Four Tet - Sixteen Oceans (2020) [Official Digital Download]

New album of melodic jackers, swingers, downbeats and ambient interludes by Kieran Hebden’s Four Tet. Four Tet’s music is a perhaps too-easy-to-understand yet still a perplexing perennial concern. With ’Sixteen Ocean’ he reels off 10 tracks of signature, lilting rhythmelodic cadence at an unhurried pace, including his ‘Teenage Birdsong’ tune. Nice surprise on the D side as well.

Over 20 years into his career, Kieran Hebden continues to soothe, surprise, and subvert genres on 10th album Sixteen Oceans. The record contains some of his most up-front tracks yet, and his most minimal. Although the producer has remixed for Rihanna and Sia, it’s still a surprise to hear Ellie Goulding’s vocals (and, of course, chopped up) on “Baby,” while single “Teenage Birdsong” is another highlight, as synth, flute, and harpsichord sounds converge over intricate, crunching drums. Birds, insects, and nature feature across the entire record—“Green” puts you in the middle of a rainforest in its first section before giving way to sci-fi bleeps, and “Romantics” conjures images of seas and sunlight. The final third of the album strips away percussion altogether and leaves ambient chimes, drones, and whirs, precisely the meditative vibe needed for 2020.

Tracklist:
1. School (04:02)
2. Baby (04:24)
3. Harpsichord (02:53)
4. Teenage Birdsong (03:25)
5. Romantics (04:57)
6. Love Salad (07:20)
7. Insect Near Piha Beach (05:15)
8. Hi Hello (00:48)
9. ISTM (00:40)
10. Something in the Sadness (05:11)
11. 1993 Band Practice (01:05)
12. Green (03:48)
13. Bubbles at Overlook 25th March 2019 (01:03)
14. 4T Recordings (03:17)
15. This Is for You (02:05)
16. Mama Teaches Sanskrit (04:24)


Thanks to the Original customer!