A few years ago Madlib and his friend Kieren Hebden of Four Tet started working on the ideas for Sound Ancestors. Hebden’s mission was to take all of Madlib’s ideas and crystallize them into a listenable whole. The loops, samples and tracks come from everywhere as is the case with Madlib’s extensive palette. The new collection is the next step in his path that has already included legendary collaborations with the late J.Dilla, MF DOOM and his recent Pinata and Bandana albums with Freddie Gibbs. Sound Ancestors is a peek inside Madlib’s studio and the brilliance of Hebden’s mixing skills. The 16-song album like his other classics sets the standards for presenting hip-hop’s archaeology of sounds into a continuous form.Â
