BY KAĞAN ÖZDEMİR (MBG/IV) kagan.ozdemir@ug.bilkent.edu.tr
During the ’90s, the United Kingdom witnessed a revolution in electronic music, mostly manifested in rave parties with popular bands such as The Prodigy. Perhaps because of being that close to the beginning of another millennium and also contemporary with the birth of the interwebs, the electronic acts of that era are mostly associated with hopeful expectations for tomorrow as well as with separate, imaginary worlds – as the internet created a personal cyberspace.
Future Sound of London is, as the name suggests, a British electronic act that masterfully combined ambient music with electronica. Their 1996 release, “Dead Cities,” is one of the most finely textured albums from the ’90s, with respect to both composition and sonic engineering.
The album describes a dystopian city, possibly based on those of the UK in the ’90s. From beginning to end, it takes us on a journey through a filthy city of capitalism and derangement. The harsh sounds, the industrial beats and the sonic experimentation make it one of a kind. The album might be limited to that in terms of projected feelings, but 23 years later, it has acquired a new meaning in addition: it evokes the feeling of nostalgia that we have regarding that period. The album cover, along with the music video for “We Have Explosive,” might well be a summary of that decade for those of us who never got to experience it or for others who still miss those distant years.
The album is full of memorable tracks, the most obvious one being “We Have Explosive” (the music video of which is highly recommended for those without epilepsy). “Her Face Forms in Summertime,” “Herd Killing” and “Dead Cities” are also recommended. I can assure you that this will be a nice musical trip, albeit somewhat nasty, so do not be deceived by its extremely industrial and mechanized aesthetic.
The album, 23 years after its first release, still continues to amaze new listeners such as me. During this period, many similar bands may have been formed and disbanded, and the sound reproduced over and over, but it still continues to amaze us. So let me ask you, this may be the Future Sound of London, but has that future really come?