Frontrunner Magazine
Four Tet is a veteran of the electronic music scene, though if you only listened to one record of his, you wouldn't be able to grasp the full picture of what he can do. He broke out of the underground with his 2003 record Rounds, a complex array of hip-hop-inspired beats, experimental jazz samples, and all kinds of unexpected twists and turns. But if you listen to Rounds next to his most recent effort, 2017's New Energy, you may not recognize that they're from the same artist.
Producing music like Four Tet is no easy task, since the core of his music relies on a keen attention to the emotion behind a track. He's able to take simple melodies, chord structures, and pulsing drum beats, and combine them in just the right way to create something transcendent. Simplicity is key, and often the best advice is to let your ear lead the way.
Here are a few tips to incorporate Four Tet's production style into your own music.
One of the ways Four Tet keeps his tracks simple yet interesting is to build around one central element. This might be a sample, a vocal line (that may be chopped and tuned until it's almost unrecognizable), or a sweet melodic lead. Start your track with one specific element, then surround it with pieces that help accentuate what you like about it.
While many electronic artists spend the bulk of their time polishing MIDI performances and fine-tuning virtual instruments, Four Tet is more "old school" in the sense that much of his music embraces the imperfections and unique qualities of audio manipulation. Stick to the fundamentals: Try reversing a piece of audio, tune the pitch up or down, or loop a section across irregular intervals to create interesting phasing patterns. When it comes to crafting audio to your liking, sometimes the simplest tricks are the most effective.
One area where Four Tet really shines is his ability to create tension by stretching sections of his songs. This is especially true in his live performance, where he's able to carefully loop and layer individual elements from his tracks, building for several minutes before dropping the main part that audiences recognize. Look for opportunities to create tension at the beginning of your song and somewhere towards the middle, before the final movement. See how long you can hold a build-up before dropping the beat — the reward will only increase the longer you're able to put it off.
Despite how pretty, melodic, and textured Four Tet's music can be, it's also the kind of music that can be played loudly in a club and get the whole dance floor moving. Four Tet performs as a DJ about as often as he does as a solo artist, often joining his friends Daphni (of Caribou) and Floating Points for sessions that go all night long. When it comes to working on your own tracks, experiment with a strong four-on-the-floor kick drum that keeps the dance pulse strong in your music, then let your imagination run wild to fill in the melodic and harmonic elements around it.
Four Tet recently shared a photo showing the arrangement of one of his songs on his most recent record, and for such a powerful track, the image showed a strikingly simple and contained arrangement. The key here is to find ways for the whole song to evolve without laying dozens of parts. That evolution could come from slight changes underneath looping parts, or by elongating your traditional "verse" or "chorus" sections of your song. In any case, Four Tet proves that when it comes to arrangement, more complexity does not necessarily yield a better result. Stay focused on your core idea as you arrange your track, avoiding needless additions and sticking to a structure that's smooth and enjoyable.
