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, Rovi