirby, released on 1 June 2011 through History Always Favours the Winners.

<i>The Face</i> (EP) 2012 EP by Disclosure

The Face is the second extended play of British electronic music duo Disclosure, consisting of Guy and Howard Lawrence. It was released on 4 June 2012, by the Greco-Roman label, its remix EP, which features a re-cut of "Control" by Hot Chip's Joe Goddard, distributed in September 2012. The four-track record, which contains musical styles of balearic beat, UK garage, dubstep and techno, features vocal contributions from Sinéad Harnett and Ria Ritchie. It was described by one reviewer as more a "youthful" release of a dubstep and techno scene consisting of artists like James Blake and Little Dragon. The EP is a big departure from their previous works in terms of musical style, its few post-dubstep elements to be the only ones that were also present on their past releases. Promoted one single, "Boiling", and one music video for "Control", The Face garnered critical acclaim, major praises being towards the quality of the EP's musical style and song structures.

<i>IN.RAK.DUST</i> 2014 mixtape by Dutch E Germ

IN.RAK.DUST is the debut mixtape of Dutch E Germ, a project by musician Tim DeWit formerly of Gang Gang Dance. It was released on the UNO label on March 5, 2014. IN.RAK.DUST is an experimental bass and dub mixtape which constantly change in terms of tone and tension, which reflects the many tragedies that went on in DeWit's life. Reviews from music journalists were favorable, one critic calling it the "most technically daring and impressively produced" release of 2014.

<i>Reassemblage</i> (album) 2017 album by Visible Cloaks

Reassemblage is the second studio album of Portland, Oregon duo Visible Cloaks, consisting of musicians Spencer Doran and Ryan Carlile. The record is named after Trinh T. Minh-ha's 1982 documentary film of the same name, since both works observe its subject matter without showing meaning to it. Reassemblage departs from Doran's past hip-hop releases for a more high-quality style inspired by the works of Japanese synthesizer music acts such as Yellow Magic Orchestra and Ryuichi Sakamoto, all of which were featured on Doran's 2010 mix Fairlights, Mallets & Bamboo.

<i>Motion Graphics</i> (album) 2016 studio album by Motion Graphics

Motion Graphics is the self-titled debut studio album of American musician Joe Williams' project Motion Graphics. Williams initially planned it to be "a synth pop record without any nostalgia," and this plan turned into an ambient album about the feeling of being able to go to limitless places due to technology. In achieving this feel, Williams used the visual programming language Max for Live to create a virtual instrument that scrolled through 100 patches at random; when a note was inputed, the instrument froze at a patch. The record's overall sound palette is a combination of organic and non-organic elements; when using software instruments that replicated real-life instruments, such as clarinets and marimbas, Williams wanted to take advantage of the “quirks and glitches within them" that lead to the instruments making sounds that they could not possibly make if performed acoustically.

Florian-Ayala Fauna is an American artist, musician, poet, and music producer. Fauna is the main member of the post-industrial music project uncertain.

<i>Music for Reliquary House / In 1980 I Was a Blue Square</i> 2012 studio album by Oneohtrix Point Never and Rene Hell

Music For Reliquary House / In 1980 I Was A Blue Square is a split album by American electronic musician Daniel Lopatin, known by his stage name Oneohtrix Point Never, and Rene Hell, the project of American electronic music artist Jeff Witscher. It showcases Lopatin's and Witscher's shift from the style of their early synthesizer-heavy recordings to electroacoustic music. The split album was released by NNA Tapes on September 17, 2012 to favorable opinions from professional reviewers.

<i>On Vacation</i> (CFCF album) Album by CFCF

On Vacation is a mini-album by Canadian electronic musician Michael Silver, known by his stage name as CFCF, and the second record in Balearic beat music label International Feel's On Vacation mini-album series. On Vacation was initially planned to be a project of two extended plays titled Road Movie and House Music; this was before an International Feel A&R worker suggested to Silver he should make the project one whole album. International Feel first released vinyl versions of the LP in Europe on February 17, 2016 before releasing it in digital shops all around the world on February 19.

<i>Music for Objects</i> 2013 EP by CFCF

Music for Objects is an extended play by Canadian electronic musician Michael Silver, known by his stage name as CFCF. The EP is a 24-minute set of eight compositions that are meant to showcase the emotion of everyday objects, a concept inspired by Wim Wenders' documentary film Notebook on Cities and Clothes (1989). Music for Objects has the same ambient feel as CFCF's previous EP Exercises (2012) but with a much more uplifting tone. Music for Objects was released in July 2013 in European territories by Dummy Records and in North America by Paper Bag Records, and garnered favorable reviews from professional reviewers upon its distribution. Some critics wrote it was enjoyable without knowing its object concept, while others praised how it represented the objects.

<i>Continent</i> (CFCF album) 2009 studio album by CFCF

Continent is the debut studio album by Canadian electronic musician Michael Silver, known by his stage name as CFCF. It was released on October 27, 2009 by the label Paper Bag Records. Continent is a downtempo dance album that was described by one reviewer as "dance music that doesn't want you to dance." It includes elements from a variety of styles such as IDM, balearic, synthpop, rave, and disco and differs from later CFCF albums more focused on new age and ambient compositions. Continent features a cover of the song "Big Love" by Fleetwood Mac. The LP garnered very favorable reviews from professional music reviewers, praises going towards its compositions, arrangements and use of musical styles.

<i>The River</i> (EP) 2010 EP by CFCF

The River is an extended play written and produced from 2009 to 2010 by Canadian electronic musician Michael Silver, known by his stage name as CFCF. It was inspired by Werner Herzog's 1982 film Fitzcarraldo. Described by RVNG Intl.'s press release as a series of "lucid sound sequences from a lunatic mind," the experimental downtempo psychedelic new age EP was analyzed by music journalist Jonny Coleman as the story of a character who is stranded in a rural, tribal land. The River is a set of six original tracks by Silver with digital download versions of the record containing four remixes of songs from the EP by acts such as Jacques Renault, Coyote, and Games. The River was released by label RVNG Intl. on October 12, 2010 to generally positive reviews from critics, some reviewers calling its more modern-sounding cuts to be the best of the entire record.

<i>Exercises</i> (EP) 2012 EP by CFCF

Exercises is the fifth extended play in the discography of Canadian musician Michael Silver, known by his stage name as CFCF. The extended play was inspired by brutalist architecture and several synthesizer-heavy modern classical and piano-only works that Silver listened to during the fall and winter of 2010–11, which were the "soundtrack" to how he felt "kind of uncertain” in those seasons. Its cover art by Ken Schwarz, Josh Clancy, and Travis Stearns shows one of the buildings the extended play was inspired by.

<i>Young Death / Nightmarket</i> 2016 EP by Burial

Young Death / Nightmarket is the eighth extended play released by William Emmanuel Bevan, an electronic musician known by his stage name Burial, and the 100th release in the catalog of the Hyperdub label. It departs from his previous two extended plays, Kindred (2012) and Rival Dealer (2013), in that it returns to Burial's signature sound consisting of vinyl crackle sounds, rain-filled atmospheres and vocal samples that was on records like Untrue (2007). It is also less dance-based than previous releases by the producer, with the percussion of "Young Death" being submerged by other sounds and "Nightmarket" being devoid of any drum beats.

<i>Hanging Gardens</i> (Classixx album) 2013 studio album by Classixx

Hanging Gardens is the debut studio album by Los Angeles-based electronic music production duo Classixx, consisting of Michael David and Tyler Blake. The duo had been making tracks since 2007 but did not decide to release a full-length album until much later because of their concerns over listeners really wanted an LP from them. In making the record, Classixx went for a record with "hooky melod[ies]," "some nice chords," and a positive feel-good tone while still having depth not common in dance music. Hanging Garden is an electropop album that contains elements of a wide variety of genres such as French dance music, rock, Chicago house, R&B, techno, and balearic beat. The LP features collaborations from acts such as Nancy Whang, Active Child, Sarah Chernoff, Jeppe, and Jesse Kivel.

<i>Desert Strike</i> (EP) 2012 EP by Fatima Al Qadiri

Desert Strike is the third extended play of Kuwait musician Fatima Al Qadiri. The record is based on Desert Strike: Return to the Gulf (1992), a video game that in turn is based on events of Operation Desert Storm of the Gulf War. As a kid who lived in Kuwait during the Gulf War, Qadiri played the game a year after it took place, which messed with how she remembered experiencing the actual war. Given how dark the game portrayed the Gulf War, she intended the extended play to represent a positive and "innocent" view of it by pairing a palette of childlike sounds with war sound effects. Released on 23 October 2012 by the label Fade To Mind, Desert Strike garnered generally favorable reviews from professional music journalists and landed on Spin magazine's list of the "Best Dance Albums of 2012."

<i>Radiance and Submission</i> 2015 studio album by CFCF

Radiance and Submission is the third studio album of Canadian electronic musician Michael Silver, known by his stage name as CFCF. Silver was inspired to make Radiance and Submission from his purchase of an acoustic guitar. Therefore, the LP involves numerous guitar melodies and harmonies playing at the same time. It was released on July 31, 2015 by the label Driftless Recordings and was Silver's first Billboard entry, peaking at number eight on the magazine's American New Age Albums chart. Radiance and Submission garnered a mixed critical reception upon its distribution.

<i>Cascades</i> (EP) 2017 EP by Jean-Michel Blais and CFCF

Cascades is a collaborative extended play between electronic musician Michael Silver, known by his stage name CFCF, and neoclassical pianist Jean-Michel Blais. The EP is a set of five post-minimalist ambient re-workings, the first four of them being of original tracks by Blais and CFCF and the final one being a rework of John Cage's "In A Landscape." Released by the label Arts & Crafts on March 15, 2017, Cascades received very positive opinions from professional music critics, a common praise being the "distinct blend of the artists’ digital styles," stated PopMatters.

<i>UkabazUmorezU</i> 2017 studio album by Sugai Ken

UkabazUmorezU, translated in English to "slow and steady wins the race," is the fifth studio album by Japanese musician Sugai Ken and his first LP for the New York-based independent label RVNG Intl. Continuing the ambient electroacoustic style of Ken's previous albums, UkabazUmorezU is a set of musical representations of Japanese folk traditions and "artificial" versions of passageways in the Kanagawa Prefecture during the nighttime. It was released on October 20, 2017 to favorable critical reviews.

<i>Antidawn</i> 2022 EP by Burial

Antidawn is an EP by British electronic musician Burial, released 6 January 2022 via Hyperdub.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Pearson, Luke (29 May 2017). "Burial Subtemple/Beachfires". Exclaim! . Retrieved 23 July 2017.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Sherburne, Phillip (19 May 2017). "Subtemple"/"Beachfires Review". Pitchfork . Conde Nast. Retrieved 23 July 2017.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Philp, Ray (31 May 2017). "Burial – Subtemple". Resident Advisor . Retrieved 23 July 2017.
  4. 1 2 MacDonald, Landon (22 May 2017). "Review: Burial, Subtemple". Pretty Much Amazing. Retrieved 23 July 2017.
  5. Robert Ross, Alex (19 May 2017). "Here's a Surprise New Burial EP to Creep You the Hell Out". Noisey . Vice Media. Retrieved 23 July 2017.
  6. Monroe, Jazz (19 May 2017). "Burial Releases New Tracks “Subtemple” and “Beachfires”: Listen". Pitchfork. Conde Nast. Retrieved 23 July 2017.