Burial, FKA Twigs, ______?

November 16, 2015 10:19 AM

I'm looking for more music that combines spare, dub-steppish beats with soulful-but-altered vocals, in the vein of FKA Twigs and Burial. I am not looking for sick drops. I have a dim idea that there is a lot out there, or that this genre even has a name, but am in need of clues.
posted by sandettie light vessel automatic to Media & Arts (22 answers total)

Grimes is the first name that comes to mind: here's one of her better-known tracks.

I also think of Banks as FKA Twigs' more-commercial cousin.
posted by asterix at 10:28 AM on November 16, 2015 [3 favorites]

James Blake comes to mind and is frequently compared to those two artists.

Andy Stott is mostly instrumental but does have that atmospheric sound.

Grouper isn't really in this genre, they're closer to Brian Eno-esque ambient, but if you like the mood of Burial songs you might enjoy them also.
posted by rq at 10:54 AM on November 16, 2015 [1 favorite]

These may get you there:

Shield Patterns

Fever Ray

Kuupuu
posted by the matching mole at 10:58 AM on November 16, 2015

I'd definitely recommend checking out nearly anything on the Hyperdub label - it's Burial's label, and there's a lot of brooding, dark, atmospheric post-dubstep stuff there - Kode9, Zomby, The Spaceape (now sadly passed) all definitely worth a listen.

Also, Mary-Anne Hobbes "Warrior Dubz" mix compilation is basically ground zero for this - there's a bit more club-oriented stuff on it, but it's very London dubstep (dark, aggressive, atmospheric, actually dubby), and very definitely not EDM/drop-heavy. I'd seriously recommend checking it out too.
posted by parm at 11:04 AM on November 16, 2015 [1 favorite]

ASTR
Purity Ring
XXYXX

Playing Pandora or Spotify radio would help by inputting any of these artists, and you can look at how they categorize this genre.
posted by yueliang at 12:37 PM on November 16, 2015 [2 favorites]

Response by poster: Spotify

That's smart, I will do that.

Am loving Andy Stott, meanwhile.
posted by sandettie light vessel automatic at 12:47 PM on November 16, 2015 [1 favorite]

OP - yeah, the above method is actually how I found the same artists, because I was trying to figure it out like you :) But yay for posting, now I get to see other people's reccs!

ASTR - Operate reminds me of what you were asking about, so posting it here.
posted by yueliang at 12:54 PM on November 16, 2015

Try:
SKTRKT
BASECAMP
Aure Ne Veut
Son Lux

And I couldn't find good links to, but also:
Actress
Mount Kimbie
posted by pumpkinlatte at 12:55 PM on November 16, 2015

Mainstream suggestion? The XX.

Burial has worked with Kieran Hebden of Four Tet. He was previously with Fridge. Both of these satisfy the beats but not the soulful vocals.
posted by a halcyon day at 1:01 PM on November 16, 2015

Liar:
(That's really top-heavy with remixes for other people right now, but scroll down to his original stuff and try Club Medz. He also runs Tessier-Ashpool Records, which you might want to rummage around in. It'll necessarily be more varied, and he experiments with styles a lot in even his own stuff, but the overall aesthetic is compatible.
Holy Other: check out Touch
S-Type
Robot Koch
Eskmo
Sorrow
Mobthrow is instrumental but has a similar murky sound to Burial.
Raffertie's "Build Me Up"
posted by Su at 1:11 PM on November 16, 2015 [2 favorites]

Låpsley
SOHN
posted by swordfishtrombones at 1:32 PM on November 16, 2015

Future garage is generally the label applied to Burial.

Sparse dubstep as mentioned.
Peverelist & Appleblim
Pinch
...and lots of other people I can't think of right now

You might also like instrumental grime/weightless (mainly on Different Circles, there's also a night called Boxed):
Mumdance (he also has done some great vocal productions with Novelist)
Logos
Rabit
This mix

Things on Nightslugs or Fade to Mind:
Kelela (definitely this)
Jam City

Maybe outsider house and certain kinds of techno:
Delroy Edwards (also check other L.I.E.S. artists)
Huerco S
Eomac (reminds me a lot of Burial)
Laurel Halo
Untold (he makes....a lot of different things)

And yes, definitely hyperdub.
posted by Erberus at 2:36 PM on November 16, 2015 [1 favorite]

Also if it's the ambience you like in Burial then "dark ambient."
posted by Erberus at 2:36 PM on November 16, 2015

Here's the page for Burial on Pandora. You can drill down to individual tracks on Burial's various albums.

Here's the page for FKA twigs on Pandora.
posted by gregr at 2:45 PM on November 16, 2015

One I haven't seen mentioned is Koreless, though not all of his stuff has vocals (that one does).
posted by en forme de poire at 5:08 PM on November 16, 2015

Also, I think the new Nicolas Jaar series fits what you're talking about very well.
posted by en forme de poire at 5:17 PM on November 16, 2015 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: Been fixing dinner to Jaar, xxyyxx, and Andy Stott, all working very nicely for me. I'm a longtime fan of James Blake and Grimes, and have several Hyperdub compilations. I'll investigate the other links ASAP, and solemnly promise to try Spotify before I resort to askMe again.

Thanks to you all!
posted by sandettie light vessel automatic at 7:48 PM on November 16, 2015 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: (Oh and also well aware of SBTRKT and Kieran Hebden, <3)
posted by sandettie light vessel automatic at 7:52 PM on November 16, 2015

You are looking for artists on the Triangle record label.
posted by brappi at 10:58 PM on November 16, 2015 [1 favorite]

Inga Copeland
posted by kaspen at 10:24 AM on November 17, 2015

Blue Hawaii
posted by kaspen at 10:27 AM on November 17, 2015

And also:
Visionist
Fatima Al Qadiri
posted by Erberus at 6:33 AM on November 18, 2015