Review

Sixteen Oceans Four Tet

Interspersed with birdsong, ‘Sixteen Oceans’ balances Electronica and Ambient cuts with dance floor ready tunes while never overlooking the detail. It’s something that we’ve come to expect from Kieran Hebden, such is his talent for dialing up the vibrancy of organic sounds to the level of simulacra without losing the visceral touch and feel of his organic sources. We see that here as ‘Love Salad’ transforms from field recordings that bring to mind the ocean and bustling markets, into a sturdy, motorik two-step beat before a resonant synth melody lifts us towards the stars. The highlights, the single ‘Teenage Birdsong’ and opening track ‘School’, both feature solid beats and naive melodies delicately clipped with a subtle hesitation. ‘Sixteen Oceans’ is cohesive and consistent but it’s in its details and anomalies that it really stands out. Put it on repeat.

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