When hip-hop and electronic music collide, it’s always a beautiful thing. Two legends in their own right, Madlib and Four Tet have finally dropped their collaborative album, Sound Ancestors. Both genres are sample-based, so it makes sense they’re here to educate us all on the different facets of music that have made the art what it is today.
You might not hear Four Tet’s signature sound in this album, but that was his intention. He told The New York Times, “I wasn’t looking at it being like I want to stamp my sound onto his in any way. It was more, I want to take the things I like the most and make them as good as I possibly can.” The tenured artist actually arranged, edited, and mastered the album, bringing life to all of the files Madlib sent him over the years.
Each track incorporates elements of hip-hop and electronic music while also paying tribute to the genres that pioneered today’s music scene. Madlib shares his own spin on classic rock, jazz, soul, and more as he spotlights different cultural influences like Latin and African music.
We easily get lost in wanting the newest and next best thing. But in an era of instant gratification, this album provides a way to remember our roots. Before you listen, get ready for a history lesson. Sound Ancestors will take you on a journey through time and space as it brings you to places you’ve never explored.
