Last month, Four Tet closed out one of the world’s biggest festivals alongside the punk rock king of EDM, Skrillex, and the newest prince of dance Fred Again... Their party-starting collaborative set at Coachella packed hit after hit, underlining the unifying power of electronic music, and making space for the playful, more chaotic side to Four Tet in the process.
On Tuesday night, Four Tet (real name Kieran Hebden) returned to London for a very different kind of collab. Teaming up with digital tech company SquidSoup, he ignored Alexandra Palace’s usual set-up and took to the very middle of the room, with the 10,000-strong audience surrounding him on all sides. Suspended from the ceiling were 42,000 lights that reacted to the music, while a surround sound system only added to the feeling of immersion. The wholly unique show was closer to an interactive theatre experience or a trip into the metaverse than a hedonistic festival set.
