用诗人来形容Four Tet这位音乐人非常恰当,因为他的音乐总有一股温暖淡淡的气质。横跨了Indie、Electronica族群,打破音乐疆界。创造Folktronica的里程碑,Four Tet树立了跨种新音乐的指针,到了2003年新专辑《Rounds》,于全世界销售成绩告捷,巡回演出足迹遍布英国、欧洲、美国、日本,以及即将举行的台湾香港澳门演出。2003年无庸置疑的是属于Four Tet的一年,国外较大的音乐、非音乐媒体如NME、Uncut、The Times、Jocket Slut、Q、X-Ray、FHM等全部提名年中重要专辑,而台湾香港的媒体如诚品好读、香港MCB等亦全部提名Four Tet的《Rounds》为年度十大专辑。
而除了专辑《Rounds》的丰收外,2003年也是Four Tet非常忙碌的一年。在音乐制作方面,他分别替Radiohead、Doves、Kings Of Convenience、Tori Amos等无数慕名而来的各乐种乐团、艺人制作混音,也因为如此,Four Tet的音乐拥有跨越单一乐种的视野。此外还开始包办如Beth Orton等人的全张专辑制作。
在巡回演出方面,他替RadioHead暖场、参加欧洲最大艺术文化节The Vince Biennale、The End十周年扩大音乐节等演出都扩展了他在英伦欧洲本土的喜爱群众。而美国、日本、台湾香港澳门的演出则为Four Tet在世界各地建立更多Fans社群。
Folktronica是自从Four Tet上一专辑《Pause》后乐评人所用来形容Four Tet音乐的新音乐名词。而这里所谓的Folktronica并不是指单纯的民歌加上电音,如果你听过Four Tet的音乐,你就可以明白,Folktronica指的是以聆听性电音的形式,但其内涵却有许多舒服、恬淡的民谣精神。这样独创的音乐性具有现代电音特质,但不冷调,反而呈现出一种清新的田园风格。台北夏日热到这种地步,听Four Tet的音乐,你不会觉得什么排山倒海而来的震撼,但绝对可以感受到一阵清新的田园自然风。
Folktronica是一个复合字,它将Folk跟Electronica串连变成Folktronica,用以形容那种电声拼贴在破碎交击之际,所迸发出的温暖(通常是原音吉他)体验。听不懂吗?没关系的,听听看就会明白。但千万不要误会Folktronica是前面一个人拿民谣吉他唱民谣,后面一台计算机做电音。
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.