Four Tet dazzled at Avant Gardner night 1 with Squidsoup lighting (review, pics, video, setlist)

The Great Hall at Avant Gardner is currently outfitted with hundreds of strands of small white lightbulbs, hung from scaffolding in a neat grid. The bulbs are connected by thick cords, and stretch down to a couple feet above the floor. The immersive setup was designed by artist collective Squidsoup, who have crafted light shows for Four Tet before, but not since before the pandemic. Well before the lights were in action, the crowd was abuzz with curiosity.

Four Tet, aka British DJ/musician/producer Kieran Hebden, took the stage for the first of three shows at Avant Gardner on Tuesday night around 9:30pm. He and Squidsoup have already wowed in Los Angeles, and they’re headed to London later in the month (they’ve collaborated on shows since 2015). The lighting paired with Four Tet’s singular electronic style made for an almost meditative experience. Songs from across his deep catalog took on different color combinations, from aquas and greens to peachy pinks and reds. Track by track, the bulbs swung from fiery drips of red, orange, yellow, and white hugging the ceiling to full illumination in a flickery, multicolor pattern that felt like confetti.

The set, which ran about two hours, was a marathon of mixes where the biggest standouts came from his newer releases: one of Kieran’s longest runs came with 2022 single “Mango Feedback,” and the crowd swelled when he brought in samples of 2020 single “Baby” alongside “Baby again..,” his recent collaborative track with Fred again.. and Skrillex. Kieran’s focus never faltered in the middle of his mixes. Multiple times he took his music to the brink, totally distorted and arrhythmic, before slowing down and bringing back the melodic thread. Only when he cut the music after “Insect Near Piha Beach” did he crack a smile. He proceeded to play his newest single “Three Drums” in what felt like an encore, and when the crowd went wild over that, he closed the show with one final track, “Teenage Birdsong.”

Four Tet and Squidsoup shaped an entirely immersive and kaleidoscopic show, one that dazzled and entranced from the first synth pulses. Check out photos by Amanda Hatfield, the full setlist, plus fan-shot video (including YouTubes by Jason Karlin) below.

Video of Four Tet’s full Coachella set with Fred again.. and Skrillex recently came out, and Fred and Brian Eno just released a new collaborative LP, Secret Life, via Kieran’s Text Records imprint. Four Tet has several more dates in the coming months — see them below.

photo by Amanda M Hatfield

Four Tet at the Great Hall at Avant Gardner

photo by Amanda M Hatfield

Four Tet at the Great Hall at Avant Gardner

photo by Amanda M Hatfield

Four Tet at the Great Hall at Avant Gardner

photo by Amanda M Hatfield

Four Tet at the Great Hall at Avant Gardner

photo by Amanda M Hatfield

Four Tet at the Great Hall at Avant Gardner

photo by Amanda M Hatfield

Four Tet at the Great Hall at Avant Gardner

photo by Amanda M Hatfield

Four Tet at the Great Hall at Avant Gardner

photo by Amanda M Hatfield

Four Tet at the Great Hall at Avant Gardner

photo by Amanda M Hatfield

Four Tet at the Great Hall at Avant Gardner

photo by Amanda M Hatfield

Four Tet at the Great Hall at Avant Gardner

photo by Amanda M Hatfield

Four Tet at the Great Hall at Avant Gardner

photo by Amanda M Hatfield

Four Tet at the Great Hall at Avant Gardner

photo by Amanda M Hatfield

Four Tet at the Great Hall at Avant Gardner

photo by Amanda M Hatfield

Four Tet at the Great Hall at Avant Gardner

photo by Amanda M Hatfield

Four Tet at the Great Hall at Avant Gardner

photo by Amanda M Hatfield

Four Tet at the Great Hall at Avant Gardner

photo by Amanda M Hatfield

Four Tet at the Great Hall at Avant Gardner

photo by Amanda M Hatfield

Four Tet at the Great Hall at Avant Gardner

photo by Amanda M Hatfield

Four Tet at the Great Hall at Avant Gardner

photo by Amanda M Hatfield

Four Tet at the Great Hall at Avant Gardner

photo by Amanda M Hatfield

Four Tet at the Great Hall at Avant Gardner

photo by Amanda M Hatfield

Four Tet at the Great Hall at Avant Gardner

photo by Amanda M Hatfield

Four Tet at the Great Hall at Avant Gardner

Four Tet (photo by Amanda M Hatfield)

Four Tet at the Great Hall at Avant Gardner

photo by Amanda M Hatfield

Four Tet at the Great Hall at Avant Gardner

photo by Amanda M Hatfield

Four Tet at the Great Hall at Avant Gardner

photo by Amanda M Hatfield

Four Tet at the Great Hall at Avant Gardner

photo by Amanda M Hatfield

Four Tet at the Great Hall at Avant Gardner

photo by Amanda M Hatfield

Four Tet at the Great Hall at Avant Gardner

photo by Amanda M Hatfield

Four Tet at the Great Hall at Avant Gardner

photo by Amanda M Hatfield

Four Tet at the Great Hall at Avant Gardner

photo by Amanda M Hatfield

Four Tet at the Great Hall at Avant Gardner

photo by Amanda M Hatfield

Four Tet at the Great Hall at Avant Gardner

Four Tet at the Great Hall at Avant Gardner (photo by Amanda M Hatfield)

Four Tet at the Great Hall at Avant Gardner

photo by Amanda M Hatfield

Four Tet at the Great Hall at Avant Gardner

photo by Amanda M Hatfield

Four Tet at the Great Hall at Avant Gardner

photo by Amanda M Hatfield

Four Tet at the Great Hall at Avant Gardner

photo by Amanda M Hatfield

Four Tet at the Great Hall at Avant Gardner

Setlist: Four Tet @ Avant Gardner at Brooklyn Mirage, 5/9/2023 (via)
School
LA Trance
4T Recordings
Two Thousand and Seventeen
Lush
Kool FM
Planet
Insect Near Piha Beach
Three Drums
Teenage Birdsong

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Four Tet — 2023 Tour Dates
10 May Brooklyn, NY Avant Gardner
11 May Brooklyn, NY Avant Gardner
23 May London, UK Alexandra Palace
24 May London, UK Alexandra Palace
25 May London, UK Alexandra Palace
28 May Bristol, UK Love Saves The Day
2 Jun Barcelona, Spain Primavera Festival
9 Jun Madrid, Spain Primavera Festival
6 Aug Los Angeles, CA Hard Summer with Skrillex
12 Aug London, UK Finsbury Park
13 Aug Newquay, UK Boardmasters
26 Aug Lincolnshire, UK Lost Village Festival
27 Aug Daresbury, UK Creamfields