Even when Four Tet says nothing it’s a beautiful use of negative space. That’s the take home test given to Kieren Hebden when asked to remix The xx’s “Angels.” His on-point answer is to accentuate the strengths of the British mild-pop trio and mask their shortcomings. He fills in the silences with heart beat and ping pong percussion, piano keys that amplify the alone-in-my-room melancholia, and synthesizers that seem to form a glowing force field around the vocals. Where the songs once seemed frail enough to crumble inside your headphones, he fortifies this enough to make it through the night. This sounds like its only intention was to be the last song on the first mixtape given to someone you’re falling for. After all, we are approaching holiday season.
Stream: (Via Self-Titled)
