"The album is a meticulous piece-by-piece search through the sounds of British pirate radio, with oozy U.K. grime, Hebden's beloved garage, and funky jungle all serving as a backdrop for the artist's signature experimentation. The music is still lightly layered over the jazz and devotional styles recognizable in the Four Tet canon, but influences from his more recent work and interests are also apparent: There's an unmistakable Syrian dabke sound on tracks like "Parallel Jalebi" and "Crush," while "Kool FM" includes the grime-infused dance music of DJs Barely Legal and Kyle Hall. The ease with which former and current influences are combined speaks to the effect of pirate radio, and is the key to elevating Beautiful Rewind above mere empty nostalgia for '90s dance music."
"The album is a meticulous piece-by-piece search through the sounds of British pirate radio, with oozy U.K. grime, Hebden's beloved garage, and funky jungle all serving as a backdrop for the artist's signature experimentation. The music is still lightly layered over the jazz and devotional styles recognizable in the Four Tet canon, but influences from his more recent work and interests are also apparent: There's an unmistakable Syrian dabke sound on tracks like "Parallel Jalebi" and "Crush," while "Kool FM" includes the grime-infused dance music of DJs Barely Legal and Kyle Hall. The ease with which former and current influences are combined speaks to the effect of pirate radio, and is the key to elevating Beautiful Rewind above mere empty nostalgia for '90s dance music."