... Of the Week: Four Tet

By: Tom Hurst

Four Tet

London-based producer and DJ, Four Tet (Kieran Hebden) added 17 songs, at the end of January, to a playlist which he started in September of 2016. These additions were exclusively by artists from countries subjected to the initial implementation of President Trump’s travel ban. Music from Somalia, Syria, Libya, Iraq, Sudan, Yemen and Iran is featured

Four Tet has previously recorded with Syrian musician Omar Souleyman (whose song Wenu Wenu features amongst those added) to produce ‘Bahdeni Nami’ released in 2015; an endeavour that would have been impossible under the ban. Hebden recalls this as the event that inspired him to listen to the material.

Although Trump’s executive order is now falling prey to legal setbacks, Four Tet’s playlist proves to be a simplistic, yet poignant reminder of the talent across the globe. This simple action is audible evidence as to why diversity of culture should be embraced.

 

Below are links to a playlist of these 17 songs, Bahdeni Nami and to Four Tet’s entire Spotify playlist, respectively.

https://open.spotify.com/user/tom45hurst/playlist/0mbF8srn3Y73rFL2nbXlfS

https://open.spotify.com/track/0duZ4K0hsDkFORDQZBOrYN

https://open.spotify.com/user/k_hebden/playlist/2uzbATYxs9V8YQi5lf89WG

ST.ART Magazine