FRIDAY NIGHT: Four Tet at Webster Hall

Posted on 8:44 AM

I keep trying to tell myself that CMJ wasn't all about seeing Four Tet at Webster Hall--but as the host of Nowlikephotographs, Radio K's instrumental specialty show, it's a pretty tough sell. I was stupidly excited to see one of the artists that got me into instrumental electronic music in the first place, and, on top of that, Four Tet doesn't play in the United States very often (and definitely not in the fly-over Midwest). So, here's how it went down:



Electronic artists John Hopkins (left) and Four Tet (right)
All three electronic musicians that played on Friday were from the UK. Gold Panda started off the show with an energized set of fuzzy, oversized beats and extraterrestrial shimmers. Next up was Jon Hopkins, a bedroom electronica producer who took the crowd by storm with claustrophobic glitch and triumphant synth swells. On his albums, Hopkins' music is chill and only fleetingly plunges into hyperbass, but his set was loud and unstoppably dancey. It was so loud, in fact, that the bass rattled his power supply off of the table it was on--in a moment of confusion, Hopkins' entire sound system died. When his equipment was back in working order, he rewarded the forgiving crowd with the most colossal beat they'd ever heard in their life.

Four Tet closed the showcase bittersweet, with what was essentially an DJed version of his latest album, There is Love in You. It was really cool to hear teased-out versions of his new songs, but being a long-time fan I also craved his experimental, organic work. The best part of his set was the "Angel Echoes"/"Love Cry"-medley, which combined Four Tet's signature, nostalgic vocal-sampling with trance grooves. "Sing" and "She Just Likes to Dance" also translated perfectly to the dance floor. True, I didn't get to hear anything off of Rounds, but I'm glad for the chance to see Four Tet's goofy fro/grin combo, bopping along to the sound of pure bliss.

-Willie