Four Tet - Unspoken (original version)
Unspoken originally contained a sample of Tori Amos. But because Four Tet could not get the sample cleared, he had to change the original version so it could be released on his sophmore LP Rounds.
Today (ten years after Rounds was released) he tweeted a link to the original 9 minute version along with a download link. What a champ!
Download - Unspoken (original version)
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Sapphire
Bonobo |
Bonobo - Sapphire
Finding a song to feature from Bonobo’s new album proved to be difficult. The entire LP is a cohesive unit with different textures and cultures like an organic plant growing more luscious with every listen.
I have however, settled on Sapphire for no other reason, other than it was playing when I began writing this. The song features just before the halfway mark and it is nothing less than you would expect from Britain’s elite DJ/producer. It is the kind of song you could play to your mother in law, your teenage hipster nephew, or your neighbour’s ant colony. In other words, I think few people would find Bonobo’s new album difficult to refuse or dispute.
I highly recommend The North Borders to lovers of all music. Released last month, Bonobo’s fifth album is all killer no filler and a definite venture into downtempo bliss.
Enjoy.
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Cutup Piano And Xylophone
Fridge |
Fridge - Cutup Piano And Xylophone
Four Tet has a pretty large fanbase nowadays, but not many fans of his music would know that before building his reputation as the godfather of folktronica, he made music in a trio called Fridge.
The group was pretty prolific in the late 90s, early 00s, producing four albums in five years. The very descriptively titled Cutup Piano and Xylophone is taken from their third full-length effort Happiness. It blurs the line between sampling and live instrumentation in a fresh, unconventional way.
Download - Cutup Piano and Xylophone (control-click & save)
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Cirrus
Bonobo |
Bonobo - Cirrus (radio rip)
Bonobo has a reputation for being one of the premier ambient / electronic producers in the world. This is a reputation that has been building for several years and there are more and more fans anticipating the man’s next move.
Thankfully, three years after releasing his last original album Black Sands, Bonobo has returned with Cirrus, premiering the tune of Giles Peterson’s BBC Radio 6 show and rumour has it that he is due to release a new album in 2013.
The track features complex percussion and predominantly live instrumentation that has been masterfully mixed to create a minimalist tune. The end result is Cirrus. One listen to this song will induce the same brain wave frequency patterns as mediation. Unfortunately that state of mind will be broken by Giles Peterson talking over it.
Keep your ears peeled for the legitimate copy when it is released later this year.
Enjoy.
The xx - VCR (Four Tet Remix)
Four Tet has won my admiration and I am always keeping an eye out in case he releases a new song or a remix that might fly under the radar.
He released one of my all time favourite remixes in 2010 when he adopted minimal vocal samples from The xx and made the song completely his own. The track extends almost 9 minutes and always manages to make me relax. Only 3 artists come to mind when I think of DJs who can control progressive downtempo on the same level as Four Tet - Emancipator, Tycho and Bonobo.
These artists are truly in a class of their own and easily stand apart from your house or nightclub DJ.
I’m sure after listening to the song you will echo the sentiments of Romi, hoping the music “don’t stop, don’t stop…”
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Recurring
Bonobo |
Bonobo - Recurring
Meet Bonobo. I came across the artist in 2007 and have been a fan ever since. Like Four Tet, Bonobo fuses exotic instruments in to create melodic pieces of art. His work is largely instrumental and makes for the perfect kind of music to relax to.
This song is one of my personal favourites, but then again there are plenty to choose from if you check out his back catalogue.
Download the song here if you enjoy and let the music do what it does.
Four Tet - Locked
Four Tet pioneered a brand new genre coined folktronica when he famously merged traditional instrumentation with electronic sensibilities in the 90s. He continues making music, though his style is ever-changing as his latest single ‘Locked’ demonstrates. Don’t expect your life to be changed in the first minute of this song - hell don’t even expect that by the end of the song. This song, like the rest of Four Tet’s catalogue, is not about a few moments of musical climax. It is a progressive listen that will slowly reveal itself to you like a refined wine or an exotic cuisine. The bassline warbles and the drum loop is slowly mesmerizing, transfixing the listener like a spider luring an insect into its web. There is no need to distress however, as Four Tet is an experienced DJ and knows exactly what to do with you after you have succumb to his music.
(via thesoulelectronic)
