Back to the Roots

Throughout the early 2000s, Telefon Tel Aviv acted as one of the major groups to help spread IDM (intelligent dance music), up until 2009 when member Charles Cooper died. Now, remaining member Joshua Eustis after spending some time on his own and with some serious consideration has chosen to revive and create again as Telefon Tel Aviv. To begin the revival, the group’s first LP, Fahrenheit Fair Enough, has been reissued with eight previously unreleased songs scattered among the originals that were created back in 1999.

No time is wasted in introducing the O.G. ’99 tracks as the album begins, with “Reak What” and its harsh glitch pops, however the album’s intro reflects the most similarly to the finished product found on the rest of the original tracks. Going further into the rest of the ’99 tracks, a raw unfinished sound is very much apparent, with most of the melodies acting as placeholders for sanded down ambient lines that never manifest, except for on the title track, for which both versions (the original and an unreleased version) are available, contributing to a singular experience, being able to listen to each back-to-back.

By rereleasing Fahrenheit Fair Enough with the ’99 tracks intermixed with the originals, a truly full dynamic is created moreso than if the ’99 songs had been just tacked on to the very end, as somethign of a bonus playlist. The original songs relied on the subtle change and contrast between the harsh glitch pops and the underlying ambient melody. By integrating the more raw ’99 tracks, this contrast create an entirely new depth. Through the rawness, the steps taken to get from Point A to Point B are fully realized and what is overall gained and lost. The edges go missing, the intensity comes down, and the cohesion all comes together. Originally, Fahrenheit Fair Enough was beautiful within its nine tracks back in 2001, but now in 2016 this rerelease has become a more grounded and solid foothold for the reintroduction of Telefon Tel Aviv.