Four Tet - Remixes Album Review

Four Tet
Remixes
Album Review

Say the words 'remix' and 'album' in the same phrase to any self-respecting music-head and you'll immediately conjure either a frown or

somewhat bemused expression. However, when combined with the words 'four' and 'tet' and you're bound to turn that frown upside down.So here

it is. 'Four Tet Remixes' by, you guessed it, Four Tet.but, it gets better. This is a double CD pack. The first of which are Mr. Hebdens

favourite remixes he's done for other artists, and the latter is his own work remixed by the likes of Jay Dee, Koushik, Manitoba, Boom

Bip.Excited yet?? You should be.

The first disc opens with 'Tics' by Lars Horntveth, a gorgeous-avant-garde jazz odyssey, with the Hebden's trademark use of chimes and

bells that have been chopped and edited to create a delicately uplifting, yet somewhat uneasy amalgamation of sound. A good start to the

album, but nothing that hasn't been covered in other Four Tet releases. Now track 2, is 'Skttrbrain' by Radiohead. Now this is a different

story altogether, intricately layered and deconstructed around the ethereal-vocal meanderings of Mr Thom York. Lucky for Mr. York that this

was released after his solo offering 'The Eraser', as if I'd heard this before, I would've expected a lot more from his debut. Not that

this is exactly what he should've sounded like, this is still undeniably Four Tet. Then onto his remix of 'Money Folder' by Madvillain.

I'll be honest, it's awesome to finally hear 'Tet working with vocals. This tune somehow manages to walk that ever so fine line that is

bound to please both hip-hop-heads and, well, Tet-heads alike. 'One Year' by His Name is Alive is a sublimely executed vocal experiment,

simply using fragments of the original vocal to gratify Hebden's own perverse ideas. This album is constantly refreshing, hearing how 'Tet

adopts each track as his own, as if it were an orphan child seeking a new home. The second disc is, however, not as impressive. That sounds

bad, allow me to elaborate. Each remix, in itself, is incredible, yet as an album, it's just not as cohesive as the first. That's to be

expected though, with each artist on this disc making Four Tet's stuff into their own. Stand out remixes go to Battles, for their inspired

take on 'Joy', and Boom Bip for really making 'No More Mosquitoes' his bitch, and getting it to have his tea ready when he gets home.

Okay, what/who does this sound like..hmmm. Well if you know Four Tet, you'll know that there's pretty much no1 comparable to him. At least

nothing that he hasn't been a part of anyway. Anyway this album, despite how it looks on paper, somehow manages to hold its ground. Don't

get me wrong; there is such a fine selection of talent here, but a track by Radiohead next to that of Madvillain? Surely not.but believe my

children. This is definitely worth the plastic that it's been laser etched into, that doesn't make it sound very good..erm, scrap that. If

you like Four Tet, or his post-rock fumbling Fridge, or the stuff Hebden did with Steve Reid, then get hold of this, there's something

there for all of you.

Thom Holmes