Four Tet has been through the most lately. The prolific producer, real name Kieran Hebden, has just come out the other side of a long and twisty legal battle with his former label Domino. The case, a watershed moment for artists’ rights concerning royalties from streaming and licensing of material created before the streaming era, has mostly dominated headlines concerning Four Tet. Aside from dropping the long teased single Looking At Your Pager under his KH moniker, new material from Four Tet seemed distant. Following his victory against Domino, however, things seem to be looking up.
Scythe Master is released as a part of the new EP1 compilation from Eat Your Own Ears, and is quintessential Four Tet house. Opening with the twinkling keys of a xylophone, the track sort of cuts abruptly to ambient, droning white noise. Then, in drops a steely halftime breakbeat. Then a steady four on the floor thump. The elements of Scythe Master seem to arrive at random, almost out of order. It’s jarringly strange, but when they eventually reach their destination they fuse together with such breathtaking ease that you may be left in awe. Somewhere in the middle, Scythe Master changes shape once again, its elements receding inward to reveal the mechanics of its percussion. It’s more layered and full of texture than initially anticipated. The track concludes by pulling back these mechanics altogether, leaving that four on the floor thump and buoyant bass while exposing its ambient skeleton.
Hebden once again proves his undeniable mastery and visionary status by pulling apart our expectations of form and structure. Scythe Master is ultimately a stunning, resoundingly good piece of left-field house that only Four Tet could be capable of dreaming up. Breathtaking.
Listen to Scythe Master below.
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