I want to begin by saying that Bryon Dudley and Ira Rat describing their album City Dead as “Zombi Giallo” immediately grabbed my attention. Was the title specifically an homage to the 1980 Lucio Fulci classic City of the Living Dead? A delightful review of said film had called it “a muddled vision of Middle America.” We’re in Middle America! What an apropos quote to prove wrong during the course of our listening adventure.
The collaboration by Dudley and Rat opens with the track “Nausea,” which kicks off with perfect downtown tempo sleaziness via synths shortly joined by distorted, delayed, high heavy electric guitar. Barely noticeable, but if you listen carefully, plinking in the background, a clean piano tone harmonizes with the bassy trudge that introduces the track. Picture your favorite slimelord walking down a flickering neon lit avenue. Is he coming for you?
Subtlety is the name of the game on this record and it is incredibly well done. Clearly Rat is manning multiple synths and therefore handling a multitude of instrumental tones. Of note, the drum pad samples chosen sound perfectly natural — I needed to remind myself of the instrumentation on the record. “Shorn of Pity” incorporates a riff on the “Amen” break that is tonally near indiscernible if you didn’t know that the duo is only guitar and synthesizers.
The album is remarkably well balanced. Every part feels comfortable and knows its role in the piece. Dudley’s guitar, crusty and soaked in delay and reverb, is never truly the star of the show, but that seems to be the point. It is part of the vibe, cruising both above and below the occasionally grimy, but often quite comfy synth lines. This confirms the duo’s intention of “creating a soundscape ripped from a warped copy of a forgotten cult slasher.”
It’s also described as “neo-classical,” though I’m not sure where they got that. While I’m reluctant to call it chamber music for a variety of reasons, the album’s nuances are reminiscent of the genre. The more I listened to the album, the more I noticed elements hiding in the background. “Temporarily” begins with an almost horn-like tone that reminds me of a record player not quite set to the right speed, getting warmed up, waiting to be corrected. As the track adds its layers, this same tone slinks into the background.
City Dead is a chillwave experience that indeed begs to be listened to alongside your favorite B-movie. Give it a try.
This article was originally published in Little Village’s December 2025 issue.
