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This album is a knowing genre-piece and incessantly listenable effort from one who some were beginning to suspect had become lost in a desert of his own vision.
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The result is sublime, lost somewhere between a 3.00am Ibiza beach party, the Royal Festival Hall and the best soundtracked bedroom in the whole damn world.
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Q MagazineInvoking the spirit of minimalist commposer Steve Reich, Hebden crafts music of fragile beauty fron the simplest sonic palette. [June 2008, p.142]
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While Ringer may not be his most towering achievement, his expert navigation of yet another new world of sound maintains the (hopefully) growing belief that for better or worse, a Four Tet release is always an interesting and rewarding listen (at the very least).
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Far from venturing further into the polyrhythmic interior, four long tracks find him drawing closer to techno's primal pulse, until celestial finale 'Wing Body Wing' squares the Afro/Detroit circle with a single dramatic power-chord.
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The WireThis may be a mini-album, but it's so well turned, so successful in completing what it sets out to achieve that, far from marking time in his discography, it could end up being one of his key releases. [May 2008, p.55]
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Unusually for an EP, each track warrants its place on the record and the title track never overshadows anything. It’s well worth listening to, especially if like me you tend to get gushy at the mere thought of probably this country’s greatest living musician.
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On Ringer, a generously portioned EP, Hebden dials back his frenetic eclecticism, instead turning out ambitious yet danceable techno.
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At four songs, Ringer is economical, but the diversity within its half-hour run time makes it surprisingly robust as well.
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His jazz residency has fine-tuned his ear for the subtle yet beautifully complex mannerisms, melodies, and polyrhythms that flourish on Ringer, which, more than anything, helps us pick Hebden’s thoughts for clues on his next development.
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Hebden seems to be using the Ringer material to delicately maneuver the Four Tet sound away from the folktronica tag that was foisted on previous releases such as "Rounds" and "Pause."
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Ringer is another step forward in one man's ongoing aural self-actualization through refinement of his experiences and influences.
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Ringer may not be as varied as some of Hebden’s prior releases yet it is certainly a unique stab into the vast world of electronica.
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Under The RadarAs a placeholder, Ringer is nice enough return for Four Tet, but I’m still holding out hope that an upcoming album will be something extra special. [Summer 2008]
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MagnetWith Four Tet, more is generally more. [Summer 2008, p.105]
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There’s a happy messiness throughout: At heart more jazz improviser than control freak, Hebden sounds happiest when things are just about to slip through his fingers.
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UncutThis four-track mini-album is something of a departure from [previous works, this is] a relatively straightforward, stripped down techno work with a few mischievous touches. [June 2008, p.88]
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Truthfully, it's a mellow Sunday afternoon after a hard night's clubbing: perfectly pleasant, but quite forgettable.
User score distribution:
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Positive: 4 out of 4
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Mixed: 0 out of 4
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Negative: 0 out of 4
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BenM.Jun 27, 2008A very pleasing and satisfying listen. What a talented guy. Best for listening over headphones.