Four Tet's Rounds
Posted by Tim Mon, 20 Feb 2006 09:34:07 GMT
A couple of weeks ago I picked up Four Tet’s Rounds album. Why did I wait so long to pick up some Four Tet? I remember listening to samples on Amazon around 2002 or so, but I thought the group sounded pretty lame. Then while we were in Virginia Kate picked up a Kings of Convenience remix album. I just loved "The Weight of My Words" from that disc, and I found out that it was Four Tet. Upon digging into my own music collection when we returned home I found that one of my all time favorite remixes (Channel 1 Suite on Xen Cuts) was also by Four Tet. All of the sudden I was feeling a little dumb for not snapping up some original Four Tet when it was first offered.
Normal everyday acoustic instruments just feel a little more lush after they are given a sprinkling of Four Tet’s musical magic. Stand out tracks include "She Moves She" for it’s wonderful use of space and alternative instruments, "Unspoken" for its grand rise and fall, and "As Serious As Your Life" for its infectious groove and melody.
In case you missed it I actually handed out three different recommendations during this one post. A little three for one deal never hurt anyone. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I heartily recommend the Xen Cuts three disc set. In terms of quality and quantity it is just an amazing deal. A great mix of ambient, acid jazz, electronica, and hip hop spanning three discs for less than $25, it has probably seen more playlist time since I purchased it in 2000 than any other discs that grace my collection. If you’re looking for a slightly more mellow wade into electronica you can start out with Rounds and THEN get Xen Cuts.