Hebden's solo work typically utilises samples lifted from various sources including hip-hop, electronica, techno, jazz, and folk mixed with his own guitar playing. Four Tet shares some stylistic similarities with other musicians, such as Prefuse 73, who use computer editing techniques that give the music a staccato, cut-up feel. Hebden's music is notable for its rich, organic sounds and harmonious melodies as well as for eschewing the traditional pop-song format in favour of a more abstract approach.
Kieran Hebden began releasing material as Four Tet in 1998 with the 36 minute and 25 second single "Thirtysixtwentyfive" on Trevor Jackson's Output Recordings label. Later that year, he released a second single, the jazz-influenced "Misnomer". 1999's "Dialogue", again on Output, was Four Tet's first full-length album release and fused hip-hop drum lines with dissonant jazz samples. This was followed by the double A-side single "Glasshead"/"Calamine", which was to be Four Tet's last release on Output.
In late 1999, Warp Records released a tenth-anniversary compilation of remixes of Warp tracks; Hebden contributed a remix of "Cliffs", the opening track of Aphex Twin's "Selected Ambient Works, Vol. II". This relatively high profile exposure attracted a lot of new interest in Four Tet from fans of electronica and IDM, genres in which the Warp brand had a preeminent status.
In 2001, Four Tet's second album "Pause" was released on Domino and found Hebden using more folk and electronic samples, which was quickly dubbed "folktronica" by the media & press in an attempt to label the style (often also applied to artists such as Isan, Gravenhurst and some of Canabrism's later work). The acoustic guitar track "Everything Is Alright" is the theme music for the National Public Radio talk show On Point, produced at WBUR in Boston, Massachusetts; it was also featured in a US Nike commercial in 2001-2002 and in the Sony Bravia commercial in 2005.
"Rounds" was released in May 2003. It was Hebden's most ambitious album to date, incorporating diverse samples such as the mandolin on "Spirit Fingers", and even a rubber duck on the closing track "Slow Jam". Three singles were released from the album: "She Moves She", "As Serious as Your Life", and "My Angel Rocks Back and Forth". This last single was released as an EP featuring remixes by electronica duo Icarus and Isambard Khroustaliov along with additional Four Tet tracks "I've Got Viking in Me" and "All the Chimers". An accompanying DVD featured all of Four Tet's videos to date.
At the beginning of 2003, Four Tet opened for Radiohead on their European tour. A remix of the song Scatterbrain from Radiohead's latest album "Hail to the Thief" was included on their 2004 EP "COM LAG (2plus2isfive)".
A live album named "Live in Copenhagen 30th March 2004" was released in April 2004 as a limited edition, available only through the Domino Records website.
In March and April of 2005, Four Tet performed two shows of improvisational music, in collaboration with jazz drummer Steve Reid, in Paris and London. He also appears on Steve Reid Ensemble 2005 album "Spirit Walk". This collaboration was extended into a series of international tours, and the release of two albums, "The Exchange Session Vol. 1" and "The Exchange Session Vol. 2" over the course of 2005 and 2006.
His fourth studio album "Everything Ecstatic" was released on Domino on 23 May 2005. The video for the lead single, "Smile Around The Face", features actor Mark Heap. The album brought with it another shift in style, leaving behind the breezy "folktronica" of "Pause" and "Rounds" for a darker, more complex sound. On 7 November 2005, Domino has released a DVD version of "Everything Ecstatic" featuring video clips for each track of the album plus a CD with new material.
Hebden has also remixed, under the Four Tet name, tracks by a wide range of artists including Madvillain, Bloc Party, Super Furry Animals, Beth Orton, Badly Drawn Boy, The Notwist, Boom Bip, Kings of Convenience, Explosions in the Sky, Radiohead, and Doves.
Carmella
Four Tet Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Of a blonde haired blue eyed girl
He's got a child at home who he likes to leave alone
For his blonde haired blue eyed girl
Carmell, where you gonna run to
When the sky comes crashing in on you
Slow down, who you gonna turn to
When there's nothing left for you to prove
And I won't be no one else
No I can't control myself
And I wouldn't want to be anywhere else
Is it true what they say about you do you know it too?
There's nothing very funny 'bout a man spending money
On a blonde haired blue eyed girl
He's got a child at home who he loves to leave alone
For his blonde haired blue eyed girl
Carmell, where you gonna run to
When the sky comes crashing in on you
Slow down, who you gonna turn to
When there's nothing left for you to prove
And I can't control myself
And I won't be no one else
No I can't control myself
And I wouldn't want to be anywhere else
It's true what they say about you do you know it too?
And I can't control myself
And I won't be on one else
No I can't control myself
And I wouldn't want to be anywhere else
It's true what they say about you and I know it too
I always knew it too
The song “Carmella” by Four Tet talks about a man who is obsessed with a blonde-haired, blue-eyed girl named Carmella. The first verse reveals that the man makes a lot of money from her, but he also neglects his child at home to spend time with her. The chorus addresses Carmella, asking her where she will run to when everything falls apart, and who she will turn to when she has nothing left to prove. The bridge then states that the song’s narrator (presumably Four Tet himself) can’t control himself, but he wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. The final verse repeats the first verse’s sentiments about the man spending money on Carmella while neglecting his child, and then the chorus and bridge are once again repeated.
The lyrics of “Carmella” seem to critique the objectification of women for the pleasure of men. The man in the song is only interested in Carmella because of her physical appearance, and he is willing to abandon his responsibilities to be with her. The song’s title is taken from her name, and it is her only identifier throughout the entire song. By repeatedly asking where Carmella will run to and who she will turn to, Four Tet draws attention to the fact that the man is not offering her anything of substance or significance beyond his monetary contributions.
One interpretation of the song’s bridge suggests that Four Tet is also guilty of objectifying Carmella, and thus, he can’t control himself around her. However, the lyrics also suggest that Four Tet recognizes this behavior and accepts it, as he wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. This could be interpreted as a criticism of how ingrained and normalized the objectification of women has become in society, to the point that even those who recognize it cannot help but participate in it.
Line by Line Meaning
There's something kinda funny 'bout a man making money
Of a blonde haired blue eyed girl
It is peculiar how a man can earn money by exploiting a blonde-haired, blue-eyed girl
He's got a child at home who he likes to leave alone
For his blonde haired blue eyed girl
The man neglects his responsibility of taking care of his child because he prefers spending time with his blonde-haired, blue-eyed girlfriend
Is it true what they say about you do you know it too?
The singer questions if the rumors about the girl are true and if she is aware of them as well
There's nothing very funny 'bout a man spending money
On a blonde haired blue eyed girl
It is not amusing for a man to spend a lot of money on his blonde-haired, blue-eyed girlfriend
He's got a child at home who he loves to leave alone
For his blonde haired blue eyed girl
The man has an affection for his blonde-haired, blue-eyed girlfriend and shows neglect towards his child by prioritizing her over his child
Carmell, where you gonna run to
When the sky comes crashing in on you
The singer questions where the girl will seek refuge in tough times when everything falls apart
Slow down, who you gonna turn to
When there's nothing left for you to prove
The singer advises the girl to slow down and think of someone who she could rely on when she has nothing else to show or prove
And I can't control myself
And I won't be no one else
No I can't control myself
And I wouldn't want to be anywhere else
The singer admits that he has no control over his emotions and wouldn't want to be anywhere else despite it
It's true what they say about you do you know it too?
The singer reiterates his earlier query about the rumors surrounding the girl and whether she has knowledge of them
And I can't control myself
And I won't be on one else
No I can't control myself
And I wouldn't want to be anywhere else
The singer repeats his earlier admission of having no control over his emotions and being content with his current situation
It's true what they say about you and I know it too
I always knew it too
The singer confirms the rumors about the girl and states that he was aware of them all along
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: BETH ORTON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind