CD (CDV2184)/12"/Cassette/CD (ASW 6181) October 29th 1996
01. Herd Killing
02. Dead Cities
03. Her Face Forms in Summertime
04. We Have Explosive
05. Everyone in the World is Doing Something Without Me
06. My Kingdom
07. Max
08. Antique Toy
09. Quagmire/In a State of Permanent Abyss
10. Glass
11. Yage
12. Vit Drowning/Through Your Gills I Breathe
13. First Death in the Family
THE FUTURE SOUND OF LONDON - DEAD CITIES (1996)
CD (CDVX2814)
01. Herd Killing
02. Dead Cities
03. Her Face Forms in Summertime
04. We Have Explosive
05. Everyone in the World is Doing Something Without Me
06. My Kingdom
07. Max
08. Antique Toy
09. Quagmire/In a State of Permanent Abyss
10. Glass
11. Yage
12. Vit Drowning/Through Your Gills I Breathe
13. First Death in the Family
THE FUTURE SOUND OF LONDON - ISDN SHOW (1997)
Promo CD (ISDNSHOW 1)
01. Yage
02. My Kingdom
03. Womb
04. Psycho Crab
05. Her Face Forms In Summertime
06. G Eletro
07. Tingler '96
08. Glass
09. Womb 2
10. Herd Killing
11. Max (Original)
12. Carlos
13. Everyone In The World
14. Sitting Around
Notes:
The Limited Edition release features a 196 page booklet of graphics, photographs and stories, plus the original CD, packaged in a cardboard box.
"ISDN Show" was a very limited edition promo CD of a live ISDN recording from late 1996 on Kiss FM. It was released in early 1997 in a clear slipcase only. The album is rumoured to have been planned for release, but scrapped due to sample clearance issues.
Dead Cities is the city to Lifeforms's natural expanse. A variety of styles are present on the album, including the group's typical ambience, but also dark trip-hop grooves, glitchy IDM, drum'n'bass and even a modern-classical piece written with composer Max Richter. The piece, "Max", was named after him. The album is probably the band's darkest work. Samples, as ever, are from various sources, including Run DMC, Rebecca Caine, Ozric Tentacles, Ennio Morricone and Vangelis. Also present are the group's large pool of friends and co-workers, including Craig Armstrong, Richie Thomas, Philip Pin, Riz Maslen, Byron Con, Leon Mar and Simon Wells. Wells contribues the hidden track, "Dead Cities Reprise" under his Headstone Lane moniker, which he also used to record a mini-album for FSOL's EBV label. The artwork is more advanced than ever, and over the standard booklet there are the usual CG images and photographs, portraying the usual characters Vit, Shaueen and the Electronic Brain/spike model, as well as graffiti style art. The 196 page booklet features even more art in the same vein, as well as some short, paranoid stories, written by Gaz. Artwork by Buggy G. Riphead and FSOL. The credits page is quite hilarious at times, full of bizarre references and in-jokes that seem to make little sense (for example, "Mouth whistle by inert armchair sampling from The Best Selling Show Laughter - 'honey sunshine' from a hi-8 'putts goes to Sri-Lanka'.").
Charts:
UK album charts: number 22.
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