Four Tet - Rounds

The last ten years have seen Londoner Kieran Hebden steadily emerge from the Fridge to produce some of the warmest, most intricate electronica of the new century. And Rounds is undisputedly his enduring masterpiece: a cocoon of folk samples, jazz flourishes and fluttering IDM beats that set the template for legions of laptop imitators. It’s also arguably the most beautifully sequenced album of the decade, flowing organically from the opening heartbeats on ‘Hands’ right the way through to ‘Slow Jam’’s sleepy finale. Anyone who still thinks that electronic music is the preserve of cold, emotionless boffinery must hear this tender, joyous and profoundly human album. (Paul Harrington)