In this brilliant, 1996 debut album as Tek 9, 4hero's Dego McFarlane reconnected with his hip hop roots and created a masterpiece which was hailed as a milestone of abstract downtempo. Guests included producer King Britt, rappers Manifest & Cheewa, vocalist Carol Crosby and Aksak Maboul/Honeymoon Killers vocalist Veronique Vincent.

Apart from the contributions by the above-mentioned guests, all the music on this set was written, performed and produced by Dego at his legendary Reinforced Studios (North London), home to all the various incarnations of the 4 Hero posse: Nu Era, Manix, Tom & Jerry, Jacob's Optical Stairway, and all the other early Reinforced productions including Goldie's first project Rufige Cru.

"It's Not What You Think It Is!!?!" came out coupled with a second CD subtitled "Breakin' Sound Barriers - The Oldies But Goodies": Tek 9 put out standard-setting jungle tracks as early as 1991, and this is a retrospective featuring thirteen of the best of those cuts (including classics like "A London Sumtin'", "The Attack", "We Bring Anybody Down" , "Killing Time", etc.).

Press

“Dego rewires hip hop with lazy jazz and deep dub... an album of subtle switchbacks and wild imagination... it’s the sound of music being pushed through the boundaries” (URB, USA)

"Dego's efforts to distill jungle down to its hip hop foundations and to mate jazz's tonality to drum and bass' swing represent his most impressive and engaging moments to date" (The Face)

 “Everyone should hear to discover the sound of milleniums yet to come" (Muzik, UK)

"The list of Dego MacFarlane's contributions to dance music could fill at least an entire column - his work under the 4-Hero moniker for the groundbreaking jungle label Reinforced. as well as projects such as Jacob's Optical Stairway have earned this British producer enormous respect from both peers and fans. One of MacFarlane's recently revived guises is Tek 9, which represents the jazzier and more hip-hop aspects of his work. Tek 9's first full length record, It's Not What You Think It Is!?!! is probably the grandest and most ambitious long-player of the year, and I'll stand by that claim even In December. Jazz, drum-and-bass, and hip-hop are conceptual kissing cousins to be sure, but their fusion is often ill-fitting and awkward. Tek 9's debut album effectively inaugurates a new musical genre that blends those three genres so effortlessly, you'd think the distinctions between them were meaningless, hence making the record's title quite appropriate. "Phat Like A..." is the most electro-saturated of the bunch, while "Gettin' Down Again" is a low-slung, jazz-fueled, vocal hip-hop number with a rolling bass line. And those are just two of the first disc's 14 tracks. The second disc is a godsend, compiling a bevy of material from the old Reinforced days, most of which is out of print. Tracks like the original 4-Hero mix of "The Attack" are vintage jump-up jungle circa '91, bursting at the seams with unapologetic fury. "Summer Breeze" by 4-Hero is another stone-cold stomper, and Nookie's inside-out reworking of "Summer Breeze" is a gem. This double-album is mandatory for headz of every stripe." RPM, October 96  

"A stunning fusion of dreamscape vocals, cool vibes and great beats welding elements from dance music's wild geography across fourteen tracks of blissed-out, funked-up dreaminess it veers close to Marvin Gaye's 'What's Going On' because it is an album aimed squarely at the future, the kind of album that will be sitting near the decks in years to come..." (Generator)  .

"Dego (...) strides boldly into shimmering Jazz Hop Avenue" (Muzik)

"Gorgeous jazzed-up grooves" (Generator)

"Get this at all costs" (Mixmag)

"Gives the likes of Kenny Dope a run for their money" (Record Mirror)

A CD followed the release of the album: "Is It On ?", featuring various remixes.