Ten Cities [LP]

For Ten Cities, a unique compilation from the Soundway label, producers from five European cities collaborated with musicians in an equal number of African cities. Altogether, 50 figures were involved. The results are expectedly diverse in sound but surprisingly consistent in quality, rooted in various forms of electronic music that include house, dubstep, bass, and experimental techno. Among the most vibrant tracks are "Are You Coming with Us?" (cavernous, rattling dubstep from Bristol's Pinch, with the voice of Lagos' Temi Oyedele confidently bobbing throughout) and "10 Henry Nxumalo Street" (where Afurakan recites poetic observations over heady ambience from fellow Johannesburg native Leon Erasmus, Berlin's Hannes Teichmann, and Kiev's Dubmasta). ~ Andy Kellman