Dark dubstep heavyweights Burial and The Bug are long overdue for a collaboration, both having mined similar urban gritty soundscapes on Hyperdub Records for years. Well, now that dream collab is finally a reality, with the release of Fog / Shrine, a 12” single from the pair who are calling themselves Flame 1.
Today the duo debuted the first side of the record, “Fog,” over at The Quietus.
“Fog” is, as you might expect, a dubby half-speed cruise. Hearing the track it becomes quite easy to imagine oneself walking alone, late at night, through a rather gloomy urban landscape while a silver strand of synths guides your path. The collaboration is so fitting, it’s hard to discern just from listening who exactly contributed what to the song. Here’s hoping they’ve got more in store.
This collaboration follows The Bug’s recent work with drone metal band Earth, 2017’s Concrete Desert, and the two EPs Burial released in 2017 via NonPlus+ and Hyperdub. The Bug also recently reignited his collaboration with GODFLESH’s Justin Broadrick. The two performed in Techno Animal until 2004 but recently regrouped in 2017 as Zonal.
Fog/Shrine is available on 3/30 via the band’s Bandcamp and The Bug’s new label, Pressure. The 12” physical release is already sold out but you can still pre-order a digital copy.
