Four Tet is the name used by Kieran Hebden (born 1977 in Putney, London, UK… Read Full Bio ↴Four Tet is the name used by Kieran Hebden (born 1977 in Putney, London, UK) for his experimental electronic music-oriented solo efforts, to differentiate from his work with post-rock band Fridge.

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.

Crush
Four Tet Lyrics

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It's a beautiful life
I'll stay by your side
It's a beautiful life
I'll stand right behind you
beautiful love
If I am with you under this sky

Just breathing alone makes me happy

It's a beautiful life
beautiful day
I live in your memories
beautiful life
beautiful day
Stay by my side

beautiful my love
beautiful your heart
It's a beautiful life
It's a beautiful life

It's a beautiful life
I'll always protect you
It's a beautiful life
So lean on me
beautiful love
Your tears, your smile
So we can be together
It's a beautiful life

beautiful day
I loved you like crazy
beautiful life beautiful day
I don't wanna lose you
beautiful my love
beautiful your heart
It's a beautiful life

Memories that resemble you
Remain with me
Your memories, your recollections
It's a sorrowful life
sorrowful day

I can't win over sadness
sorrowful life sorrowful day
So don't leave me

So I won't live just in your memories
It's a beautiful life

Overall Meaning

The opening lines of Four Tet's song "Crush" sets the tone for the rest of the song, with the singer expressing their devotion and loyalty to their loved one. The repeated use of the phrase "It's a beautiful life" is both optimistic and wistful, hinting at the fleeting nature of happiness and the fear of losing what makes life worth living. The singer promises to stand by their loved one's side and protect them, and the imagery of breathing and leaning on each other suggests a shared vulnerability and intimacy.

However, the second half of the song takes a darker turn, with the singer acknowledging the inevitability of sadness and loss. The contrast between the earlier lines about happiness and the later ones about sorrow and memories creates a bittersweet and poignant mood. As much as the singer wants to hold onto their beautiful life with their loved one, they know that it can't last forever.

Overall, "Crush" is a beautiful and emotional song that captures the complexities of love and life. The lyrics are simple yet evocative, and Four Tet's minimalist production enhances the intimacy and vulnerability of the singer's words. The song's message is a reminder to cherish the beauty in our lives while also acknowledging the reality of pain and loss.

Line by Line Meaning

It's a beautiful life
Life is beautiful and worth celebrating

I'll stay by your side
I'll always be there for you and support you

I'll stand right behind you
I'll be there to protect you and have your back

beautiful love
The love between us is beautiful and special

If I am with you under this sky
Being together under the sky is all we need

Just breathing alone makes me happy
Being alive and with you is enough to bring me happiness

beautiful day
Every day with you is beautiful and special

I live in your memories
Your memories are important and valuable to me

Stay by my side
Please don't ever leave me and stay with me always

beautiful my love
My love for you is beautiful and genuine

beautiful your heart
Your heart is beautiful and full of love