Filet Mignon Volume 4

The time for massive compilation from French label Record Record's Filet Mignon series has finally arrived, with it's fourth installment, including tracks from Madeaux, DZZ, Dombresky, Masayoshi Iimori and Birdy Nam Nam, among others. I've been waiting for this ever since I first heard, what I called at the time, the track of the summer, Point Point's "True Summer." The aim of this series is to shine a spotlight on "tomorrow's new talents" with the backing of more experienced artists, through a coherent and clear artistic direction. There's no question Record Record has achieved this feat, as they've lead me to discover talents like LigOne, Araatan, Aazar and Valy Mo. They were able to get my attention by giving San Holo's "BWU" a place in their third installment, and it was because of it's inclusion that I found two of my favourite tracks, the aforementioned LigOne's "Uprising," and the Little Freaky Things, L'homme aux 4 Lettres' "in2." Once again they've compiled a great combination of tracks, working together to create a consistent and thematically succinct 15 track album. I can truthfully say there are no holes in this massive compilation. Each track works both on its own but truly together in the album. When you can start with a Madeaux, DZZ collaboration and only build upon that foundation with each following track, you know you've got greatness on your hands. Devoted To God's "Burning Bridges" is worthy of worship not only for its pious production quality but Goldilox's voluminous vocals.

The following track from rising star Dombresky is yet another awesome track from him, and perhaps my favourite of the collection, with its swinging strings, soaring in loving beauty. Nomak's "What About Us" showcases a naughty and nasty touch that feels as though the couple in question is bickering in some infernal give and take. Pyramid follows that up with a rave worthy get down track, that just begs unsuspecting listeners to cry out, "Damn son, where'd you find this?" Asan & Halpe's "Amber" is an incredible piece of production prowess that's cinematically cool and sure to sweep you off your feet.

The enigmatic Masayoshi Iimori once again delivers a track that seems miles ahead of anything even the most future forward producers are making. You can be sure DJs the world around will be adding "Down" into their sets for surefire screwfaces and cries of "What in the world is this?" The following track from Birdy Nam Nam is perhaps the best example of the importance of track placement, there is an inevitable let down following Masayoshi's mastery and "Sad Boys Club" emotes that so brilliantly with the downtrodden, depths of his sorrowful synth work.

The aptly named "Don't Let Them Stop You," leads the compilation out of despair, before BeazyTymes "Get Hit" beams it back into oblivion, and in my opinion ought to be named "Get Lit." Once you are indeed 'lit', the best thing for you is a refreshing, cool breeze, and there's no track that better elicits that feeling more than Point Point's "True Summer." The following track from Brunelle, "Chemistry," rivals Dombresky for my favourite of the collection. As though crafted by a scientist in a lab, it truly lives up to its name, as a perfect mixture of so many of the elements we've heard in this massive compilation; groovy, beautiful and as dance-able as anything in Filet Mignon.

The penultimate track from Araatan, "Zereglee," utilizes a guitar and piano better than any electronic track I've heard and runs so brilliantly into the final boss track of Ateph Elidja's "TRRN." Things turn violent as it seems even the artists don't want the compilation to end. Once again utilizing cinematic sweeps, "TRRN" seems to be a triumphant and beautiful finale that caps off an amazing collection of tracks with an echoing slamming of a door, until the next installment.

I'm truly in awe of Record Record and this incredible album, not just because of the sheer number of great tracks, or their unbelievable cohesiveness, but the way they've been so thoughtfully compiled and showcase so many talented artists in a way that other labels can only dream of. You can stream or download Filet Mignon 4 on iTunes, Spotify, Google Play, Apple Music, Deezer and Amazon.

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