Four Tet

用詩人來形容Four Tet這位音樂人非常恰當(dāng)，因為他的音樂總有一股溫暖淡淡的氣質(zhì)。橫跨了Indie、Electronica族群，打破音樂疆界。創(chuàng)造Folktronica的里程碑，F(xiàn)our Tet樹立了跨種新音樂的指針，到了2003年新專輯《Rounds》，于全世界銷售成績告捷，巡回演出足跡遍布英國、歐洲、美國、日本，以及即將舉行的臺灣香港澳門演出。2003年無庸置疑的是屬于Four Tet的一年，國外較大的音樂、非音樂媒體如NME、Uncut、The Times、Jocket Slut、Q、X-Ray、FHM等全部提名年中重要專輯，而臺灣香港的媒體如誠品好讀、香港MCB等亦全部提名Four Tet的《Rounds》為年度十大專輯。
 
而除了專輯《Rounds》的豐收外，2003年也是Four Tet非常忙碌的一年。在音樂制作方面，他分別替Radiohead、Doves、Kings Of Convenience、Tori Amos等無數(shù)慕名而來的各樂種樂團、藝人制作混音，也因為如此，F(xiàn)our Tet的音樂擁有跨越單一樂種的視野。此外還開始包辦如Beth Orton等人的全張專輯制作。
 
在巡回演出方面，他替RadioHead暖場、參加歐洲最大藝術(shù)文化節(jié)The Vince Biennale、The End十周年擴大音樂節(jié)等演出都擴展了他在英倫歐洲本土的喜愛群眾。而美國、日本、臺灣香港澳門的演出則為Four Tet在世界各地建立更多Fans社群。
 
Folktronica是自從Four Tet上一專輯《Pause》后樂評人所用來形容Four Tet音樂的新音樂名詞。而這里所謂的Folktronica并不是指單純的民歌加上電音，如果你聽過Four Tet的音樂，你就可以明白，F(xiàn)olktronica指的是以聆聽性電音的形式，但其內(nèi)涵卻有許多舒服、恬淡的民謠精神。這樣獨創(chuàng)的音樂性具有現(xiàn)代電音特質(zhì)，但不冷調(diào)，反而呈現(xiàn)出一種清新的田園風(fēng)格。臺北夏日熱到這種地步，聽Four Tet的音樂，你不會覺得什么排山倒海而來的震撼，但絕對可以感受到一陣清新的田園自然風(fēng)。
Folktronica是一個復(fù)合字，它將Folk跟Electronica串連變成Folktronica，用以形容那種電聲拼貼在破碎交擊之際，所迸發(fā)出的溫暖(通常是原音吉他)體驗。聽不懂嗎？沒關(guān)系的，聽聽看就會明白。但千萬不要誤會Folktronica是前面一個人拿民謠吉他唱民謠，后面一臺計算機做電音。
 
Spawned from the urge to do something apart from his post-rock band Fridge, Kieran Hebdens Four Tet project balances organic and programmed sounds. Hebden formed Fridge with Sam Jeffers and Adam Ilhan while still in high school. 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 hadnt 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 1999s 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 jazz drummer Steve Reid. These two volumes found Hebden working under his proper name for a change. This trend continued when their third collaboration, Tongues, arrived in 2007.