Like their stable mates, Four Tet (aka Kieran Hebden) knows a fair bit about getting the kids on the dance floor. The album Everything Ecstatic came out in a particularly busy May this year and folks are still tuning in. As featured on Gilles Peterson’s home page, the new ‘Experimental & Leftfield’ message board Kaiwall2 posted praise on the previous album Rounds and requested any other recommendations.

Well, for a start there’s the new track on Gilles Peterson presents The BBC Sessions ‘Knives And Forks’ on which Four Tet improvised on laptop with Steve (jazz legend) Reid on drums. And don’t miss out on Sa-Ra Creative Partners remix of ‘Sun, Drums And Soil’ on 12”. Possibly overlooked but make sure you give it a go as they do a similar job as that which they did to funk Tosca and Dwight Trible.

Somewhere between these two tracks lies the multi-faceted seven-track package of ‘A Joy’ featuring Percee P. The official release will be three 7” releases containing the original version from the album, Stone Throw’s Koushik and remixes by Four Tet himself.

The album version isn’t quite drum and bass. Sort of ambient with a headache meeting an instrumental Death From Above 1979 (i.e. Experimental & Leftfield). The remix gets hip hoppy with saw-edged feedback and squeaky squelches with arcade machine additions. This side ends with a ‘Battles Remix’.

The A-side is a further five versions of ‘A Joy’, the original with Percee P rap (also Stones Throw) is big drum break and bass version. This fades into Part 2 that is funky and there’s an instrumental version.

The Koushik ‘Quick Remix’ is more ‘worldwide’ jazz-hop flavoured broken beat so the instrumental version gets my vote. But there’s lots on this 12” to get excited about.

Four Tet is as much in demand with remix action — ranging from Madvillain’s hip hop album of the year on Stones Throw to the next big indie rock outfit Bloc Party. Also see his Late Night Tales: Four Tet mix CD compilation.

The album by The Steve Reid Ensemble called Spirit Walk is out now on Soul-Jazz. Peterson has proclaimed this as THE jazz album of the year and it contains a re-interpretation of the classic ‘Lions Of Juda’. And there will be a Steve Reid/Four Tet live show on November 21st at The Luminaire, 311 High Road, Kilburn, London NW6 7JR Tel: 0207 372 8668. Four Tet is currently on a tour and check the special guests for the Hammersmith Palais gig; legendary krautrockers, Faust! Experimental and leftfield indeed.

Currently on Tour: November
Tuesday 1st — Mint Lounge, Manchester, UK — with Explosions in the Sky
Wednesday 2nd — Brudenell Social Club, Leeds, UK — with Explosions in the Sky
Thursday 3rd — Sage, Gateshead, UK — with Explosions in the Sky
Friday 4th — Liquid Room, Edinburgh, UK — with Explosions in the Sky
Saturday 5th — The ABC, Glasgow, UK — with Explosions in the Sky
Monday 7th — Concorde 2, Brighton, UK — with Explosions in the Sky
Tuesday 8th — Rescue Rooms, Nottingham, UK — with Explosions in the Sky
Wednesday 9th — Central Station, Wrexham, UK — with Explosions in the Sky
Thursday 10th — Hammersmith Palais, London, UK — with Explosions in the Sky, Kid Koala and Faust
Saturday 12th — Temple Bar Music Centre, Dublin, Ireland — with Kid Koala
Sunday 13th — Spring and Airbrake, Beflast, UK — with Kid Koala
Monday 14th — Roisin Dubh, Galway, Ireland — with Kid Koala
Tuesday 15th — Club One, Cork, Ireland — with Kid Koala

Reviewed:
Four Tet - ‘Sun Drums And Soil’ (Domino Records) Cat. No. RUG204T (Release July 2005)
Four Tet -‘A Joy’ Featuring Percee P (White) (Official Release: October 2005)

Links:
Domino Records www.dominorecordco.com
Test Icicles - 2 × 7” Circle. Square. Triangle (Released 17th October)
Franz Ferdinand
Four Tet www.fourtet.net
Stones Throw - A Joy
Gilles Peterson Worldwide
Steve Reid
Soul Jazz
“Steve Reid is one of the greatest living drummers. He has played with Sun Ra, knew Coltrane, played at Motown. I mean this is a guy who at 19 was playing drums with Fela Kuti in Africa. It’s a creative joy and honour to work with him.” Kieran Hebden (Four Tet)
Experimental & Leftfield (Radio 1 Message Board) Posted by Kaiwall, 26th October. “Oh my god I have just discovered Four Tet! I bought his album Rounds yesterday and it is amazing! Just wondering what everyone else thinks of him and if you have any recommendations of any of his other albums”.