Biography
Kieran Miles David Hebden, known professionally as Four Tet, is an English electronic musician born in September 1977 in Putney, London. He initially gained prominence as a member of the post-rock band Fridge, which he formed with classmates Adem Ilhan and Sam Jeffers at Elliott School when the band signed a recording contract at age 15. While performing with Fridge, Hebden pursued a degree in mathematics and computer sciences at the University of Manchester. He began his solo career under the Four Tet moniker in 1998, establishing himself as a distinctive voice in electronic music through innovative albums including Dialogue (1999), Rounds (2003), Everything Ecstatic (2005), and There Is Love in You (2010).
Throughout his career spanning over 20 years, Four Tet has been dubbed the definitive indie electronic artist, maintaining a balance between uncompromising experimentation and commercial success. His work encompasses twelve studio albums, numerous remixes, and high-profile collaborations. Notable achievements include a Grammy nomination in 2017 for Best Remixed Recording for his remix of The xx's "Violent Noise," and composition work on major film projects including the end credit theme for Quantum of Solace (2008). His influence extends across electronic music and beyond, with his work featured in television shows, films, and video games including House MD, Skins, Six Feet Under, and Grand Theft Auto V.
In recent years, Hebden has adopted a more independent approach to music production and distribution, deliberately stepping back from traditional press and record company engagement to focus on creative autonomy. During the 2020 lockdown period, he demonstrated remarkable productivity, releasing two Four Tet albums simultaneously in December 2020 and engaging in extensive live-streamed performances. He notably sold out two nights at London's Alexandra Palace in 2019, representing his largest shows to date.
Fun Facts
- Four Tet's breakthrough moment came from remixing Aphex Twin's 'Selected Ambient Works Volume II' for Warp Records' tenth-anniversary compilation in late 1999, which was considered his break-out release.
- After attending over 100 mastering sessions at prestigious studios including Abbey Road and the Exchange over 13 years, Hebden made the bold decision to abandon the mastering process entirely, finding it created more confusion than clarity.
- During the COVID-19 lockdown, Hebden made a deliberate life decision to eliminate anything that wasn't 'fun,' which led him to stop engaging with press and record companies and instead self-release music without traditional promotion or PR.
- Four Tet's music has been featured in unexpected places including the Apple iPhone 7 advertisement and ringtones, demonstrating the broad commercial reach of his compositions beyond traditional music venues.
Musical Connections
Mentors/Influences
- Trevor Jackson - Early label support and artistic direction through Output Recordings (Ceefax (Fridge, 1997), early Four Tet releases) [1997-1999]
Key Collaborators
- Steve Reid - Jazz drummer collaborator on improvisational works (Multiple improvisational projects) [2000s-2010s]
- Burial - Electronic music collaborator (Split 12" 'Ego'/'Mirror' with Thom Yorke)
- Thom Yorke - Electronic music collaborator (Split 12" 'Ego'/'Mirror' with Burial, EP collaboration) [2011, 2020]
- Laurie Anderson - Keyboard player on her album track (Only an Expert from Homeland album)
- David Arnold - Film composer collaborator (Quantum of Solace end credit theme 'Crawl, End Crawl')
- Madlib - Production and artist development collaboration (Album released early 2021) [2020-2021]
- Skrillex - Electronic music collaborator (Single collaboration)
- Neneh Cherry - Producer on multiple albums (Two albums) [2000s-2010s]
- Anna Liber Lewis - Painter and visual collaborator (Anna Painting EP)
- Floating Points - DJ and producer collaborator (Joint DJ performances) [2016-2017]
Artists Influenced
- Multiple electronic music artists - Regularly cited as a major influence on artists, songwriters and producers within electronic music and beyond (Entire catalogue spanning 20+ years) [1998-present]
Connection Network
External Links
Tags: #british, #club, #dance
References
Heard on WWOZ
Four Tet has been played 1 time on WWOZ 90.7 FM, New Orleans' jazz and heritage station.