Folking with the electronic formula in 'Rounds'

Four Tet's Rounds, the brainchild of Fridge musician Kieran Hebden, isn't just any electronic record. He has inspired the genre of trip hop, previously explored by only a few musicians (Portishead for one), to expand its boundaries. Warp Records is home to many talented electronic musicians who are freeing themselves from techno and house music with avant-garde electronica, Autechre and Aphex Twin being Four Tet's most illustrious label mates. But Four Tet has managed to escape the confines of even the most progressive solo electronic music, infusing folk music with his atmospheric, but concrete beats. The song "Spirit Fingers" uses not American folk, but sounds derived form Indian folk music, creating a sound that is one half "Tubular Bells" and one half DJ Shadow. His songs are haunting and catchy, with a sense of history that few electronic musicians can create. Four Tet's song lengths vary from thirty seconds to five minutes. Hebden does not linger too long on one sound or beat. He creates a dynamic album, that despite its folk influence and laid-back sound, engages the listener. The album leaves little to be desired, and is Four Tet's most \ndefinitively "Folk-Hop" release to date.