Four Tet

用詩(shī)人來(lái)形容Four Tet這位音樂(lè)人非常恰當(dāng)，因?yàn)樗囊魳?lè)總有一股溫暖淡淡的氣質(zhì)。橫跨了Indie、Electronica族群，打破音樂(lè)疆界。創(chuàng)造Folktronica的里程碑，F(xiàn)our Tet樹(shù)立了跨種新音樂(lè)的指針，到了2003年新專(zhuān)輯《Rounds》，于全世界銷(xiāo)售成績(jī)告捷，巡回演出足跡遍布英國(guó)、歐洲、美國(guó)、日本，以及即將舉行的臺(tái)灣香港澳門(mén)演出。2003年無(wú)庸置疑的是屬于Four Tet的一年，國(guó)外較大的音樂(lè)、非音樂(lè)媒體如NME、Uncut、The Times、Jocket Slut、Q、X-Ray、FHM等全部提名年中重要專(zhuān)輯，而臺(tái)灣香港的媒體如誠(chéng)品好讀、香港MCB等亦全部提名Four Tet的《Rounds》為年度十大專(zhuān)輯。
 
而除了專(zhuān)輯《Rounds》的豐收外，2003年也是Four Tet非常忙碌的一年。在音樂(lè)制作方面，他分別替Radiohead、Doves、Kings Of Convenience、Tori Amos等無(wú)數(shù)慕名而來(lái)的各樂(lè)種樂(lè)團(tuán)、藝人制作混音，也因?yàn)槿绱?，F(xiàn)our Tet的音樂(lè)擁有跨越單一樂(lè)種的視野。此外還開(kāi)始包辦如Beth Orton等人的全張專(zhuān)輯制作。
 
在巡回演出方面，他替RadioHead暖場(chǎng)、參加歐洲最大藝術(shù)文化節(jié)The Vince Biennale、The End十周年擴(kuò)大音樂(lè)節(jié)等演出都擴(kuò)展了他在英倫歐洲本土的喜愛(ài)群眾。而美國(guó)、日本、臺(tái)灣香港澳門(mén)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(zhuān)輯《Pause》后樂(lè)評(píng)人所用來(lái)形容Four Tet音樂(lè)的新音樂(lè)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(tīng)過(guò)Four Tet的音樂(lè)，你就可以明白，F(xiàn)olktronica指的是以聆聽(tīng)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(dú)創(chuàng)的音樂(lè)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(tái)北夏日熱到這種地步，聽(tīng)Four Tet的音樂(lè)，你不會(huì)覺(jué)得什么排山倒海而來(lái)的震撼，但絕對(duì)可以感受到一陣清新的田園自然風(fēng)。
Folktronica是一個(gè)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(yàn)。聽(tīng)不懂嗎？沒(méi)關(guān)系的，聽(tīng)聽(tīng)看就會(huì)明白。但千萬(wàn)不要誤會(huì)Folktronica是前面一個(gè)人拿民謠吉他唱民謠，后面一臺(tái)計(jì)算機(jī)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.