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.
Love
Four Tet Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
yonder to see what's going on
But that's all right you'll soon be out
of sight and surfing to the sun
The moonwheel's turning, the waves unfulling you're
learning you're Zero at the centre of the whirlpool
Your aquaman and in your hand is a watering,
The fun gods winking and we're all blinking and
thinking we're sinking in the sea
You're in your glider the tide you're riding inside her
is turnin with the moony like the sky... boy
Okay, you're Mister Illusion
Smiling in all this confusion
'cause you're young today, tomorrow start to play
I'd just like to say
No I never
No I never ever ever glid before
I never - oh no
Last warning tide turning
Moon burning slow motion
Waves that you ride
Just to bolster your pride
But if it's love that you're after
The craft of a hero
Will vibe at your side as alone you may glide
With a tiny afterthought
Flashing as the planet calls
I never never glid before
Open up the veil and let us take a peep in
through the moon and diving deep we'll meet the whale
Where rides the captain submarine
Who told the tale of pixies green
That sends us kisses in the brain
And out-far planets never seen
Except by technicolour dream
I never never glid before
That's another story - now's the time to go and find
The cuppa tea - see
The song Love by Four Tet is an experimental electronic music piece with complex lyricism. The lyrics are laden with metaphors and abstract imagery that paint a picture of a world that is dreamy and surreal. The first verse describes the progression of time, where people are constantly seeking to understand what’s happening in the world. The imagery of surfing towards the sun in the first verse shows that the ultimate aim of people is to find enlightenment and to rise above the chaos of the world.
The second verse talks about the fun gods and how people are often oblivious to the greater forces at work in their lives. This is seen in the line “we’re all blinking and thinking we’re sinking in the sea”, which shows that people are often caught up in their own lives and don’t see the bigger picture. The chorus then shifts to describe the singer’s experience of gliding, with the singer realizing that they have never glided before. This could be interpreted as a metaphor for the idea that the singer is experiencing a new level of awareness or self-discovery.
The third verse delves into the idea of love and how it requires the craft of a hero to achieve. The lyrics emphasize that love is not a superficial concept but requires effort and dedication from the person who seeks it. The song then shifts to describe an otherworldly place that is accessible only through the imagination. The lyrics call for us to “open up the veil” and through the moon, we’ll meet the whale, which could be interpreted as a symbol for the subconscious mind. The song ends with a reference to the mundane, with the line “now’s the time to go and find the cuppa tea”, evoking a sense of returning to the humdrum of everyday life.
Line by Line Meaning
The light gets stronger and all our eyes look yonder to see what's going on
The brightness is increasing and every one of us is looking towards the distance to understand the current situation
But that's all right you'll soon be out of sight and surfing to the sun
It is okay to lose sight of what is happening as you will move away and travel towards the sun
The moonwheel's turning, the waves unfulling you're learning you're Zero at the centre of the whirlpool
The moon is causing the tides to change and as you learn more, you realize that you are insignificant and caught in the vortex of the whirlpool
Your aquaman and in your hand is a watering, can I now or can I not believe it leave it to be
You are like the mythical character Aquaman, holding a watering can, and it's up to me to decide whether to believe it or not
The fun gods winking and we're all blinking and thinking we're sinking in the sea
The gods of entertainment are teasing us and we are confused and feel like we are drowning
You're in your glider the tide you're riding inside her is turnin with the moony like the sky... boy
You are riding on your glider, the tide is carrying you, and it is moving as influenced by the moon, just like the sky above you
Okay, you're Mister Illusion Smiling in all this confusion 'cause you're young today, tomorrow start to play I'd just like to say
You are a master of deception, grinning in the midst of chaos, because today you are young, and tomorrow the real game begins. And I have a message for you
No I never No I never ever ever glid before I never - oh no
I have never glided before and I am scared
Last warning tide turning Moon burning slow motion Waves that you ride Just to bolster your pride
This is your final warning, the tide is changing, and the moon is burning slowly. You are riding these waves just to make yourself look better
But if it's love that you're after The craft of a hero Will vibe at your side as alone you may glide With a tiny afterthought Flashing as the planet calls
If you are searching for love, the hero's skill will be with you as you glide alone, with the slight chance of recognition as the planet signals you
Open up the veil and let us take a peep in through the moon and diving deep we'll meet the whale Where rides the captain submarine Who told the tale of pixies green That sends us kisses in the brain And out-far planets never seen Except by technicolour dream
Allow us to explore the unknown by taking a peek beyond the veil, diving deep and meeting the captain of the submarine where he tells us tales of green pixies who send us messages into our minds. Only seen by vivid dreams, you will find the furthermost planets
That's another story - now's the time to go and find The cuppa tea - see
That is a different tale, now is the moment to go and look for a cup of tea. You can see it
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: HILLAGE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Music Speaks
Absolute Masterpiece
PaintcanDan1217
You had me at the date! 😵 It was 2010 this masterpiece was played over WBER on a rainy evening. I was driving like mad to get home. That song stayed with me that night and it took me until recently to figure out it was yours. WBER DJs likes IDing tracks for their listeners becuz their library has so much of them. Some known, others deep cuts. Thank you for this gem.
David Kavanagh
another WBER listener!
ladysmythe
Still absolutely adore this...luv four tet xx
Patricija Ladavac
Perfection ❤️ still my favourite sound ever
JungleGoose
whats your second favourite?
T.C. Bramblett
Transcendental, a peak of electronic music
T Mousse
Still outstanding!!!
theCollectorCasanova
This one takes it ... To a. Whole. Notha. Level.
Eric Scionti
Sounds ALOT like Giygas' boss theme from Earthbound. I love it.