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4T Thieves - Raven's Cottage (Rednetic)


dcom

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  • 4 weeks later...
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Raven’s Cottage is the latest release from 4T Thieves, out on Rednetic. With eleven tracks, this powerful, yet equally tranquil release is as surreal as it is quietly contemplating, with a hypnotic sense of lo-fi. The listening journey is one that carves its own pathway towards an otherworld of expansive elevation, shrouded in an ever-building sense of mystery and an irresistible stream of feeling offering imminent liberation.

The selective beats blend intricately alongside the sense of musical purity that the album portrays and gives way to that unique sense of lightly percussive personality. The soundscapes themselves drive a gentle sense of drifting among fresh experimental synthesis.

The title track sits midway and points to slowed up early 1980’s sound experiments—hints of nostalgia, but also a searching, fresh intricacy—not only evident with this track, but also threading through the complete playlist to reveal its infinite melodic directions. Sound developments are cyclic and ever expansive, with silk like textures and distinct percussive fibers that weave through soft colored hazes—on occasion, with a sparkle and vibrancy of a stained-glass window.

There’s that sense of vintage crackle with “506627 (feat. Pandacetamol),” creating a low hum of calm, accentuated by the overlay of a restful wind-type arrangement. It’s contrasted on occasion, with the more modernistic approach—particularly with “Ghosts.” Then, there is the post avalanche “Eye of the Storm,” with its heavy sweeping movements. It blends with yet more nostalgic progressions of synthesized layers, that drive towards a crescendo, creating a bright sense of uplifting spirit, before snapping back into to a darker shadow, like a gracious farewell. It’s perhaps one of the most experimental tracks on this record and definitely one of multiple flavor. “Open Windows” gives a sense of the distant explosive, a perfect demonstration of just how much contrast there is on this album, while also succeeding in retaining a distinct theme that flows considerably well. All eleven tracks on Raven’s Cottage combine to sculpt a satisfying body of sound.

Igloo says things. The album is very BOCsy.

Edited by dcom
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  • 2 weeks later...
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Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Or so goes a proverb describing an accidental, unintended, or unconscious mimicry. But what about when such miming is intended? In the case of the infamous Boards of Canada, many have well-tried but failed. Some, not so blatantly as others, incorporating a few of the analog drifting tones and shuffling lo-fi beats that this Edinburgh duo is known for. Another good example of tried and failed imitation comes the many who have claimed that the Future Sound of London is just taking random samples and layering them into a collage – and yet I’ve only heard a single positive achievement in this space – that of Herd‘s Tangents (2011) and Arteater (2016) – a feat that even landed these records on fsoldigital.com. So what about 4T Thieves – a project, at first unfamiliar, but once you dig deeper, you begin to uncover a deep discography of this Helsinki-based electronic and ambient artist, who is most known as the current owner behind the Kahvi Collective (remember that netlabel?). So Nik Racine is not a newbie on the scene, with more than a few releases on the London-based Rednetic Recordings – an imprint that is worth your time to rummage in for months. Raven’s Cottage is the latest album for the label, and it exceeds all expectations. In fact, if you just close your eyes and simply listen, you may be able to confuse it with BoC’s work.

The attention to detail here is impeccable. I’m not exactly sure if Nik explicitly set out to create this tribute, sort of speak, but I can tell right away that all the sound design more than just borrows from the duo. Add into the mix the hazy melodies, the syncopated rhythms (with a bit more bass), and looping vocal samples just like those recorded from the public broadcasting programs, and you’ve got a record that encapsulates the essence of the boards. This is a fact that the label and the artist do not shy away from and declare that 4T Thieves delves deeper into “the rich vein of kaleidoscopic synthesizer lines and tranquilized hip-hop beats, a vibe the Sandison and Eoin brothers have so wonderfully encapsulated.” And once we reference the BoC you can’t unhear its clear influence among eleven tracks. It’s no surprise then that Racine is influenced by “Boards of Canada’s nostalgia-inducing electronica and artists similar, hinting at glitch and lo-fi.” It’s undeniable and clear. But more importantly – it’s VERY GOOD!

Play through the title track, and you’ll be swept away with all its punchy rhythms and swirling synths. Or the subsequent “506627” which features Pandacetamol, with whom Racine has collaborated in the past [see most recent The Electric Home out on Kahvi Collective], incorporating vinyl crackle, deep warm chords, and slow roaming lead. I would be very curious to see the list of gear, and more importantly to dig into the sound design. Another awesome quality of Raven’s Cottage is that, unlike the many 4T Thieves albums which only get put out as digital releases [in the old tradition of the netlabel, of course], Rednetic sells a limited edition CD digipak, and if it generates enough attention, perhaps they’ll press a 12″ of this gem. At least this connoisseur of electronic music thinks it’s worth it. Highly recommended!

Headphone Commute says things.

Edited by dcom
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  • 2 weeks later...
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The eleven tracks spread across the latest release from 4T Thieves apparently owe something to Boards Of Canada; but having never listened to that act, I can only say that the woozy soundscapes and lethargic trip hop beats captured here have a real effect on the listener, their odd textures and slipperiness bringing to mind the sort of lonely, sweeping, slow motion vistas of Bowery Electric.

The beats on Raven’s Cottage are subtle and tricky, slightly wrongfooting the listener with their relative gentleness; but they are not straightforward. There are some tracks where the beats are not uniform and you find yourself listening intently for the glitchy flicker or extra fill that makes them stand out. Everything feels at a remove, as if recorded through gauze or some sort of kaleidoscope. Other points are so gravity-defying that you could be floating through some distant part of the galaxy, satellites revolving their way past you as light moves in waves, ebbing and flowing.

While the formula is similar through the album, it is the fine details that set the tracks apart. The repetitive sway of the electronics on “The Hole In The Ground” feels as though you are sat watching a strong wind blow through a stand of palm trees, while the scuffed and glitchy “Ghosts” brings to mind laying on your back in a dark field watching the stars gradually make their way to prominence, with the beats enfolding you and keeping you warm.

“Open Windows” is an effortless train journey through a blurred landscape, while the echoing footsteps and shuffle of feet on “Eye Of The Storm” holds a fierce melancholy that is hard to counter. As a collection, the pieces on Raven’s Cottage work really well; at points unsettling, but at others rather warming and repeated listening finds more to discover.

Freq says things.

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