- There's very little information regarding Dead Sound and Videohead, a duo who—ignoring their remixes—debuted on Perc Trax recently. Two things are certain though. First: they're from Stoke, in England's former industrial heartland. Second: they're a worthy addition to Ali Wells' grimy, sometimes vicious imprint. The Chosen fits right in, presenting five savage, mostly broken beat tracks. First up is "Trapped," the gentlest of the bunch, relatively speaking. Wooden percussion and rolling clinks underpin pitch-bending wails which sound like the work of an oversized cat. "Bang On" employs a squeaking gate sound on every off beat, later adding booming mid-range hits and digitised growls.
Like Wells' debut album, distortion figures strongly here, too. However, while Wicker & Steel often had a grainy, hissing quality, here the distortion is much more about the low end: thunder-like rumbles and slamming doors. Residing on this heavy foundation, the aptly-titled "Brain Dead" conflates neuronic crackles and hi-hats to form a devastating assault on the frontal lobe. Similarly, more conventional track "The Chosen Path" replaces the electric feel with howling wind. Likely to be most popular however, is "Off the Track." Laser-focussed percussion and swelling kick drums combine for an unsettling but exhilarating ride.
Tracklist01. Trapped
02. Bang On
03. Brain Dead
04. The Chosen Path
05. Off The Track