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.
Strange Ways
Four Tet Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sleek and lavish people speaking leaking to the maverick
He see as just another felony drug arrest
Any day could be the one he pick the wrong thug to test
Slug through the vest... Shot in the street
For pulling heat on a father whose baby's gotta eat
And when they get hungry, it ain't shit funny
Paid to interfere with how a brother get his money
Set the revolution, let the things bust and thank us
When the smoke clear, you can see the sky again
There will be the chopped off heads of leviathan
My friend, they call 'em strangers
Anybody talk to him end up in some danger
(They stay... Strange ways)
Can't reform 'em
They pray four times a day, they pray five
Who ways is strange when it's time to survive
Some will go of they own free will to die
Others take them with you when they blow sky high
What's the difference? All you get is lost children
While the bosses sit up behind the desks
It cost billions to blast humans in half, into calves and arms
Only one side is allowed to have bombs
It's like making a soldier drop his weapon
Shooting him, and telling him to get to stepping
Obviously, they came to portion up his fortune
Sounds to me like that old robbery/extortion
(They stay)
Same game
(Strange ways)
Ya can't reform 'em
In Four Tet's song Strange Ways, the lyrics depict the harsh realities of inner-city life in America. The verses convey the ongoing cycle of violence and crime that permeates these communities due to poverty, societal neglect, and systemic racism. The opening line, "Wreak havoc, beep beep it's mad traffic," sets the tone for the rest of the song by highlighting the chaos of urban life. The main character is portrayed as a maverick, who feels trapped in a system that criminalizes him and his peers.
The first verse touches on police brutality and the unjust treatment of young black men by law enforcement. The singer sees his life as disposable at the hands of a corrupt justice system that views him as a criminal. He speaks about how easy it is for the police to shoot and kill him, even if he is innocent. The lyrics also highlight the struggle to make ends meet and provide for one's family. The line "For pulling heat on a father whose baby's gotta eat" highlights this struggle and how it can lead to desperate measures.
Line by Line Meaning
Wreak havoc, beep beep it's mad traffic
The roads are congested and chaotic.
Sleek and lavish people speaking leaking to the maverick
Rich and powerful people are sharing secret information with the outsider.
He see as just another felony drug arrest
The man being arrested is seen as just another statistic for drug crimes.
Any day could be the one he pick the wrong thug to test
The police officer could face retaliation for arresting the wrong criminal.
Slug through the vest... Shot in the street
The criminal is killed in the confrontation with the police.
For pulling heat on a father whose baby's gotta eat
The criminal was desperate and armed because he needed to provide for his family.
And when they get hungry, it ain't shit funny
People will do anything to feed themselves and their families.
Paid to interfere with how a brother get his money
The system is designed to make it harder for certain groups of people to earn a living.
Now, who's the real thugs, killers and gangsters?
The people in power who create this system are the ones who are causing harm.
Set the revolution, let the things bust and thank us
Action needs to be taken to overthrow the current unjust system.
When the smoke clear, you can see the sky again
After the revolution, there will be clarity and freedom.
There will be the chopped off heads of leviathan
The powerful people in charge will be overthrown.
My friend, they call 'em strangers
The outsiders or people that don't belong are often demonized.
Anybody talk to him end up in some danger
People who associate with outsiders or speak out against the system face consequences.
(They stay... Strange ways)
The outsiders continue to be treated unfairly.
Can't reform 'em
The outsiders can't be fixed or made to conform to the system.
They pray four times a day, they pray five
Refers to the Muslim religion and their daily prayers.
Who ways is strange when it's time to survive
The outsiders' way of living may seem different, but it's survival for them.
Some will go of they own free will to die
Some outsiders are willing to sacrifice their lives for their cause.
Others take them with you when they blow sky high
Some outsiders choose to take others with them when they commit violent acts.
What's the difference? All you get is lost children
Violence only leads to more suffering, especially for innocent children.
While the bosses sit up behind the desks
The people in charge are safe and comfortable while others suffer on the ground level.
It cost billions to blast humans in half, into calves and arms
The cost of violence is high, and there are lasting consequences for those affected.
Only one side is allowed to have bombs
The system is rigged in favor of those in power.
It's like making a soldier drop his weapon
Asking someone who is disadvantaged to give up their only means of protection.
Shooting him, and telling him to get to stepping
Using violence to control the situation instead of empathy or diplomacy.
Obviously, they came to portion up his fortune
The people in power are only interested in taking what little the outsider has.
Sounds to me like that old robbery/extortion
The system is essentially stealing from the poor and disenfranchised.
(They stay)
The outsiders continue to suffer.
Same game
The system is rigged and unjust, and will continue to operate the same way.
(Strange ways)
The outsider's way of life is deemed strange and therefore not worth understanding.
Ya can't reform 'em
The system cannot be reformed if it continues to treat the disadvantaged unfairly.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: DANIEL DUMILE THOMPSON, OTIS JACKSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@justGSquared
One hell of a remix! Love the original & this too!
@matthewmcevoy2736
Thank you for uploading this. Been waiting to see this back on the internets for some time now
@somesecret
Koushik is the man.
@thestr8jacket1
Why is this track not on Spotify version of this album?
@Absofarabia6640
Still coming back in 2023 cause this shit is fire
@MasterOwl01
RIP DOOM
@Warp75
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