ya’ll, i want you guys to know something i’ve never told anyone before; i liked I, Robot.  not just the book; the movie too.  now, i know there were plenty of things to dislike about that movie— will smith, shia labeouf, that one part where will sneezes and says “sorry, i’m allergic to bullshit”— but amidst all the poop is the scene with the robots huddled into shipping containers, and i personally don’t think i’ve ever seen such a good representation of a sad robot.  

this song, Ghost Hardware, by spacey UK garage/dub master Burial, is a song that manages to capture the same mood that I, Robot, does, albeit in a more intense waves.  samples drift in and out aimlessly like an obsolete model without a task; percussion moves along gently in the background, never stopping like the ticking on a clock; and of course hard synth sounds stab from the darkness powerfully, creating a surprisingly dynamic track with very little.  all of Burials’ music is like this; though it seems spare and echoey, it also manages to be powerful and moving without sacrificing the desolate, abandoned feeling.  both this album, Untrue, and his self-titled release are good, though Ghost Hardware is easily my favorite track from his discography.

this is the kind of music i want playing as i wake up to find myself alone in an old shuttle, its’ previous occupants seemingly evaporated, leaving nothing behind but singular black astronaut, drifting aimlessly around space.

Burial—Ghost Hardware—Untrue