Four Tet - Pause (Domino, 2001)

Four Tet
Pause
Domino
2001

Rating: 6 top loading VCRs out of 10

Four Tet is great music to go to sleep to. If that’s taken as an insult, then I apologize, because I mean it as a compliment. What can I say about the music? As cheesy as it sounds, the overwhelming word that comes to my mind is "pretty’"– and yes, I know that makes me sound stupid. Four Tet is made up of one lad, Kieran Hebden, and probably a bunch of computer programs, samplers, and the like. This would most likely be classified as electronic music (or to even sub-categorize for the sake of the kids – IDM – intelligent dance music – but not the crazy kind like Squarepusher or that ilk), but I have a hard time putting it into that group. But if not there where? If you don’t like the current state of things, make a change – so I’m starting a new genre of music, and I’m calling it "Pretty & Mellow Music to Sleep To". Joining Four Tet in this category will be Low, Sam Prekop, a sub selection of Radiohead’s last two albums, Yo La Tengo’s "And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside Out", various Reggae/Dub heads, and a small selection of some of my favorite movie scores. Not that all of these groups and types sound alike, but to me, they all give off the same vibe – why don’t you relax...lay your head on the soft pillow...