Win 2 Tickets to See Electronica King Four Tet on Nov 17

Will Griffith | Nov 8, 2018 10:00 am | Add a comment | 1777 reads

If you compiled a list of some of the most highly regarded electronic musicians out there, I’d put my money on it that Four Tet, the moniker of Keiran Hebden, would be in there somewhere near the top. The London native whose euphoric dancehall beats, experimental foreplay, and a keen ear for niche sounds have made him a darling on both the club floor and in indie music circles has been carving out his place in the scene for two decades and hasn’t slowed down a bit. From performing for hundreds of thousands at some of the world’s biggest festivals to collaborating with idols in their respective scenes – from Burial to Thom Yorke, Terror Danjah to Omar Souleyman – and establishing his own label, he has rightfully earned recognition as one of the finest electronic artists out there. Finally, it's time for Beijing to bask in his glory come Saturday, Nov 17 at Omni Space.

A savant in meshing the electronic and the organic, the living with the non-living, Four Tet has one of the brightest resumes in the business, with nine full-length albums under his belt – each one rich in tone and texture. Whether it is folk, jazz, hip-hop, or even Krautrock, there has always been a buoyant discovery to how his compositions unfold – melodic yet abstract, full of glitchy mischievousness and acoustic wonder. His innate passion of excavating music of all ilk found him working an array of industry heavyweights such as jazz drummer Steve Reid (James Brown, Sun Ra) and Jamie xx, all the while retaining his street cred with his annual residencies at the Academy Brixton in London where he charges a measly five pounds for entry, citing these nights as "a positive force against greed and racism we are facing."

Yet, what sticks out most is the warmth and at times catharsis Hebden is able to convey through his music. The best example of this is perhaps on the ambient-heavy Morning/Evening release from 2015 – which found the artist deep diving into his late Indian grandfather’s record collection and coming out the other end with two immersive, slow-burning and downright intoxicating twenty minute long tracks structured in the traditional form of ‘raga’ music (have a listen here). Simply put, it’s life-affirming stuff.

His latest, 2017’s New Energy, was viewed by many as a return to form – the perfect marriage of both the artist’s newfound love for the club scene as well as his delicate, more instrumental interventions. But for Four Tet, it’s simply just another step on his long journey. Another story told through his music.

So, before the big date, we are offering two lucky people the chance to win tickets to Four Tet's Beijing debut. To have a shot at winning, we're simply asking you to write a short blurb about your favorite Hebden release, whether it's a single, album, mix, or any other music he's put out, and why it means so much to you. Simply send your answer to win@truerun.com before midnight on Sunday, Nov 11 and we'll choose a winner come Monday.