Chrononautz - "Predestination" - (13:11) 152 BPM
Review: Portuguese duo Photonz curate this excellent Dead Cities compilation - whose title is inspired by the Future Sound of London album of the same name - which is the most articulate expression yet of their love of warped electronic music. Limiting the selection to a group of artists who are close, local Portuguese talent is prominent and due to this tightly-knit approach, there is a cohesive sound on the compilation, but it could never be called smooth or polished. Recent Opal Tapes signee IVVVO starts the compilation with the reflective bleeps of "Burn", but it's only a slight reprieve: straight afterwards, Photonz weigh in with the stripped back rhythm of "Veil of Kali". Stopping, starting, breaking down and then quickly resuming its foray into the depths of shredded metal screeches, it paves the way for the evil, gurgling acid of Roundhouse Kick & Theodore Allen's "Invocation 1" and Infestus' "Hook'n'Loop", where a dark rave riff implodes over shuffling 808s. As the compilation progresses, the sound and approach gets more and more intense, notably the Pal+ and Voiron contributions