Rounds - Four Tet

"Rounds" is the 3rd album released by Four Tet (AKA Kieran Hebden) in 2003. I bought the album a while back after reading a number of positive reviews, skimmed through it once or twice, was disappointed with what I heard and then never played it again. I have dusted off the cd and am listening to it now to see if my opinion has changed since then. The musical style is sample based with an emphasis on instrumental samples to provide the melody combined with more obscure samples and sound fx. Comparable artists include: DJ Shadow, Amon Tobin and Cinematic Orchestra. There is a playful tone in this album - tracks will glitch, reverse or randomise ...  Read the complete review

It is a rare treat indeed for me to be enchanted by an album on first listen. The vast majority of my favourite discs required an incubation period of several listens, for me to form a relationship with the music and solidify my opinions. Rounds, however bowled me over on the very first play and I'm delighted to say that, since then, very little of the initial magic has been eroded. For those of you unfamiliar with Four Tet, it is the guise adopted by a Mr. Kieran Hebden. He makes his music in the blossoming genre increasingly referred to as folktronica. This effectively means music composed and layered digitally but made up of organic-sounding ...  Read the complete review