Cool Hunting

Lauded British experimental electronic musician Keiran Hebden, aka Four Tet, added DJ to his already impressive re´sume´ with a residency at London’s The End and more recently with a smashing mix CD for K7’s DJ-Kicks series.

The selections are tasty, sometimes surprising, and wildly varied as you might expect from a DJ whose own music draws from folk, electronica, hip-hop, and jazz influences among others. Transitions range from the traditional blend to original synthesizer tone poem segues.

The mix begins with stuttering organ and mellifluous trumpet tones of David Behrman's abstract and beautiful "Leapday Night (Scene 1)," transitions into Syclops' "Mom, The Video Broke," a live breakbeat excursion with buzzing and swooping synth accents, and then into Curtis Mayfield's sunshine soul stepper "If I Were Only a Child Again," setting up the listener's expectations for the enjoyable whirlwind that is to come. Along the way, he manages to meld a wide range of genres—including head-nod hip-hop, minimal techno, and traditional Rhodesian thumb piano—into a strangely cohesive compilation.

Four Tet, not exactly known for dancefloor anthems, says he made this mix with ass-shaking in mind. Unless you are as creative on the dancefloor as he is on the tables, that might be pushing it. But as long as you appreciate a little eclecticism, you'll enjoy this adventurous mix. Pick up the partial (13-track) version from Dancetracks Digital or the full disc from Amazon.

by DJ Scribe