Four Tet has released his highly-anticipated tenth studio album, Sixteen Oceans, from his own Text Records kitchen, featuring a glimmering 16-track offering. The man behind the moniker, Kieran Hebden, took to Twitter to acknowledge the elephant in the room, “Weird going on about this right now with crazy times in the world. But when things are intense I always turn to music. So hopefully the release is a helpful thing for some people.” Through these uneasy times amidst the live event industry being thoroughly gutted by the COVID-19 pandemic, the shimmering optimistic distraction put forward by Four Tet provides light for those who listen.
Featuring the English musician’s eclectic ambient sound, the project is ripe with complex melodic sequences and serene soundscapes. Much of the project sounds like an exploration of nature sounds while inspiration acts as the wind that determines direction. The theme of nature is also prevalent in the music video for “Baby” featuring Ellie Goulding with dazzling drone shots of sprawling, scenic landscapes. Four Tet stirred excitement among his fanbase leading up to the album drop with the release of “4T Recordings” on March 3, preceded by singles “Teenage Birdsong” and “Baby.”
Stream Sixteen Oceans below.
Photo Credit: Rikard Osterlund