TENORI-ON

KIERAN HEBDEN – FOUR TET

Interview

One of the UK’s most forward-thinking artists tells us why he became one of the earliest adopters of Yamaha’s ground-breaking Tenori-on…

From the very beginning of his career Kieran Hebden – aka Four-Tet – has never played by the conventional rulebook. He was one of the founder members of the critically acclaimed band Fridge and his first ‘single’, Thirtysixtwentyfive, was named as such because it lasted 36’ 25”. That’s longer than many albums! His music, too, defies categorisation and includes elements of hip hop, jazz, techno and electronica seeping in and out seamlessly from track to track and sometimes even from bar to bar.

Hebden was perhaps unfairly filed under both the folktronica and intelligent dance music genres of the early 2000s, labels given to any band of the time that didn’t fit anywhere else. But while he almost seemed to try and defy any commercial pigeonholing, his music has found a home in high profile commercials (for companies like Nike) and even led him to open for Radiohead on their 2003 European tour, giving him unprecedented exposure.

He has also remixed a large variety of well known artists, including Aphex Twin, Beth Orton, Badly Drawn Boy, Steve Reich and the aforementioned Radiohead. To date Kieran has released four solo albums plus a remix album. He continues to break ground with his live shows and the odd mix album demonstrating as wide a range of tastes as you’d imagine from someone with such a varied output. All this and he’s not even turned 30 yet!

With his unconventional background it’s perhaps unsurprising to find that Kieran was one of the world’s first adopters of Yamaha’s Tenori-on light sequencer/sound module. In fact, it was at the instrument’s official launch in London that Hebden turned up and gave an impromptu performance, much to the surprise and delight of the assembled crowd. Since that launch Tenori-on has set the music world ablaze with its fusion of sound and light, a truly original instrument for the 21st century and a portable device that itself – much like Kieran – defies convention and description.

So you could say that Four-Tet v Tenori-on was always going to be a successful partnership, but how did Kieran hear about Tenori-on and, perhaps more importantly, how did he hear about it so early?!

“I was talking to a journalist from Future Music [UK music technology gear magazine],” Kieran tells us, “and they mentioned it to me so I went and checked the few clips that were on YouTube before its release.”

“I'm interested in anything that's about finding new ways to trigger and use samples and sounds,” Hebden continues, “and I also love using step sequencers, so this was just the sort of thing I'd be interested in.”

Live lights
Kieran has adopted Tenori-on for his live work and is currently playing with the American Jazz drummer Steve Reid, who has played with such luminaries as James Brown and Miles Davis. Kieran has been working with Reid since 2006 and their partnership has already resulted in three albums, which he has released under his own name (rather than Four Tet). The Exchange Sessions Volume 1 and 2 came out in 2006 while 2007 saw the third release, Tongues.
“It's really good for live improvisation,” says Kieran. “I use it to play rhythmically along with the drums just using the Push function, and I also use it to make dense washes of sound with stuff like the Bounce function. I also run it through effects and can get some crazy noise out of it – it just works really well at the shows because it's so visual.”
And what about studio use?
“I've only used it a bit in the studio so far but hope to try more soon. It's good for programming drum and synth patterns and I've used the MIDI Out to control a synth – as an arpeggiator, basically.
In the future Kieran also hopes to make more music on his Tenori-on… “I use it on top of my main [studio] set-up at the moment, but I think I could make whole tracks on it if I tried. It's just something new that I can reach for on top of everything else.”
So what is it that Kieran likes best about the unit?
“I like that it's so portable,” he says. “I use it on train journeys and stuff just to mess around with ideas. And it's so quick to work on – you can get a lot of sound working together very quickly. It would be nice to be able to manipulate sounds more with filters and it would be great to be able to use longer samples, but it's a really small piece of equipment so I don't think they can fit any more circuitry in there.”

Kieran is keeping busy in 2008 with another album with Steve Reid, which he is currently finishing in New York, “and there will be plenty of touring next year, as usual.” But after achieving so much from such a young age – he started out in his teens – what else is there left to achieve for Hebden and what are his remaining ambitions?

“I'm just trying to do my own thing, something a bit different,” is the somewhat unsurprising answer “Think I'm done for now. Thanks.”

Selected discography
Albums as Four Tet
Dialogue (Output Recordings, 1999)
Pause (Domino Records, 2001)
Rounds (Domino Records, 2003)
Everything Ecstatic (Domino Records, 2005)
Four Tet Remix album (Domino Records, 2006)

As Kieran Hebden with Steve Reid
The Exchange Sessions Volume 1 (Domino Records, 2006)
The Exchange Sessions Volume 2 (Domino Records, 2006)
Tongues (Domino Records, 2007)
Title TBA (Domino Records, 2008)

Mix albums
Late Night Tales: Four Tet – DJ mix album (Azuli Records, 2004)
DJ-Kicks: Four Tet (Studio !K7, 2006)

NEWS

IMPORTANT UK TENORI-ON PRICING NEWS

Due to the current exchange rate situation it is necessary for us to increase the UK price of Tenori-on. This advance warning of this pending increase gives you a few days to take advantage of the current price before it goes up!

The tenori-on uk online store price will be increased on 12th January 2009 from the current £684 to £749 inc VAT.

'LITTLE BOOTS' STEPS UP AS RADIO ONE 'SOUND OF 2009' FAVOURITE HOLDING HER TENORI-ON

What do Adele, Duffy, Glasvegas and The Ting Tings have in common? - Answer, they were all named among Radio One's 'Sound of 2008' chart predictions, with Adele scooping the No.1 vote. Now BBC Radio One unleashes its 'Sound of 2009' list that highlights fifteen of the best rising music stars chosen by 130 of the UK's leading music critics and broadcasters. Among those hoping to be named winner in January and armed with the secret and powerful musical weapon that is Yamaha's Tenori-On is Blackpool's 'Little Boots'.

Read the full story HERE

PETERLOO MASSACRE

Peterloo Massacre blend 80's electronica with 90's indie, trip-hop and contemporary folk, and, you've guessed it, they're currently using Tenori-On as part of their extensive set-up live and in the studio. Find out more here.

Read the full story HERE

SWAYZAK AND THE ART OF TENORI-ON

Can it really be 10 years since Snowboarding in Argentina - Swayzak's debut long player - was named album of the year by Mixer magazine? It is indeed, but in that time James Taylor and David Brown have been keeping themselves busy both live and in the studio, all the while building a global reputation that's as organic as the deep, home-grown dub-house they've become synonymous with.

Read the full story HERE

MAKE YOUR OWN TENORI-ON...

...well, not quite - but nearly!

While you are dreaming of owning the real thing... why not have a few hours of fun with this new 3D paper model of media artist, Toshio Iwai with the Tenori-on.

Made as a tribute to Toshio Iwai by the UK-based creative paper artist 'Tubbypaws', this model is easy to build and needs no batteries! Simply download the pdf, ask an adult to cut around the edges and then glue it all together.

Follow the instructions and, before you know it, you will have your very own Toshio and Tenori-on at home!

Its almost as much fun as the real thing! Download your 3D paper model HERE

TENORI-ON HELPS OVERCOME BARRIERS TO CREATIVITY

Tenori-on captures the imagination of so many different people. From the creative and professional media artist to non-musicians alike, this new form of musical interface is opening many new avenues of musical exploration and creativity.

A recent independent dissertation by UK-based Graham Wynne is a fascinating document as he explores the extent to which instruments such as Electroplankton and Tenori-on are overcoming barriers to creativity in modern music production. With related quotes from Toshio Iwai, Brian Eno, Steve Reich and Norman Fairbanks you can read Graham's dissertation HERE

TENORI-ON WOWS AUDIENCES DURING BJÖRK TOUR

Björk's current world tour utilises some of the most cutting edge on-stage technology out there, so it's no surprise to find at least one Tenori-on in the thick of it...

Read the full story HERE

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION FOR OWNERS OF TENORI-ON

Please click here to read this important announcement about Tenori-On

IMPORTANT UK TENORI-ON PRICING NEWS

Due to the current exchange rate situation its become necessary for us to increase the UK price of Tenori-on. This advance warning of this pending increase gives you a few days to take advantage of the current price before it goes up!

The tenori-on uk online store price will be increased on 1st April 2008 from the current £599 to £629 inc VAT.

THE YAMAHA TENORI-ON REVOLUTION CONTINUES WITH THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF GLOBAL LAUNCH EVENTS

Following the hugely successful media and public launch of the critically acclaimed Tenori-on in the UK, we are excited to announce Tenori-on Global Launch events and a new multi-language website.

Read the full story HERE

Tenori-on really is about the Future of Loops

Future Loop Foundation join the list of high profile Tenori-on users…

Tenori-on fever continues! As demand for this most innovative light and sound sequencer continues to grow, the word is also out in the artist community that this is one must-have, must-play gadget. Mark Barrott, Future Loop Foundation’s technology-loving front man, has been after one since launch and recently finally got his hands on one…

“It really opens your mind to new possibilities,” he says. “It’s Steve Reich for the modern age…” And Mark knows all about new possibilities. A decade ago he was leading the way on the drum n bass scene before turning chillout. Last year’s ‘Album Of The Year’ Memories From A Fading Room spawned a couple of summer soundtrack classics (appearing all over the BBC and Sky TV) and he’s currently gearing up for a ground-breaking audio and visual spectacular tour.

Read the full interview HERE

The list of high profile artists queuing up to get their hands on Yamaha’s Tenori-on is staggering. Many, in fact, have been left disappointed due to short supplies of the innovative light and sound sequencing tone module. So far Björk has been spotted on tour with one in South America and Peter Gabriel is known to be experimenting with one at Real World, but another cutting edge artist lucky enough to get his hands on an early unit was Kieran Hebden, aka Four Tet.

KIERAN HEBDEN – FOUR TET

NEWS

IMPORTANT UK TENORI-ON PRICING NEWS

'LITTLE BOOTS' STEPS UP AS RADIO ONE 'SOUND OF 2009' FAVOURITE HOLDING HER TENORI-ON

PETERLOO MASSACRE

SWAYZAK AND THE ART OF TENORI-ON

MAKE YOUR OWN TENORI-ON...

TENORI-ON HELPS OVERCOME BARRIERS TO CREATIVITY

TENORI-ON WOWS AUDIENCES DURING BJÖRK TOUR

IMPORTANT UK TENORI-ON PRICING NEWS

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