Willie Burns - Single Life

  • Share
  • In the wake of Max D's Shaping, Jordan GCZ's Off Minor label coaxes another notable record from a leftfield veteran in Single Life. Willie Burns' basic, sampler-based setup means that his house tracks, while often deeply weird, keep a simple, Lego-like form. On his latest, Burns probes the limits of that approach, touching on cold techno hypnotism and a kind of soupy psychedelia. It's a refreshing change of tack, even if these four tracks would probably cause considerable head-scratching on most dance floors. "Doesn't Feel Right" is a bizarre piece of minimalism; its electro groove is almost washed away in a torrent of icy synths, which Burns occasionally tweaks into new, scintillating shapes. "2nd Try" runs at a distressing 144 BPM, with contorted bell samples ringing out over constantly shifting drum patterns. The EP's second half further embraces the unexpected. On "Single Life," isolated drum hits and a freeform bassline tumble by like flotsam in a flood of E-piano chords. "Still Water" floats free altogether. In spite of its name, there's plenty of seductive motion to its rippling arps and kitchen sink percussion.
  • Tracklist
      A1 Doesn't Feel Right A2 Nd Try B1 Single Life B2 Still Water
RA