An otherwise uneventful Monday was interrupted when this hit the internet, seemingly out of the blue. Burial and Four Tet have teamed up again, the latter being responsible for uploading “Nova” to his soundcloud.
Now, rather than get enveloped in hyperbole and gushing euphemisms for how the song conjures urban imagery, let us instead say this: “Nova” is a really, really good track.
This is the third time the pair have collaborated, following on from the 2009 “Moth/Wolf Cub” EP and last year’s collaboration with Thom York, “Ego/Mirror”. If you are already familiar with those EPs, then you will find that “Nova” sounds pretty much how you would expect it to. You will also find that this is by no means a bad thing.
From the first audible snippet, it’s hard to ignore the undeniable warmth that the whole piece has. Fluttering vocal samples converse with subdued atmospheres, never interrupting each other, whilst field recordings set quietly in the background lend your ears a hint that what follows is something quite special.
The percussive 4/4 beat, still imbued with an infectious shuffle, moves us towards the ninety second mark where the main piano riff comes in. From here, all parts intertwine with each other, creating compelling, deep listening. They say a picture paints a thousand words, and to get a true feel for this, you can’t really do better than actually listening to the damn thing.
The accompanying tweet from Four Tet teases confirmation that this will eventually be released on his label as TEXT013, and we would therefore hazard a guess that there is more to come from the duo. We can’t wait.
Rating 9/10
Burial & Four Tet – Nova