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Four Tet on Tour
Londoner Kieran Hebden has made music under many names — from Percussions to a moniker composed of binary code — but it's as Four Tet that he became known for reprogramming our expectations of how pretty, organic and expansive electronic music can feel. Since the early '00s, he's been one of the most creatively unpredictable yet quality-reliable practitioners in the field, starting out by minting a genre (the downtempo folktronica), going on to collaborate with everyone from rock god Thom Yorke to jazz great Steve Reid to dubstep genius Burial to Syrian singer Omar Souleyman, and, in later years, bringing an auteur's ear to various dance strains. Like his oeuvre, Four Tet's live show has something for all: dreamy melodies, thrilling experimentalism, thick atmosphere and steady beats. Plus, typically, an amazing light show.
It's possible that Hebden's own heritage helped nurture his interest in harmonious eclecticism. His father was British and his mother was Indian, born in South Africa. Both were educators who no doubt encouraged an intellectual curiosity in their son — he'd go on to get a degree in mathematics/computer science but not before starting a post-rock band in high school, Fridge, and signing his first record deal at 15. Those interests would soon merge as Hebden began to make lo-fi, electronic music incorporating influences from hip-hop, jazz and Krautrock. After a 1997 single ("Double Density"), he changed his name from 4T to Four Tet, added New Age and world music to his source list and dropped a 36:25-long song called "Thirtysixtwentyfive," naturally. In 1998, a bold, beatific remix of electronica master Aphex Twin put him on the map.
But it was 2003's Rounds, Four Tet's third album, that became a sensation for its seamless blend of computer glitch and acoustic instrumentation. The LP landed on countless year-end lists and scored Four Tet the opening slot on a Radiohead tour. The next few years were rife with new ideas — an improvisatory duo with jazz drummer Steve Reid, a noisily upbeat new album (2005's Everything Ecstatic), remixes galore, an unmarked single ultimately attributed to him and Burial — but a new era arrived with 2010's There Is Love in You, which Hebden prepared for via a DJ residency at popular U.K. club Plastic People. His deep dive into warm, energized house- and garage-inspired dance echoes through the Four Tet catalog to this day, on diverse works like 2017's New Energy, as he explores the breadth of his sonic universe.
For heavy-concert goer, not always you can experience a satisfying concert. Four Tet's concert was one of those satisfying concerts! Fresh sound and lighting were amazing!! It was a good start for the first concert of the year!
I've been a fan of Four Tet for years, so I was more than ready to see him live. This is probably the best DJ concert I've ever seen. His skill and expertise are unparalleled for the most part in electronic music. That being said, I thought the second half of his set flagged a little bit. And he paid little/no attention to the crowd. Which leads me to my final comment. The crowd was quite awful. A lot of young-20s, Columbia/NYU students doing a lot of standing around and chatting with their friends, near the front of the stage. Oh well.
Both the opening DJ and especially Martyn was really great, but Four Tet totally killed it, his set was truly amazing!
Awesome show, great music, great crowd since there was maybe like 4 candy kids who are children of neon. Best dance show i've been to in quite awhile.
Four Teat did more a concert on his dj tunes, than his albums work, but it was great anyways..he is a great DJ/composer. Also Jon Hopkins as an opener was just awesome.
needed some real instruments and voices. it's always tricky with electronic music to do a good show.
