Short description
Kieran Hebden hadn't been in action as Four Tet for more than seven years when he compiled Remixes, but the capabilities that are evident here dwarf the talents of those in action twice as long. (Only one remixer sounds like a peer, and that's Aphex Twin, whose 26 Mixes for Cash is the best remix compilation of all time.) This is a two-disc set, divided in a logical manner -- right down the middle, with Hebden's remixes of others on disc one and outsiders' remixes of his tracks on disc two. If listeners feel deflated when they're forced to listen to what others have done with Hebden's work, it's only because his own productions are so excellent. His rework of Madvillain's "Money Folder" is a beat worthy of Madlib or Jay Dee themselves, and even bests the remix that Jay Dee produced for the Four Tet track "As Serious as Your Life" (which is, of course, included on the second disc). Elsewhere, he places Beth Orton in a curious but rewarding setting -- on a stage backed by the Velvet Underground and the Motown rhythm section -- and gives Radiohead's "Skttrbrain" the fractured, distancing production it deserves. His version of Bloc Party's "So Here We Are" is nearly epochal, shimmering like an ice palace for the first four minutes and then, finally and gloriously, coming crashing down with a triumphant finish. The second disc is much less enlightening, except for the presence of Jay Dee and Manitoba; it certainly doesn't help that four versions of the drum-heavy "A Joy" are included. ~ John Bush
Review
Uncut - 4 stars out of 5 -- "[B]est here are his Madvillain remixes, including the sequencer nailgun attack of 'Money Folder', and his epic, looped handclap treatment of Beth Orton's 'Carmella'..."
Spin - 3 stars out of 5 -- "[The] collection anthologizes both Hebden's minimalist remixes and those he commissioned....It chronicles his buzzy path as pop's reigning abstractionist."
CMJ - "[The collection] not only showcases the best of Kieran Hebden's organic-sounding remix work, but also proves how well his own lushly jazzy tracks lend themselves to the artistry of others."