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— XL RECORDINGS (@XLRECORDINGS) January 1, 2024

Burial’s most recent release, Infirmary/Unknown Summer was in collaboration with Steve Goodman, also known as Kode9. The 2023 EP takes a more ambient approach, featuring spoken word sections, laid-back beats, and pitch-shifted vocals. In comparison, the new work teased by XL Recordings is aggressive, noisy, and raw. The clips feature distinctly different sounds from the ones produced with Kode9. This tonal shift may explain the change in label, a step away from the relaxed 2023 EP. Although the South London producer is currently signed to Hyperdub Records, owned by Kode9, Burial has worked with XL in the past. 

In 2020, Burial teamed up with XL, Kieran Hebden, better known as Four Tet, and Thom Yorke on two tracks titled ‘Her Revolution’ and ‘His Rope’. Since XL Recordings hosts a wide range of electronic producers, it is not out of the question that we may be getting another collaboration from Burial and another XL signed artist. Some of the major producers currently signed to XL Recordings are Overmono, a Welsh duo made up of Ed and Tom Russell, and Peggy Gou, a South Korean DJ and producer whose real name is Kim Min-ji. A potential collaboration between Overmono and Burial may seem more likely than some would think, with the glitchy aesthetic of both teaser videos matching that of the Overmono brand. 

We can speculate all day but all we currently know is that Burial is working on something new with XL Recordings. 

The film, directed by Halina Reijn, seems to be based on a group of friends playing a game called (you guessed it) bodies bodies bodies, where someone is selected, at random, to become the ‘murderer’. But, as we have all presumably picked up at this point, the ‘murderer’ becomes a murderer and the group spends the night trying to figure out whodunit. Amandla Stenberg, Pete Davidson, Maria Bakalova, and a handful of other exciting names floating around Hollywood at the moment all appear in the ‘Scream’-Esque slasher that should be hitting the silver screens on August 5^th.

There have been several releases under A24’s umbrella in the last few years that I’m confident in saying have become cult classics; The Lighthouse, and Hereditary for example – and even a handful of films this year that have caused quite a splash; X, and Everything Everywhere All At Once – pretty much anything with this logo attached is destined for a specific kind of fanbase. Taking a look at the trailer, it’s clear to see why Charli was picked to back the clip – the semi-neon colour palette, the overtly ironic social awareness, even the slightly tongue in cheek humour of it all. It just makes sense.

Aside from the chopped-up rendition of the song we can piece together through the trailer, we have been given no other information on the song at all. With no sign of the track on her latest album, Crash, fans will just have to wait for Charli to make a move. But presumably, we’ll hear the full version at some point. If we continue to move at the rate we have over the last few months, or maybe even years, then we’ll have a brand-new-full-length LP probably on shelves in about a month. That being said, Crash was okay. After the lofty heights reached on her previous 2 albums (how i’m feeling now, and Charli) I’d be more than happy to wait a little longer to allow a little more care and attention that Crash seemed to be lacking.