The album has potential to be great. The weird sounds take away from the "music". True, art is free and the artist is free to create. However, I can only enjoy the 30 sec. previews as the songs in their entirty are obnoxious and distracting. Maybe heroine induced states of consciousness would enjoy this but the average fan of electronica/jazz will be bummed at spending money on this form of music. Less is more in this world...the electronic nails on the chalk board kill the enjoyment.

I'm a huge Four Tet fan. I met Kieran in Austin, TX after watching him and Steve Reid perform this album live, which turned out to be a very unique and energetic show. This is by no means a Four Tet album. The material on 'tongues' really isn't as interesting as 'the exchange sessions' because every track is cut short and it seems like they attempted to apply some sort of pop element to the whole thing. There isn't enough time for the tracks to expand and evolve in the free-jazz fashion of 'the exchange sessions'. The result is Steve Reid holding out rhythms that don't groove while Hebden questioningly places electronic noodling over it as if he's constantly asking Reid if he's allowed to. I felt like I mostly enjoyed this because I saw it live. I recommend "Spirit Walk" by the Steve Reid Ensemble which features a more fleshed out collab between these two, backed up by a horn and rhythm section.

It is obvious that Kiernan Hebden is ambitious. He has an upstart label called Domino Recordings and a huge following due to the success of his alter-ego, Four Tet. Though he can not hide the fact that he is way overrated. As Four Tet, he is overhyped by a media that is looking for the next big thing. Yeah, alot of indie cats dig his work but I just don't get it. It definitely isn't talent that is doing the talking on most of his work, its more like the "trust fund" that's backing up his work.

I could have done this with a synthesizer and my friends with their band instruments. Wonderful.

Of the three albums Kieran Hebden & Steve Reid have made together this is the most satisfying for one main reason: the songs are shorter allowing more ideas to blossom into song within the confines of a single album. This also limits the scope of exploration within each song which depending on your state of mind can be a good thing or a bad thing. The Holden remix of "The Sun Never Sets" is a nice bonus (and a good place to start if you want to sample a full track) but the Audion remix available on the 12" vinyl single is even better.