Four Tet - 0181

It is good to hear from Mr. Tet as always, and though this stuff isn’t new it’s worth talking about a little. It’s a collection of un-released material from 1997-2001 that is a great reminder of just how versatile Four Tet is. This hauntingly beautiful music, full of delicious melodies and slick beats, is a far cry from some of the more rugged dance floor oriented pieces, like Locked/Pyramid, that he’s coming out with at the moment. Four Tet is just so good at making music that on the surface is so lovely and childish but remains consistently bizarre. There’s a baby crying halfway through for some reason…  though it is made to sound very pleasant! Anyway it’s great for walking through the snow and if you haven’t already grab the free download.

It is important to remember that it is this sound, so exquisitely resolved in an albums like Pause or Rounds, that made him famous, making it all the more impressive that he is now considered a stalwart of dance music in this country. It makes you realize how talented he is and how little versatility most of the rest of the continuum is producing. Maybe if Joy Orbison or Pearson Sound spent some time building up albums that are listenable in a context beyond Room 1 at Fabric, they might be able to make far more compelling music; at least more than the same old kick and tired vocal sample routine…..

Here’s a little Four Tet to remind us that he’s the man:

This brought him to everyone's attention in a big way in 1999 and you can tell why:

He can still rock the dancefloor though: