- The first release from Backyard Aliens lands with a veil of mystery, tongue lodged firmly in cheek. Sci-fi-indebted techno goes back to the very beginning, but there's only the faintest trace of vintage Detroit-isms in Burial Grounds. Instead, much like Irakli Kiziria and Yacoub Chakarji's collaborative tracks and the records they release on their I/Y label, this is sleek and functional techno forged from shady recesses.
"Burial Grounds" has the kind of pent-up dread that's featured on I/Y's most recent releases: caustic spittle forms around booming kicks as the track ominously trudges on. Opening the B-side, "First Steps" is where the Aliens' UFO schtick kick in but it's done so as not to feel overly retro. A persistent anxiety surges through the track's droning sirens and waves of crystalline chords—it's both lovely and spooky. "Whatever They Say I Am" then puts the strained atmospheres to work, culminating in an eerie triumph. It builds and swells until, suddenly, it vaporises into a beguiling emptiness. Let's hope Backyard Aliens pay us another visit soon.
TracklistA1 Burial Grounds
B1 Whatever They Say I Am
B2 Firts Steps