AMG Review of Family Tree

Bret Love
All Music Guide

Though best-known for his work with Trance Mission, Stephen Kent has more than a decade's worth of collaborations and solo projects that show the programmer/guitarist/percussionist/didgeridoo master to be one of the most diversely talented artists in his field. This two-CD set features old favorites and some previously unreleased tracks spanning the course of his career, plus three new tracks recorded specifically for Family Tree. Kent's talent shines brilliantly on solo cuts like "Energizer" and "Jungnawangra," which showcase his phenomenal didgeridoo skills. But even more impressive are the collaborative works, such as Trance Mission's "Headlight," on which he smoothly incorporates his sound into an ensemble framework. The only complaint is that this set features only his City of Tribes recordings, when the securing of rights to Kent's stellar work with Steve Roach and Kenneth Newby could've made this a true best-of Kent's distinctive techno-tribal sound.