Four Tet – There Is Love In You

Maybe it’s just me but it’s been an extremely strong year for electronic music. Sure, it’s been a huge year, period, and it’s only getting better – I imagine 2010 will be special for many different people for many different reasons (phew…) – but I think music will always be able to capture the essence of any mood. And the best kind of music to have is that neutral kind that’s always great, no matter whether it’s rain or shine. Four Tet’s There Is Love In You is without a doubt, displaying what it means to be brilliantly skillful and absolutely gripping, all at once. Music is going to be the biggest headliner in the future, but to make, arguably, the best album in what is music’s best genre, is well, superb.

Four Tet’s There Is Love In You relentlessly drives away at the root of the core to break away any kind of misconceived smoke. The drive is a subtle one that merely hints towards its next movement; it’s like the repetition of techno, but instead of using booming basses, Four Tet blends in a stunning snare and even better instrumentation. And in that sense, it reminds me a lot of LCD Soundsystem’s music: the spellbinding instrumentation, the addition and complexity of layers, the sheer presence to know that placing a handclap on the outside of a shaker would be genius, There Is Love In You is just that, exceptionally remarkable. I look towards “Plastic People” in painting a dreary, mindless, rainy night that’s haunted by a descending, arpeggiated piano line and highlighted by a pulsing, tapping snare:


I had already posted about “Love Cry” and I had already mentioned this album in my top whatever of the first quarter so I’m beginning to think that I’m quite fond of it. “She Just Likes to Fight” is just so transcending and so poignant, that I often, almost, forget about it. It’s a beautiful melody, really, one that weaves around the counter guitar part and the steady tempo of the drums. But when it truly soars is when the music swelters to a steady rise of paced harmony; the pace is where the drive is pulsed and thus, it’s the album’s smooth closer at just over four minutes long. This is an outstanding album; easily one of the best, regardless of genre. – Bryan

Best Albums of 2010 – through the first quarter – Part One

With the first quarter coming to an end, I thought it’d be cool to do a 2010 list of the top albums through this part of the year. I’ve said it before and it’s true, it’s been a massive year for music. Today, I'll release albums #12-9 and I will do some more tomorrow. All great albums, in my opinion.

12. Spoon – Transference (Merge)
The Austin-based rockers have always been criminally overlooked for lazy reasons. Their consistent brand of solid rock with hook-laden riffs is so unbelievably consistent that if we’re not careful, we may just take them for granted. You see, Spoon aren’t just an awesome band but they’re one of the finest acts in the last ten years and with Transference, everything is again, solidified and proven. The music is brilliant and it even hones in on what they perfected before: strikingly good rock music that can be loved by all.

11. Beach House – Teen Dream (Sub Pop)
Beach House’s duo has always been able to create music to pair with feelings of nostalgia but they’ve somewhat, in a way, perfected their dream pop with Teen Dream – an album that flows like the beach and cascades with lush melodies, harmonies and fantastic gentleness. And while their craftiness starts and ends with Victoria Legrand’s magnetic singing, it reaches farther than you’d expect. It’s a step up and justifiably so, its expressional devotion towards good music shines all around like a radiant day at the beach.

10. Four Tet – There is Love in You (Domino)
Regarded by the likes of Radiohead as a musician we should all be on the look out for, Four Tet’s Kieran Hebden constructed something magical with There is Love in You. In a day and age where more and more music is being dumbed down for the masses, Hebden contrasts that notion with music that is both intelligent and soaked with gripping melodies and harmonies. Electronic music is still on a high note and it’s because of forward-thinking musicians like Hebden that we can even say that.

9. Ali Farka Touré & Toumani Diabaté – Ali and Toumani (Nonesuch)
The second and seemingly last album for these two guitarists as Touré passed away and is sadly, no longer around, is a collection of fascinating music. Not only do they weave their way around their guitar-based instruments with splendid ease but their strong sense of melody and harmonics is astounding. It’s refreshing to see them attempt slower, gentle tunes and then rip into highly-energetic jubilant songs: bottom line is that Ali and Toumani is a startlingly beautiful album, rich with poise and craft.

The song for today comes from the aforementioned Beach House album. It’s the first song, “Zebra,” and it’s pretty awesome; just let it wash over you. – Bryan

Basketball and Electronic Music

You see, there’s just too much to be glad about nowadays. For one, the UTEP Miners’ basketball team is a C-USA best 10-1, with an overall record of 19-5! This is amazing for a program that saw two promising coaches come and go and which was on the rebuilding side for the past few seasons. Randy Culpepper was always a star but this time, they’ve amassed quite the team. This is one that should make the NCAA Tournament and they deserve our support. Gonna try to make it out to their last two home games, next Saturday Feb. 27 against lowly Rice and the closer, Saturday, March 6 against UAB. The latter is a good team that we beat earlier in the year on their home court but we can do it!

Next, electronic music: a genre that I fully respect and admire now. Back when I was still just a budding music listener, electronic music felt so cold and stale. There was a harsh disconnect but luckily, I’ve broken through. So many artists to name, 2010 has already started off with three amazing electronic albums. We have the new one by Hot Chip which is utterly moving, the new one by Pantha Du Prince who is a master craftsmen and now, Four Tet’s latest There is Love in You. It’s minimal, almost ambient techno but it’s also superb. He was been touted by the likes of Radiohead as a premier beat-maker and this new album is no slouch.

Here is a youtbue video to a brilliant song off the album, “Love Cry.” It’s made by a street photographer who captures the pictures and then finds music to match it with. The music is the star but the photos are a great montage too:



Enjoy and if you like what you hear or read, or even if you hate it, let us know! - Bryan