Four Tet is a rare breed. The diversity of his work spans sounds influenced by dubstep, techno, and leftfield electronica of the Boards Of Canada kind.
“Locked” is a stupendous blend. The percussion shuffles hypnotically, breaking into a half step pattern without losing its complexity. Rich melodies echo out, from chilled coastal guitar and forest flutes. The bass, simple and sparse, warps commandingly with precision, a heavyweight punctuation mark throughout the piece.
8 minutes might seem a bit extreme – but a song like this is all about the development, the tension, the endless waves of sound drawing you in. It’s meditative music.
The track was released on Pink in 2012, and as a single backed with “Pyramids” the year before.