ukevents.net
Joined: 15 Dec 2003
Posts: 2389
|
| Tell a Friend Posted: Tue Apr 29, 2008 6:52 am Post subject: Album Review : Four Tet – Ringer |
|
|
Four Tet – Ringer
Kieran Hebden the man behind Four Tet may not be the household name he deserves to be, but his long and established career as an artist and producer will soon give him the credit he deserves. With multiple projects on the go, including various remix work, a new album with his original UK post rock band Fridge and work with legendary drummer Steve Reid it’s good to see Four Tet return with a new offering on the always reliable Domino label. Whenever a new record is severed up, it’s always a wonder what musical pallet will be created. In the past, a blend of folk and electronica has established Four Tet as the leader in that particular field. But it was with the last studio release in 2005 – Everything Ecstatic that everything changed. Gone were the twinkling melodies and gorgeous guitar licks. Now we were presented with an awkward jazz record that broke through with crunchy beats and glimpses of previous albums.
This was three years ago, and whilst the new release Ringer is not quite an album or a single, it’s an EP which again shows a changing shift in Four Tet’s musical direction. Four tracks clock in at just over half an hour. Not too much off a worry as Hebden is creative enough to work his way through a track and change its pace and dynamic. Or is he? Instead of freeform jazz or the old folktronica style we love him for, four tracks of minimal techno has been offered and it’s a somewhat disappointing affair.
Opening track Ringer has an early promise of a progressive techno loop slowly evolving in to a devastating monster of a track. Sadly however it fails to do this. After seemingly building for a good six minutes, nothing suddenly changes and shifts pattern. Not only does it get boringly relentless but the impression of a bloke sat at his laptop, finding the killer melody and repeating it for eight minutes really sinks in. It’s not just the first track that does this. The other three tracks echo the same sentiment and makes for a somewhat disappointing release. Whilst it can be argued it’s not a proper album and just the artist messing around and experimenting with musical styles, it will be a pity if this formula is reflected in an up and coming album release. Something he is overdue for. Let’s hope that his side projects don’t and remix work don’t sidetrack him from making genre defying music that he helped pioneer.
Written by Matthew for UKEvents.net |
|
