It’s literally the hottest ticket in town on this balmy night in Sin City as the Saturday night crowd meander their way into The Metro Theatre for a sold out show by Kieran Hebden’s Four Tet.
On tour for 2011 release Pink – an album that successfully combines heady dance singles spanning three 12″s with an additional two unreleased tracks. Collaborations with Burial and Thom Yorke in 2012 were other noticeable and successful releases for the London native.
The latest in more than a decade’s worth, there were high expectations from the fan strong crowd. But first, supports for Four Tet tonight were two Sydney based artists – Albatross and Jonti.
Albatross are Thomas McAlister and Sam Weston, who play a beautiful and alluring set. It’s atmospheric for all the right reasons and the glitchy sounds are reminiscent of LA’s Baths and James Blake.
A real surprise package, especially considering they’re a group with only an EP to their name, they’re the perfect complement to Four Tet. If Albatross begins tonight like a dream, then Jonti paints that said dream in with colour.
On the Stone’s Throw label, Jonti returns to Australian soil for the first time since recently touring the US with countryman Gotye. Having been making music after leaving his native South Africa, the multi-instrumentalist, arranger, producer, and vocalist, is a seasoned performer.
It’s an eclectic set and is best described as an artist that uses multiple sounds and colours to re-contextualize an image. Jonti is certainly an artist to watch in 2013.
As soon as Hebden steps on stage there’s not a moment lost as he twists and presses a few buttons, driving, hypnotic beats immediately resonating through the venue. As we are about to bear witness, Hebden employs multiple styles and rhythms in electronic music that are intelligently arranged.
The skittering beats rather than harps that power “128 Harps” and “Lion” follows, suggesting late-80s tribal house with synth loops and is infectiously playful with the funky percussive tics.
“Ocoras” is perhaps the stand out of the set, where Hebden takes us on some propulsive minimal techno adventure, as if we are ducking and weaving through the Amazonian jungle.
On “Pyramid”, with its subtly funky electro baseline, Four Tet deploys a voice in a similar manner as when he first did on “Love Cry” – manipulating and looping his vocals and taking the song to another place altogether.
It’s clear that Hebden has that singular quality where experience and talent combined enables him to embrace changing trends on the musical landscape.
There was a sense that the crowd’s expectation was for a more danceable and house heavy set (much like the one performed at Bestival on the Isle of Wight, UK). Many were caught feet shuffling and swaying for the 90-minute set, rather than breaking out into moves akin to Napolean Dynamite.
The mix seemed slightly lost in The Metro, however there is no denying the talent of the man and the journey he has taken us on tonight.
Kieran Hebden’s newfound embrace of dance music and where he is pushing towards is anyone’s guess. A grateful Sydney crowd cheers for the Four Tet’s incredible skill as a producer, and his delicacy, maturity, and innovation of sounds.
An amazing night of electronic music… please can we have more?
