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Sixteen Oceans Image
Metascore
74

Generally favorable reviews - based on 8 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
8.3

Universal acclaim- based on 13 Ratings

  • Summary: The 10th full-length release for Kieran Hebden as Four Tet features vocals from Ellie Goulding on "Baby."
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  • Record Label: Temporary Residence
  • Genre(s): Electronic, House, Downtempo, Club/Dance, Indie Electronic, Experimental Techno, Left-Field House, Ambient Techno, IDM
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Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 7 out of 8
  2. Negative: 0 out of 8
  1. Mar 24, 2020
    80
    Four Tet marries the naivety of a childhood sensibility, the sublime immanence of nature, and the infinite possibilities of the imagination ingeniously and thoughtfully, and further imbuing them with a borrowed but genuine mysticism that is, as always with Four Tet, ultimately very satisfying.
  2. Mar 19, 2020
    80
    There's still plenty of juice left in the ideas Four Tet favours. ... This club/non-club ratio is similar to that of New Energy, the last Four Tet album, but Sixteen Oceans surpasses that LP through the strength of its ambient and electronica.
  3. Mar 19, 2020
    73
    With such lovely environmental textures, Sixteen Oceans makes it easy to imagine how warm a fully ambient album from Four Tet might be. For now, it’s nice to be able to stare out the window with Sixteen Oceans.
  4. Mar 19, 2020
    70
    A little bit of a diversion from past Four Tet releases, Sixteen Oceans feels like Hebden is taking a moment to stop and reflect on his family, his environment, music culture, and everything else that made him who he is.
  5. Mar 20, 2020
    70
    Sixteen Oceans is a sign of Hebden settling into his well-trodden niche. Occasionally, one can wish for the unbridled eclecticism of his earlier days, but that doesn't seem to be of any concern for an artist who is in complete contentment of his place in the musical world.
  6. Mar 19, 2020
    69
    Sixteen Oceans is 16 tracks long, yet five of them are basically interludes—minute-or-two-long sketches made of watery synth pads, tape hiss, or rudimentary beats. Strangely, most of them fall toward the end of the album. ... The view’s lovely, but for the moment, it feels like Hebden is sailing in circles.
  7. Mar 20, 2020
    60
    There is more of interest on Sixteen Oceans than on 2017’s New Energy, and there is certainly nothing here that’s outright bad, but Four Tet is still stuck in something of an artistic rut.

See all 8 Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1 out of 1
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 1
  3. Negative: 0 out of 1
  1. Mar 20, 2020
    8
    Rich and colorful palette of sound, refreshing rhythms and new ideas here. Alongside with 'Beatiful Rewind' one of Kieran's top records.