Four Tet - Scala, London, 15/5/2003

  by Anthony Dhanendran

published: 15 / 5 / 2003

intro

Despite appearing solo with just two laptops for company, Kieran Hebden, aka Four tet, proves himself capable of making quite a noise on stage. Anthony Dhanendran watches him play a raucous set at the London Scala

Just how much noise can one man and two laptops make? That’s the question the expectant audience at the Scala are waiting to put to the night’s star turn, Kieran Hebden. Fortunately for everyone concerned the answer turns out to be “quite a lot”. Hebden has just released 'Rounds', his third album as Four Tet. It builds on the “Folktronica” tag that has been applied to Four Tet since the first album, to create a fascinating work of electronica with not just a soul, but a heart as well. In support tonight at the Scala are the Assembly, a 30-piece modernist act who fit nicely onto the large stage, and play a bewildering array of instruments, sometimes making a cacophony, most of the time making a rather pleasant noise. When they leave and a table is wheeled on with Hebden’s gear, the stage looks somewhat empty. Hebden comes on to polite applause, which is soon replaced by a raucous celebration as the opening song, 'She Moves She', begins as it does on the record before being swamped by what can only be described as a filthy backbeat. Following up with 'Everything is Alright' and 'Glue of the World', he weaves a pattern of complex rhythms and wonderful melodies that, at the same time, continues to cause paroxysms on the dancefloor. It doesn’t matter that there’s only one man and his computers on the stage, rather than DJ, dancers and decks. What matters is the bass. And what bass it is. What are only nuances on the album turn out, live, to be full-blown crowd-pleasing thumping beats. Even the most staid blaggers and experienced liggers on the balconies can’t resist nodding heads and tapping legs, while downstairs the some of the crowd is moving like it’s been electrocuted. Meanwhile, Hebden himself is tweaking his equipment. The music is constantly changing, as new samples are brought in or familiar phrases are reworked through one of the many blinking boxes on the desk. He isn’t content to just let the sound come off the laptops and into the speakers – his hands skitter over the desk, tapping and sliding, making subtle adjustments as the atmosphere twists and turns. It’s not all like this, of course. The pace slackens and quickens by turns, as Hebden works through a 10-song set that takes in all three Four Tet albums. For such a young man, he knows what he’s doing, but then he has been playing and recording for a long time. His experience shows as he takes the tempo down when the crowd get tired, only to bring it back up to speed (and volume) just as they might be getting restless. The beats come back at the end, for 'As Serious as Your Life' and encore 'Calamine', and then it’s all over. But the crowd are happy. And they’ll be back next time.

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