Kieran Hebden

Usually known by the name Four Tet for his solo work, and a few additional monikers for some of his more club-oriented material, Kieran Hebden has used his proper name on occasion, particularly when collaborating with jazz and improvisational artists. Between 2006 and 2010, he recorded several sessions with New York-based drummer Steve Reid, including 2008's NYC and a live set with Swedish saxophonist Mats Gustafsson. Hebden later collaborated with guitarist William Tyler on the 2023 release Darkness, Darkness. Hebden formed post-rock band Fridge with Sam Jeffers and Adam Ilhan while still in high school, during the mid-'90s. When Fridge went on temporary hiatus for Jeffers and Ilhan to attend college, Hebden spent time playing with ideas gained from hip-hop and electronica that he hadn't had time for while concentrating on the band. Eager to experiment, Hebden bought a computer and began collecting drum and sound samples. Though his tracks sounded contrary, Hebden produced them all in his flat using only his computer to loop, slice, and paste downloaded samples and rhythms. His first full-length was 1999's Dialogue, which was noticed by experimental dub pioneer Pole (Stefan Betke). The two eventually collaborated for a 12", Four Tet vs. Pole, which included an original song by each and a remix of the track done by the other artist. Around the same time, Fridge was signed to the label Go! Beat, owned by Polydor. Hebden retained Four Tet as a side project, however, and released subsequent records Pause (2001) and Rounds (2003) through Domino. The No More Mosquitoes EP and the My Angel Rocks Back and Forth single preceded the 2005 release of Everything Ecstatic. In 2006, Hebden put together two compilations of some of his favorite tracks, LateNightTales and DJ-Kicks, as well as Everything Ecstatic Films & Part 2. The two-disc Remixes was also compiled and released that year, as were two volumes of his Exchange Session project with Steve Reid. Their third and fourth collaboration, Tongues and NYC, were released in 2007 and 2008, respectively. Reid died in 2010, and Live at the South Bank, the duo's performance with Mats Gustafsson, was posthumously released in 2011. Hebden's music became much more dance-focused during the 2010s, from Four Tet releases like Beautiful Rewind and New Energy to low-key 12"s and club anthems as Percussions and KH, and remixes for artists such as Ellie Goulding and Skrillex. He also produced albums for psychedelic group the Sunburned Hand of the Man, Syrian dabke singer Omar Souleyman, and left-field pop legend Neneh Cherry. In 2023, Hebden worked with ambient Americana guitarist William Tyler on a rework of Gloria Loring's version of the Youngbloods' song "Darkness, Darkness." The ten-minute track was backed with "No Services," and released on Sylvan Esso's label Psychic Hotline. ~ Diana Potts & Paul Simpson, Rovi