Rounds (album)

Rounds is the third studio album by British electronic musician Kieran Hebden, known under the moniker Four Tet. It was released on May 5, 2003, by Domino Recording Company. The album is widely considered a landmark release in the development of folktronica and intelligent dance music (IDM), blending electronic textures with acoustic instrumentation and samples derived from folk, jazz, and other genres.

Rounds is characterized by its intricate rhythmic structures, textural layering, and melodic fragments. Hebden incorporated samples of instruments like the mbira, acoustic guitar, and various percussive elements, often manipulating them through digital processing techniques such as granular synthesis and time-stretching. This created a sound that was both organic and technologically advanced.

The album's tracklist includes notable songs such as "Hands," "She Moves She Sleeps," and "My Angel Rocks Back and Forth." These tracks exemplify the album's blend of electronic beats, melodic hooks, and atmospheric soundscapes.

Rounds received widespread critical acclaim upon its release and has been consistently praised for its originality, innovation, and influence on subsequent electronic music production. It remains a significant and highly regarded work in Four Tet's discography.