Four Tet - Rounds

Kieran Hebden, whom friends call a "bedroom producer" made me see colors, feel and smell his tunes. If I was to be sitting next to God on a parkbench, this is what he would say. Highlights for me include "She moves she," which will floor you once the awakening electronics enter and "My angel rocks back and forth" which brings back memories so lividly. There is a shift in "My angel rocks back and forth" that just brings everything together. Although its just a for a moment, that moment is the most euphoric bliss I've ever felt in all music I've listened to. A friend burned this CD for me and I fell in love with him for providing me with this emotional, beautiful, spiritual experience.

With Rounds, Four Tet has crafted a modern-day masterpiece. At once abstract and melodic, the tracks on Rounds skip and tinkle, like a fairy on angel dust. “Hands,” the opener, lets you know what you’re in for: some delicate instruments raked over a grater. “She Moves She” set some melancholy plucked strings to a beat, then throws in some stabs of harsh electronic noise; it’s one of my favorite tracks on the album. “My Angel Rocks Back and Forth,” my other favorite track, has a harpsichord line played both backwards and forwards, underlaid with a heavy beat. “Spirit Fingers” speeds up the tempo until the sound is shrill and eerie. “Unspoken” is a longer, using a piano line to create at atmosphere of sadness. For a different vibe, “As Serious As Your Life” adds some funk into the mix, while “Slow Jam” sounds like indie rock. Varied, but always beautiful.