In celebration of reaching one million followers on Soundcloud, English post-rock/electronic musician Kieren Hebden, AKA Four Tet, has released a new song for download. It’s almost been a year since the release of his latest album Morning/Evening, which we kinda loved. The track comes in at just above the five-minute mark, but there’s more length in the title than anything else.

It is called, TrackI’veBeenPlayingOnRadio+StuffSeemsNiceThing2DropBecauseSmashingItOnInternetShouts2B.UFO+A.Naples.

Believe it or not that is an abbreviated version of the full title, which reveals itself once downloaded: A lost track that I’ve been playing on the radio and stuff. Seemed like a nice thing to put out there because of smashing it on the internet etc. Shout out to Ben UFO and Anthony Naples. May 2016

Yeah, seriously.

The track itself is really good, with a great use of Asian strings opening the piece. Chopped vocals add to the hearty mix, creating a steady build up toward a funky beat. It has a steady rhythm for anyone to dance to, while the playful production makes it a really fun listen. While not quite as ambitious as his remix of Eric Prydz, released last year and still one of the best Four Tet tracks ever released, it’s a really great effort from the English producer.

You can check out the new track below or on Soundcloud, and there’s also a free download available.

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Image: Four Tet

This week, as with every week, the competition has been fierce when it comes to new releases. Constantly spoiled for choice, below are ten of the best songs that have been released over the past seven days, and once again there is something for everyone.

My city, Brisbane, features heavily in this one, with SIX entries into the playlist. I swear it wasn’t intentional, but it’s a great coincidence considering Young Franco, Emma Louise, Golden Vessel, Machine Age, White Wash and Good Boy are all exciting acts in their own rights, and all brought their A-games for their latest releases. In between them, we’ve got some UK talent in Jodie Abacus which has been reworked by the amazing Armand Van Helden, another fantastic remix of Shura‘s Touch by Four Tet, a fantastic collaboration from German music makers Moglii & Novaa and of course, the incredible Boys Noize to round things out. Enjoy!

Jodie Abacus, Hot Kitchen (Armand Van Helden Remix)

Jodie Abacus’ Hot Kitchen has been on high rotation since it’s release last year, but the news that the one and only Armand Van Helden had been locked in for a remix was almost too much. The results are unsurprisingly ridiculously good, with Van Helden’s reputation preceding him. Sounding like Jodie Abacus suddenly became a member of Duck Sauce (remember that song?) which, funnily enough, Van Helden was one half of, the funk is amped right up to breaking point, and Van Helden’s groovy synths provide a warm bed for Abacus’ soulful vocals. It’s a song made for dancefloors, and is more than enough to rival the original in terms of good vibes.

Young Franco, Drop Your Love (Ft. DiRTY RADiO)

Brisbane producer Young Franco takes his time with his releases, but it’s okay because they’re always worth it. Drop Your Love is the latest release from the young gun, and it continues along in the direction he was heading in with last year’s Don’t U Want Me. It might sound a little too similar at times to his previous single, but it’s a tight disco funk track nonetheless, with some liberating good vibes to bring it home. Teaming up with DiRTY RADiO for vocals, we have our suspicions things are just getting warmed up for Young Franco, and we can’t wait to see where he goes next. This single also comes alongside the announcement he has linked up with a new crew by the name of Of Leisure, which you can learn all about from their hilarious introductory video. Big things to come!

Emma Louise, Talk Baby Talk

Emma Louise has one of the best voices in Australian music, and her new material shows off her incredible set of pipes beautifully. Talk Baby Talk comes after last year’s sensational comeback single, Underflow which actually got the remix treatment from none other than Little Dragon. This latest single is a seductive number, with thick synths, trudging beats and a warm bed of ambient sounds that provide the perfect backdrop for Emma Louise’s vocals. It’s rich in emotion, dripping in vulnerability and frustration, and once again shows her in all her glory. We can’t wait to hear what comes next!

White Wash, Time

White Wash is the electronic persona of Brisbane music maker Connor Brooker. He’s also in a band called Bugs, and a surf rock band called Pro Vita, as well as probably a bunch of other things that we can’t keep track of. However, we’re not talking about that, we’re talking about White Wash and his new track, Time. Sounding like a combination of Phoenix and Gypsy & The Cat, Time sounds like it was taken straight out of the indie-electro boom of the late 00’s and thrust into 2016’s production styles. It’s nostalgic, catchy as hell and a whole lot of fun. Brooker, whilst a very clearly talented man, doesn’t ever take himself too seriously in his many projects, and I think this is the key to his success.

Good Boy, No Love For Back Home

Fresh from opening up the Brisbane leg of Laneway festival this year, Good Boy are wasting no time capitalising on this momentum, and have shared another great new track to add to their catalogue. Titled No Love For Back Home, the boys are getting better at just about every element of their sound, and I just can’t get enough of it. The intricate little intro quickly changing into a loud, rock’n’roll growl, the unique vocals that borrow influence from the likes of Mac DeMarco among others, and the groovy breakdowns that intersperse the track throughout, No Love For Back Home is their best single yet, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they get invited to play more and more festivals throughout the year by the sounds of this! GREAT boys more like it!

Shura, Touch (Four Tet Remix)

I have to admit that I haven’t been entirely sold on Shura just yet, but this remix is enough to sway me. The one and only Four Tet shared this bad boy only last night, and it’s now sitting at a cool 34.7K plays in just 15 hours (at the time of writing). Not. Bloody. Bad. It makes sense though, thanks to the stunningly lush rework that he’s given. Working in beautiful harmony with Shura’s delicate voice, Four Tet always seems to know what’s best, and Touch is yet another shining example of this. It’s a track that just makes you feel good from the inside out, with the sped-up vocals, funky bass line and garage beats. Her exposing, vulnerable lyrics still maintain that sensitive side, but they’ve found a new home on a late night dancefloor, and that is something we are very okay with!

Golden Vessel, Do You Think About Me (Ft. MTNS)

Brisbane is bringing the goods this week, with two more of the River City’s finest teaming up for a new track. Titled Do You Think About Me, Golden Vessel has joined forces with MTNS for his first release in a fair while, but proving that it was definitely worth the wait. If you look on his Instagram, the kid is constantly in the studio, and it seems his hardwork is now paying off. Preferring to play with his own styles instead of sticking to the mainstream styles of Australian dance music, Golden Vessel’s production gets better and better with each release, and Do You Think About Me is his best so far. MTNS provides some almost RnB vocals over GV’s forward thinking future-electro beats, which are lush in the way his synths swirl and bloom over the shifting drums. Do You Think About Me is a really great song and an even more exciting step further for both artists, but especially Golden Vessel. Keep your eyes peeled for this guy!

Machine Age, Don’t Look

This song technically came out last week, but it kind of counts for this week if I only heard it on Monday. Machine Age is new on the scene in the scheme of things, but is already showing prowess and raw talent beyond his relatively short time. Taking influence from the likes of Seekae, Machine Age works dark, haunting electronica into Don’t Look, a track that sticks with you from the first listen. Pulling out all the stops, it’s rich and vibrant whilst still dreary (in the best possible way) and forlorn, playing with dark, industrial synths and his dramatic vocals. Hold tight for around the 3:30 mark, where things get even bigger – it can almost bring you to your knees.

Moglii & Novaa, Down Under

German based musicians Moglii and Novaa have come together to release a 5-track collaborative EP titled Down Under, and this week they have shared the first of these. Sharing the same name as the EP, the pair are a match made in musical heaven, and this track is as harmonious as they come. Vibing off each other perfectly, Down Under is a glitchy but serene, smooth but stuttering tune that feels almost alive in the way it quickly deviates when you least expect it. With its warbling bass, future bass break downs, serene vocal harmonies and more, every time you listen to this one, you hear something you hadn’t before. It’s the musical gift that keeps on giving, and what it is giving is pretty fucking good. Keep your ears pricked for the next four tracks, which will hopefully be just as great as this one.

Boys Noize, Euphoria

Any week that Boys Noize releases new music is a good week in my books. The legendary techno wizard’s reputation precedes him, and I can credit him for absolutely blowing my mind at FOMO festival earlier this year during his Australian tour. Euphoria is just hours old, but is well on it’s way to becoming one of this week’s, maybe even this month’s, most played tracks. The simple computerized, acid house beat works so well with featured artist Remy Banks, who only says three words for the entire track- “Inhale, Exhale, Euphoria“. It’s a glitchy trip you can’t help but getting lost in, and I think Banks himself summed it up best when he said of making music with Boys Noize, “From the moment I walked in the studio, I knew something dope was going to be made.” Dope indeed.

Kieran Hebden, better known by his stage name Four Tet, was pretty consistent last year in terms of releasing new music. Thankfully, it seems like 2016 will be no different, with the producer uploading two new tracks in one day to SoundCloud, from his own label Text Records.

Both tracks are collaborative efforts, the first, Mothers/Dark(TEXT038) with Melbourne-based producer Designer; the second, Flip Side/Disparate (TEXT039) with UK producer Champion. They will also be released as 12-inches, “available in all good record shops soon”.

Both tracks are thumping pieces of work, similar in tone but individualistic enough as to set them apart. There are some definite influences by each guest producer as well, which we could probably guess is a pretty big deal when you’re making a track with none other than Four Tet. While Mothers/Dark harbours a more psychedelic, house feel to it, it’s counterpart Flip Side/Disparate is more bass-centric, with the song growing increasingly better towards it’s exceptional end.

Four Tet’s collab partners have hardly been keeping quiet in their own rights as well. Last year we heard Designer’s Dark, whilst Champion released an incredible remix of Kool Fm from his sixth LP, Beautiful Rewind.

Take a listen to the two tracks below:

UK artist Katy B has called on two of the most inventive, expansive and unique electronic producers working today for a brand new track. Four Tet and Floating Points (both of whom are in Australia over the next few weeks, by the way) have come together for Calm Down, to be featured on Katy B’s upcoming album Honey. It doesn’t have a release date yet, but it’s set to be her first release since Little Red in 2014.

Watery synths and a bouncing rhythm open the track, while B’s smooth, neo-R&B melody leads the way with effortless cool. The animated rhythm is complex and snappy, with as much attention to minute detail as you’d expect from Four Tet and Floating Points. The jaunty atmosphere has a dark side, though, a kind of seductive franticness that comes out through immediate and bumbling string embellishments.

It’s a really interesting and expectedly unique sound, with the marriage of the eclectic production work and Katy’s breezy melody spawning a thoroughly enjoyable electro-pop offering, one that is remarkably catchy considering the usual scope of the mad scientist producers.

Four Tet released Morning/Evening earlier this year, while Floating Points recently dropped his stunning debut Elaenia. Floating Points is also in town this week for his debut Australian performances. Meanwhile, Four Tet will be performing at Let Them Eat Cake, Lost Paradise and more.

 

Perth usually have every right to complain about their location, and their lack of gigs. Hours and hours away from the hustle and bustle of the East Coast, the WA capital is often at a loss when big name artists and festivals tour the country. But every now and again, something comes along that changes that up a bit. And today, the mother of all excuses is here.

While on an Australian tour, which will see him performing at festivals including Lost Paradise, FOMO and Beyond the Valley, Jamie xx will be visiting Perth, with a VERY special guest on DJ duties: Four Tet. That’s right, the master of experimental electronic will be on DJ duties for the evening, while also in town to perform at NYD Festival Let Them Eat Cake and more. I’m sure we can expect a full Four Tet tour announcement soon too!

The pair will be performing at the open-air Belvoir Amphitheatre on January 2, 2016.

Tickets go on sale November 2 at 9am (local time), with a pre-sale on October 29 – more details about that right here.

Four Tet last visited Australia in late 2014 for Listen Out Festival. Jamie xx was here at the start of 2015 to perform at Falls/Southbound, and has since released his incredible solo debut In Colour (read our track by track review here), opened his very own record store, scored a ballet, announced news of a new The xx album and plenty more.

Here’s the full run of Jamie xx tour dates:

29 Dec – 1 Jan: Beyond The Valley, Gippsland VIC

29 Dec – 1 Jan: Lost Paradise, Glenworth Valley NSW

Sat 3 Jan: Belvoir Amphitheatre, Perth – With Four Tet

Wed 6 Jan: Forum Theatre, Melbourne (sold out)

Thurs 7 Jan: Thebarton Theatre, Adelaide

Sat 9 Jan: FOMO, Brisbane QLD

Sun 10 Jan: Forum Theatre, Melbourne (sold out)

 

Either Four Tet can predict the future, or maybe it became a self-fulfilling prophecy. Back in July of this year, the man himself tweeted that he wished someone would ask him to remix Eric Prydz‘s track Opus, and now it seems his wish has come true.

 

Releasing the sprawling 10-minute rework over the weekend, Four Tet has laid down some terrific work here. Propulsive, hypnotic, and almost trance-like, the man is clearly no stranger to remixes and is showing off his skill set in all it’s glory. With both artists being heavyweights in the international electronic scene, the way they have come together in this remix is what really makes it what it is. Effortlessly blending his trademark melodic nature, Four Tet uses propulsive beats and a less-is-more attitude to build it into the beautiful, blooming rework that it is. The track is being released as part of a tenth anniversary special from Prydz, following on from a 22 track compilation, Pyrda 10 released over the past three months. BBC Radio 1’s Annie Mac was the first to get her hands on it, and played it on the radio over the weekend. Four Tet, clearly still as humble as ever, tweeted in  response:  

Ever the remix maestro, Four Tet has just dropped a remix to CHVRCHES’ new single Without a Trace. Instead of beefing up Lauren Mayberry’s honeyed vocals and pop hooks, he’s instead extracted some of its energy, replacing it with his own chilled out dreamy synths. Over the seven minute track, Mayberry’s vocals feature for only two or three minutes in the middle, as a long, minimalistic driving beat leads the first few minutes of the track while a more dark, bass heavy sound rounds it out. He’s mainly sampled the CHVRCHES chorus ‘I know I need to feel relief’.

Have a listen below:

The remix comes off a massive year for Four Tet, dropping his new album Morning/Evening Beyonce style and releasing way earlier than expected. He also dropped an album under his Percussions moniker, and has working with a variety of collaborators including Omar Souleyman and Rome Fortune.

The single Without a Trace will come off CHVRCHES next album Every Open Eye which is due for release on September 25. It continues an interesting few months for CHVRCHES and Lauren Mayberry in particular, with acclaim for their recent singles being mixed with ugly online misogyny aimed towards the singer.

Here their original track below:

Four Tet announced just last month that the follow up for his tremendous 2013 release Beautiful Rewind would be dropping this July, but in the current climate of surprise releases, he has gone and pulled a Beyonce/Drake/Kendrick Lamar/A$AP Rocky and suddenly dropped it much earlier than anticipated.

Available for streaming and purchasing now on his Bandcamp, Morning/Evening is a two-track, yet full length LP that is stunning from the first listen. And the second. And the third… Physical copies of the LP will be available from July 10.

This isn’t the first surprise release of the year for the producer – real name Kieran Hebden. He also dropped a surprise album earlier this year under his Percussions moniker. He has also been working with a variety of collaborators recently, including Omar Souleyman and Rome Fortune, further cementing his reputation as one of the more prolific but consistently great producers around at the moment.

Four Tet announced the release this morning via a just-as-surprisingly hilarious Instagram video. Check the video and the album stream below, and settle in for 40 minutes of pure Four Tet bliss. 

https://fourtet.bandcamp.com/album/morning-evening

A video posted by Four Tet (@fourtetkieran) on

UK producer Four Tet took to social media to announce that his forthcoming album, Morning/Evening, will be out “early July.”

Posting a photo (below) to his Facebook, the artist, real name Keiran Hebden, shared details about the record. It will be his first release since 2013’s Beautiful Rewind, and will be distributed via his own label Text.

The new Four Tet album is called “Morning/Evening” and will be out by early July. It is TEXT036.The tracklist is:1….

Posted by Four Tet (Official) on Wednesday, 6 May 2015

A two-song LP? Well, sure. I guess anything goes – you’ve got 12 track EPs, so why the hell not have a two-track album. He follows in the footsteps of Nicolas Jaar, who will be dropping a two-track LP of his very own on May 11.

Four Tet last visited Australia for Listen Out festival in late 2014 – let’s hope a new tour will be on the cards later this year.

Roots Manuva and Four Tet have teamed up for a new song, Facety 2:11. The track is an official Roots Manuva song produced by Four Tet. It’s a pretty unlikely combo, but who doesn’t love that? Furthermore, who doesn’t love RM or Four Tet?

The legendary UK-based MC, aka Rodney Smith, has been largely unheard from since his 2013 EP Stolen Youth. Until now that is.

Of the track, Smith had this to say: “The saga goes from tangent to tangent here in the primal decibel of infinite tribal dub-wise mutation show me your skank face, let’s get feisty.”

It’s got a pretty classic Manuva vibe to it, which is an interesting direction for Four Tet! Somehow managing to be both highly charged and somehow lazily hazy, I’m curious to hear what’s to come throughout the next few months for good ol’ Rootsy.

You can purchase the track here, along with B-side Like A Drum (prod. Machinedrum.)