Four Tet - There Is Love in You
Four Tet is something of an anomaly in the already outlandish world of electronic music. With galling aliases as “00110100 01010100” and “⣎⡇ꉺლ༽இ•̛)ྀ◞ ༎ຶ ༽ৣৢ؞ৢ؞ؖ ꉺლ”, it could be argued that this creative mind is as odd and alien as that of Aphex Twin. After all, the circle of artists that straddle between electronica, post-rock and jazz is so small, it only really encompasses project head Kieran Hebden - but does reveal that his music is far closer to humanity.
Though involved in numerous side projects and offerings delving deeper into each of these genres, the amalgamation of these sounds and ideologies is what defines the cyborg sound of Four Tet. Earlier albums such as Rounds and Pause were deciphered as folktronica, however more recent records like Pink and New Energy instead provide an outsider perspective on UK-based dance music. There Is Love in You is, therefore, somewhat of a transitional album in his discography, shifting focus away from working within the IDM-influenced folktronica sound of previous projects, and turning towards bringing this sound to house music. The result is subtle dance music that opts out of the orthodox 808 drum patterns and a focus on being “club-ready”, in favour of using live instrumentation and setting meditative tones. “This Unfolds” is one of the most lavish landscapes on the album, with a celestial rhythm populated by minuscule twinkling elements that feels like a bright and disarming excursion.
The album features long tracks that take their time, but the balance of potent emotion and exuberant playfulness ensures that focus is not lost from the artist or the listener. Kieran allows listeners time to explore these soundscapes, unpacking every detail and focusing on each element, inadvertently contributing to an album-wide quality of slowing down time. The track “Cycling” toys with a relatively scarce number of components, yet he masterfully unearths a living, breathing world, crowned with jaunty piano triplets snaking through an understated kick drum and gliding bass.
Hebden is unquestionably a man of brevity, boasting more experience outside of electronic music compared to other modern artists in the scene, even beginning his music career as part of a post-rock band known as Fridge. Hints of this appear in the approach towards song progression, most visibly on the closer, “She Likes The Fight”. Culminating the record into what feels like the album’s homecoming, it is orchestrated by a warm guitar phrase, and allows a medley of instruments and ideas to flourish before the record says goodbye. There Is Love in You may lack the usual pummeling beats typically seen in dance music, but instead paints atypically effervescent, emotive environments that are perfect for introspection.