The British producer and DJ (also known by Kieran Hebden), took to the stage this past weekend, where he surprised fans and attendees with fresh, unreleased material during his set. Sharing a clip in his latest Instagram carousel post, Four Tet captured the moment he unveiled his remix of ‘Alone’, the 2024 comeback single from Robert Smith and co. The track is a standout from their 14th studio album ‘Songs of a Lost World’, which earned three BRIT nominations. 

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A post shared by Four Tet (@fourtetkieran)

“This is the end of every song that we sing / The fire burned out to ash, and the stars grown dim with tears,” Smith delivers wistfully, while Four Tet’s remix breathes new life into the track with an upbeat, pulsating groove. The clip in question is featured as the sixth slide on the Instagram post. 

This is not the first time the work of The Cure and Four Tet has crossed paths – in 2022, the DJ contributed a track to the ‘Eat Your Own Ears Recordings EP 1’, which also featured Smith’s remix of Ride’s ‘Vapour Trail’. 

‘Songs of a Lost World’ earned The Cure their first UK #1 album in 32 years, receiving rave reviews from critics – even earning five stars from publications such as NME and The Guardian. In an article from the former – featuring the lead single in NME’s Best Songs Of 2024 – it read, “‘Alone’ ended a 16-year drought and proved The Cure haven’t lost any of their magic. Through swirling synths and cinematic instrumentation, paired with Robert Smith’s poignant lyricism and melodies, this epic is a masterwork of ethereal beauty and raw emotional depth – one of their most captivating songs to date.” 

Teasing two new records on the way, the legendary alt rock band have a lot to catch up for, their last album being 2008”s ‘4:13 Dream’. Most recently, The Cure have released a live version in support of their latest record: ‘Songs of a Live World: Troxy London MMXXIV’. The recording features a back-to-back rendition of the acclaimed ‘Songs of a Lost World’, captured during their album launch performance at Troxy, London November 1. As well as playing the entirety of the eight-track record, the band also played many fan favourites, gracing fans with ‘Pictures of You’. A Night Like This’, and ‘From The Edge Of The Deep Green Sea’. The performance also featured a nod to the 45th anniversary of The Cure’s sophomore album ‘Seventeen Seconds’ (1980) – taking attendees back in time, revisiting niche classics like ‘A Play For Today’ and early-Cure favourite ‘A Forest’. 

The announcement came through Hebden’s Instagram story last week where he shared details about the track’s status in the album’s production process, “Loved is the first track on the new album which is coming soon. Just finishing the artwork and making the vinyl and CDs.” He followed the story up with an Instagram post showcasing the album artwork where he stated, “Loved is out now. It’s the opening track from the new album which is coming soon. Artwork by Jason Evans.”

The imminent release of this new album adds yet another compelling chapter to Four Tet’s illustrious discography, standing alongside his 2020 full-length offerings, ‘Parallel’ and ‘Sixteen Oceans,’ and the compelling ‘871,’ released under the pseudonym 00110100 01010100.

Since the release of ‘Parallel’ in 2020, Hebden has continued to intrigue audiences with a series of releases under various aliases, including the cryptic ⣎⡇ꉺლ༽இ•̛)ྀ◞ ༎ຶ ༽ৣৢ؞ৢ؞ؖ ꉺლ, as well as using pseudonyms KH and 00110100 01010100. Four Tet’s artistic diversity stands as a testament to his ability to explore different sonic realms while maintaining an impressive output.

While specific details about the upcoming album, such as the title and release date, are currently undisclosed, it is confirmed to be released under Four Tet’s own label, Text Records and that ‘Loved’ will serve as the opening track.

In addition to his solo endeavours, Four Tet made headlines last year for his collaboration with Skrillex and Fred again.., forming an impromptu dance music supergroup. They delivered memorable performances, including a surprise headline set at Coachella Festival and a sell-out show at New York’s Madison Square Garden. The trio also released the catchy single ‘Baby again..,’ sampling Lil Baby’s ‘Baby’ in March of last year.

In addition to his other musical contributions, Four Tet also joined forces with guitarist William Tyler for the two-song EP ‘Darkness Darkness / No Services,’ under his real name, Kieran Hebden.

As anticipation builds for forthcoming releases, Four Tet has unveiled a series of tour dates for 2024 including stops in Paris, Mexico City, Dublin, and a headline slot at Bonnaroo Festival in Manchester, Tennessee. Fans can now stream and download ‘Loved’ on various platforms as they await further updates on Four Tet’s upcoming album. Stay tuned for more information on the project as it unfolds.

pic.twitter.com/bA6LVFCRMd

— XL RECORDINGS (@XLRECORDINGS) January 1, 2024

Burial’s most recent release, Infirmary/Unknown Summer was in collaboration with Steve Goodman, also known as Kode9. The 2023 EP takes a more ambient approach, featuring spoken word sections, laid-back beats, and pitch-shifted vocals. In comparison, the new work teased by XL Recordings is aggressive, noisy, and raw. The clips feature distinctly different sounds from the ones produced with Kode9. This tonal shift may explain the change in label, a step away from the relaxed 2023 EP. Although the South London producer is currently signed to Hyperdub Records, owned by Kode9, Burial has worked with XL in the past. 

In 2020, Burial teamed up with XL, Kieran Hebden, better known as Four Tet, and Thom Yorke on two tracks titled ‘Her Revolution’ and ‘His Rope’. Since XL Recordings hosts a wide range of electronic producers, it is not out of the question that we may be getting another collaboration from Burial and another XL signed artist. Some of the major producers currently signed to XL Recordings are Overmono, a Welsh duo made up of Ed and Tom Russell, and Peggy Gou, a South Korean DJ and producer whose real name is Kim Min-ji. A potential collaboration between Overmono and Burial may seem more likely than some would think, with the glitchy aesthetic of both teaser videos matching that of the Overmono brand. 

We can speculate all day but all we currently know is that Burial is working on something new with XL Recordings. 

it is the most beautiful album of 2023

— Four Tet (@FourTet) May 2, 2023

The duo kept the LP under wraps until yesterday (3^rd May) when electronic musician Four Tet comically revealed on Instagram with a faraway image of a post-it note that the album, Secret Life, would be released on his label Text Records. According to Kieran Hebden (aka Four Tet) “it is the most beautiful album of 2023”. The album will be available on physical release as CDs and vinyl as Fred showcased on his Instagram.

The musicians revealed on social media that “for the last couple of weeks” a radio station called secretlife.fm has been playing “different versions” of the album at 10 pm BST each evening. The 11-track final and main version of the ambient album debuted on NTS Radio last night (3^rd May).

Fred Again.. took to Instagram to express his excitement over the project and his love for Eno writing: “I absolutely love Brian. So much. Ive been so lucky to have him as my friend and mentor since I was 16. And the older I get the more I appreciate how rare and wonderful his mind is.” He continued to say: “Making this was I think the most therapeutic experience ive had in music. ill explain a bit more why when I understand it a bit better I think?”.

In an interview with Zane Lowe for Apple Music, Eno reciprocated Fred’s praises saying, “I think of Fred as my mentor as well in that I Iearned so much about contemporary music from watching him work. When I first worked with Fred I could see he was brilliant. It was very clear he’s a very sensitive and good artist. But I didn’t really understand what he was doing. It took me quite a while to think, ‘Oh my gosh, this is really a new idea about how you can make music.’”

Watch the full interview below:

Both artists dropped records in October last year, Fred Again.. releasing the future garage album Actual Life 3 (January 1 – September 9 2022) and Brian Eno releasing the ambient pop album FOREVERANDEVERNOMORE.

Fred Again.., Four Tet, and Skrillex teamed up to close out Coachella weekend two last month replacing Frank Ocean as headliners. Ocean cancelled his performance after sustaining injuries in his left leg.

Stream the remix here:

“We’ve always loved that meditative but propulsive thing in [Four Tet aka] Kieran [Hebden]’s music”, said Everything But the Girl in a press release. “The restraint mixed with momentum. It is something that we often explore as well, so asking him to rework one of our songs felt like a great fit. There is a confident lightness of touch to his remix, underpinned by a raw killer beat, and a beautiful final third where all the subtle intricacies of his additional production coalesce.”

So, @FourTet has remixed ‘Nothing Left To Lose’. And it’s out today with Ben’s extended mixes of the original too. Hear them all now https://t.co/rA1NLzvLjm pic.twitter.com/CHAbsS1CHb

— EverythingButTheGirl (@ebtg) March 29, 2023

“Nothing Left to Lose” was originally released on the 10^th January and is the lead single from Everything But the Girl’s forthcoming album Fuse set to release on the 21^st of this month. On the two other singles released from the album, “Caution to the Wind” and “Run a Red Light”, the band embraces a nocturnal and repetitive soundscape mixing deep house and downtempo.

The band from Hull was first formed in 1982 and is made up of Tracey Thorn and Ben Wyatt. Fuse will be the duo’s 11^th album and their first album since 1999’s Temperamental.

Kieran Hebden, better known under the moniker Four Tet, first rose to fame as a member of the post-punk band Fridge. The DJ from Putney first began releasing solo material under the name Four Tet in 1998 and is heralded as a pioneer of the folktronica genre. He has released 11 studio albums under the alias and has remixed tracks by Tegan And Sara, Madvillain, Bloc Party, Super Furry Animals, The xx, Thom Yorke, Radiohead, Aphex Twin, Lana Del Rey, J Dilla, and most recently worked with Fred again… and Skrillex.

Four Tet will be performing 3 consecutive dates at the Alexandra Palace in London next month. He is also on the lineup for several festivals this summer including Love Saves the Day, Primavera Festival, Boardmasters, Lost Village Festival, and Creamfields. See here for tickets.

When asked by NME if they would be touring in support of their new album Tracey Thorn from Everything But the Girl replied, “We currently don’t have any plans”.

See below for all Four Tet’s upcoming UK & Europe dates:

23/05/23 – Alexandra Palace – London
24/05 – Alexandra Palace – London
25/05 – Alexandra Palace – London
28/05 – Love Saves the Day – Bristol
02/06 – Primavera Festival – Barcelona
09/06 – Primavera Festival – Madrid
12/08 – Finsbury Park – London
13/08 – Boardmasters – Newquay
26/08 – Lost Village Festival – Lincolnshire
27/08 – Creamfields – Daresbury

I’m so upset to see that @Dominorecordco have removed the 3 albums of mine they own from digital and streaming services. This is heartbreaking to me. People are reaching out asking why they can’t stream the music and I’m sad to have to say that it’s out of my control.

— Four Tet (@FourTet) November 21, 2021

Hebden responded to this with a statement on twitter, stating, “I’m so upset to see that Domino Records have removed the 3 albums of mine they own from digital and streaming services. This is heartbreaking to me. People are reaching out asking why they can’t stream the music and I’m sad to have to say that it’s out of my control”. After explaining that he was in an ongoing legal dispute with the record company, he added, “Earlier this week Domino’s legal representative said they would remove my music from all digital services in order to stop the case progressing.  I did not agree to them taking this action and I’m truly shocked that it has come to this. I considered the people who ran Domino to be my friends and to be driven by trying to create a great musical community. As a result Domino own 3 of my albums forever. Music I created that’s important to me and to many of you too.” 

Due to Domino Record’s calculated action, Hebden was allowed to amend his lawsuit further in order to include the removal of his music which had further breached his contract.  However, one and a half years later, it seems the electronic producer and his former record label have come to a settlement at last. Hebden announced on twitter that Domino Records had finally recognised his initial claim, resulting in him receiving 50% royalty on past and future streaming and download income. This is to be treated as a licensing income, rather than a CD or record sale.

Hebden vocalised his disappointment that the major record label will still own part of his catalogue, stating, “Sadly Domino still own parts of my catalogue for life of copyright and would not give me an option to take back ownership.I hope these types of life of copyright deals become extinct – the music industry isn’t definitive and given its evolutionary nature it seems crazy to me to try and institutionalise music in that way.” Hebden ended his post giving thanks to those who supported him through the legal dispute, saying “I feel so thankful for the people who worked with me on this, all of them understood my motivation, and I am truly grateful for all of the fans and artists who showed support for the intention here.

I have a bodacious update on my case with @Dominorecordco. They have recognised my original claim, that I should be paid a 50% royalty on streaming and downloads, and that they should be treated as a license rather than the same as a CD or vinyl sale.
(1/8)

— Four Tet (@FourTet) June 20, 2022

Centring around a 3LW single from back in the year 2000 “No More (Baby I’ma Do Right)”, you can hear Hebden’s trademark pacy yet cascading percussive grooves that pop and crackle over the retro vocal sample, utilising perhaps a more dubstep style bassline that snarls and wobbles over the infectious beat. The sound is both reminiscent and futuristic all at once.

You can have a listen to “Looking At Your Pager” in the video down below:

Discussing the inception of the new track and the process of getting it out into the world, Hebden said; “This track was made in the summer last year just before my first festival set in a long time. I wanted something new to play that would feel universal, positive and futuristic and this is what I came up with. Since then I think more people have asked me about this track than for anything else I’ve ever made and I’ve had amazing times playing it to the best crowds you could ask for. It took quite a while to get approval for the vocal sample but it finally happened recently and now the music is out in the world for everyone.”

In other news, in the summer of 2021 took aim at his label Domino, claiming damages against them for the royalty rate that was applied to downloads and streaming revenue on music that was first released in the noughties.

With Hebden’s representatives claiming that; “a reasonable royalty rate…has at all material times been at least 50 per cent”. Whilst the agreed rate (which came long before the first iPod and streaming platforms stated that the record sales would provide a rate of 18% royalties to the artist.

Having Provided three full albums under his 2001 contract; Pause (2001, Rounds (2003) and Everything Ecstatic (2005) as well as two Eps, eight singles and a live record, Four Tet’s case comes at a time when regulators, the government and industry leaders continue to scrutinise the practices concerning remuneration for artists, as part of the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) Commons Select Committee’s Inquiry into the issue.

Four Tet, featured, made headlines recently after his music was removed from streaming services over a royalty dispute, Brennan believes that Keiran Hebden (more popularly known by his stage name Four Tet) was very much in the right on his opposition to the lack of payment. In an article written for the times, Brennan states that record labels are “Relying on an ancient pre-streaming contract” and that it “doesn’t pay you what you should”.

My article in The Times – ‘Let’s set record straight and pay musicians their due’ #FixStreaming #BrokenRecord pic.twitter.com/etGcGSUp6A

— Kevin Brennan MP (@KevinBrennanMP) December 4, 2021

Since Brennan’s bill had its second reading on 3^rd December, nothing notable has come out of parliament. But the bill has rallied support from a significant portion of the industry. Horace Trubridge, General Secretary of the Musicians’ Union says, “We’re immensely grateful to Kevin Brennan and all the MPs, musicians, songwriters, composers, session players and featured artists who have supported the call to fix streaming” Adding, “It’s by no means the end of the Fix Streaming campaign… We will continue to put pressure on the Government and music industry to make the streaming system fairer and put the value of music back where it belongs – in our members’ hands.”.   Over 20,000 musicians have gotten involved with the #FixStreaming and #BrokenRecord campaigns, including Four Tet, Caribou, Adele, Rebecca Ferguson, and many others. While this, so far, doesn’t seem to have progressed; #BrokenRecord campaigner (who clearly knows his way around the parliamentary system) set the record -pardon the pun- straight by saying that “the vote goes to the back of the debating queue.” Meaning it might be a while until any major changes are made.

If you’re confused by what’s happened in Parliament. They voted on closure, they kept it open, which means the vote goes to the back of the debating queue. They’ll try to move for a vote soon, but the govt will push it out. So debate will go to 2.30pm but won’t pass. — Tom Gray #BrokenRecord (@MrTomGray) December 3, 2021

Graham Davies, CEO of The Ivors Academy (a professional association for music writers in Europe), adds “Today’s debate of the Brennan Bill is a landmark moment on the path to the inevitable modernisation of the music industry. The Government accepted that reform must take place to level-up payments for music makers. It is not a matter of if this reform happens but how.”

While progress is without a doubt being made, musicians should continue to campaign for the change in royalties from streaming services. See the full story, including explained segments of Brennan’s bill here.

Hebden is specifically targeting a part of his contract, signed in 2001; well before anyone knew of the prolificity of streaming, that states, “In respect of the exploitation of the Masters and any videos embodying the Masters and received by us from our licensees outside the UK we shall credit your audio and audio-visual royalty accounts respectively with 50 per cent of all royalties and fees arising from such exploitation.”. With Hebden claiming it “will contend that a reasonable royalty rate in respect of revenues derived from exploitation by way of streaming and/or digital download under the implied term of the 2001 Agreement has at all material times been at least 50 per cent; Four Tet’s position as to the precise rate is reserved pending evidence and/or expert evidence on this issue.”.

In short, Hebden believes the total amount of revenue he receives from streaming and downloads (which after a lot of complicated legal jargon ends up being about 13.5%) is unfair. He, and other artists including Radiohead and Marillion, have tried to argue this case before to no avail. Four Tet is seeking damages of up to £70,000 plus costs over the claim for historical streaming and download royalties as well as a legal judgement on the 50 per cent rate.

Today, 3 of the albums released through Domino: Pause (2001), Rounds (2003) and Everything Ecstatic (2005), have been removed from streaming services as a response to Hebden’s aggrievance. He said to fans that this action is “heartbreaking” and “out of [his] control”. The issue is due to be heard in court on January 18^th of next year, we may not be able to hear these 3 albums through streaming until then.

I’m so upset to see that @Dominorecordco have removed the 3 albums of mine they own from digital and streaming services. This is heartbreaking to me. People are reaching out asking why they can’t stream the music and I’m sad to have to say that it’s out of my control.

— Four Tet (@FourTet) November 21, 2021

He later added, “I signed with Domino over 20 years ago, in a different time before streaming and downloads were something we thought about.”

Earlier this week Domino’s legal representative said they would remove my music from all digital services in order to stop the case progressing. I did not agree to them taking this action and I’m truly shocked that it has come to this.

— Four Tet (@FourTet) November 21, 2021

 This conversation has been brought to light a lot recently, as regulators, industry figures and the government continue to scrutinise the streaming royalty process for artists as part of the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) Commons Select Committee’s inquiry into the matter. Last month, the DCMS called for new legislation that “enshrines in law [artists’] rights to a fair share of the earnings” to address the inequality in payments received by artists.

The tracks Hopprock and Road of the Lonely Ones were released in 2020 and will be featured as tracks on the upcoming album, alongside the brand new Dirtknock which can be heard on all available streaming platforms. The duo has released the track list for the upcoming album on January 11th, which can be seen below.

The singles Hopprock and Road of the Lonely Ones have been released as singles but Four Tet suggests it will be advantageous to listen to them as part of a whole when the album is officially released. Four Tet continued to discuss the longevity of the project and his excitement for its released, he stated that he “was sent hundreds of pieces of music over a couple of years stretch and during that time I put together this album with all the parts that fitted with my vision.”

When discussing the duo’s collaborative methods, and moreover their friendship, Four Tet stated “that [Four Tet] put this concept to [Madlib] when we were hanging out eating some nice food one day and we decided to work on this together with him sending me tracks, loops, ideas and experiments that I would arrange, edit, manipulate and combine. On discussing the genre and sound of the album Sound Ancestors Four Tet explained that it is not “made into beats for vocalists to use but instead arranged into tracks that could all flow together in an album designed to be listened to start to finish.” 

pic.twitter.com/mk4hX0qsMO

— Four Tet (@FourTet) December 13, 2020

Neither Four Tet nor Madlib has confirmed a collaborative tour, however Four Tet will be playing  a series of shows throughout 2021 and 2022. Considering safety concerns surrounding the Covid-19 global health crisis and the recent restrictions the UK has put in place for in-person events, this is subject to change.

Many events throughout the country, including Glastonbury, have been cancelled for the summer of 2021. Tickets for Four Tet’s headlining tour are still available for purchase today, can be found here. The new track from Madlib and Four Tet, Dirtknock is available today everywhere and look out for Sound Ancestors next week.

Sound Ancestors Tracklist:

1. ‘There Is No Time (Prelude)’
2. ‘The Call’
3. ‘Theme De Crabtree’
4. ‘Road Of The Lonely Ones’
5. ‘Loose Goose’
6. ‘Dirtknock’
7. ‘Hopprock’
8. ‘Riddim Chant’
9. ‘Sound Ancestors’
10.’ One For Quartabê/Right Now’
11. ‘Hang Out (Phone Off)’
12. ‘Two for 2 -For Dilla’
13. ‘Latino Negro’
14. ‘The New Normal’
15. ‘Chino’
16. ‘Duumbiyay’