On the follow up to 2013's Beautiful Rewind Kieren Hebden looks to his roots for inspiration but finds his sound in the stratosphere
Not many artists are capable of sounding so celestial whilst remaining so grounded, yet this is something that Kieren Hebden- better known as Four Tet- has managed on this, his eighth album. Created on his laptop using Ableton Live, VST synthesizers and found audio recordings, the producer crafts 2 tracks spanning 20 minutes each that transport the listener into a blissed-out stratosphere, that will cost you significantly less than any Virgin Galactic flight.
The former, Morning is an hypnotic expanse of breezy synths that underpin Indian soundtrack singer Lata Mangeshkar's dreamy vocals, punctuated by electronic clicks that pierce the atmosphere like sunlight through the blinds.
If Morning is Hebden exploring his Indian heritage then Evening is surely the sound of a continuous journey towards his techno future. Perhaps the closest the record gets to a club rave, it begins with trickling synths that warp into fuzzy, distortion-drenched bass reminiscent of early Kraftwerk. Culminating in a swirling crescendo that brings you back down to earth on a wave of extraterrestrial euphoria.
Morning/Evening is ultimately an album of journeys. Not just the literal journey of making chappatis with his grandma to making music in an East London club, but a metaphorical journey too-from the earth to the celestial peak.
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