BEAT THIS - EPISODE 19 - FOUR TET 

Four Tet seems like he’s been waiting for someone to challenge him like this his entire adult life

Four Tet starting from scratch and building a beat in 10 minutes. Both awesome and intimidating.

Even after 10 years he looks the same

Pretty incredible. He was like 2 minutes in and I was already thinking "well shit, this actually already sounds like four tet". Dudes a legend.

Whilst I'm not a huge fan of the finished article, I have to say it would take me longer than 10 minutes JUST to find the USB lead to connect my turntable to the PC.

If he'd stuck with the groove he had at exactly 5:12 it would've been immense. Those few seconds sounded like one of his tracks.

Haters: You don't get that this video is liked not because of the finished beat but because the sampling technique is unique and pretty genius.In fact it's one of the best techniques i've ever seen.

Haters forget that this man also produces idm and its not something thats meant to follow traditional musical rules to allow experimentation

My computer takes 10 minutes to start up... This is awesome!

Finding all the hate comments on this hilarious, clearly never heard a minute of any Four Tet track.. Absolute genius

This was the first "against the clock" I ever saw and it remains, to this day, the best one imho. I've seen a fair number of ATC episodes in my day (I don't pretend or claim to have seen 'em all) and this one really exemplifies what the concept of the show was intended to put under a microscope and evaluate. This has to rank among one of the most difficult challenges for any producer and he shines on all fronts. What's even more insane is that, while most people are luck if they even get a coherent idea laid down in 10 minutes, this guy went the extra mile of actually laying out an arrangement he could play back which is mind boggling when you watch most other contestants. You can tell that at some point, in an effort to prevent being portrayed (or rather portraying themselves) as some sort of musical hack or fraud, people started bringing on stuff that clearly was worked out ahead of time and it was just painfully obvious that they already knew exactly what their next move was. This, on the other hand, was truly organic which makes it even more impressive. And I actually like the track. Great stuff man.

Just shows how genius he is. Four Tet is easily one of the most abstract and diverse producers out there

the amazing thing is that he went through like 20 different grooves in like 10 minutes which were all pretty prime. i think he could've settled on like some groove around the 5 minute mark which would've amounted to like a 6 minute track of just progressions, but he only had 10 minutes. probably planned in the beginning to just find a lead synth so he could finish the track on time.

also want to say it started sounding distinctly four tet within the first two minutes which is incredible considering all he worked with was three or four samples at that point

He looks like he hasn't slept in 3 years.

The whole process of creating a track was a track in and of itself, and that’s why it’s so genius!

I've seen so many of the fact magazine "Against The Clock" - I've never seen anybody produce 1:30 mins of original sounding music in ten minutes!! With a crap laptop, and a turntable.. haha. This is insane...

11:11 the beats goes like: "tomcruisetomcruisetomcruisetomcruisetomcruisetomcruisetomcruise"

best studio ever

Actually found this really interesting and contrary to my gut instincts incredibly inspiring. I have traditionally disrespected the process of making music purely by clicking. I've often felt it's cheating; that without playing something in you are not putting something of your true self into the composition. This has blown those feelings away and enabled me to consider a new approach that is clearly valid.

I never comment on videos but...The lashings about no talent need to stop. I've been playing guitar for 9 years, jazz lessons and all. I also play the drums. Anyway, my point is to show that music is music. I love Four Tet along side Dave Brubeck or Bad Brains. Just because there isn't an instrument does not mean that the work is talentless. Yeah it wasn't great, but I know how hard it is. I produce songs using the same program. So for ten minutes that's pretty exceptional. Lets just be open to new sounds, and enjoy the fact that this man is creating, feeling the music. You don't have to like it, just accept that this is what he feels in his head. Spread love and appreciation. Appreciating is not the same as "liking" something. So appreciate the fact that Justin Bieber has a good voice and some musical talent. I still personally dread listening to his music though. Cheers:)

four tet beat it within five mins, the last five mins is him jamming out.

the country riddim guy huh?

Four tet has a beautiful mind, the way he's putting these samples together is so unique

When he catches that melody at 5:50. That’s awesome!

reminds me of Steve Reich's 1966 tape piece "Come Out"

Its not about the equipment is about what you can do with that.

7/10 for the song 10/10 for creating this in 10 minutes

From MJ to dark, bleepy techno number in 10 minutes. Man has some skill. 8/10

Refreshing to see people with other great computer system manufacturers :)

When he's deeply involved he reminds me of L from Death Note

I'm BLOWN AWAY!!!!!!! GENIUS!!!

So good. Feels like it's straight out of mid-90s Chicago. Shades of Dance Mania and Relief Records... Love those old-school minimalist tracky bangers.

I love when he's done and plays it back and almost cracks a grin at 11:30 haha, good work Kieran.

we learned more in this video than the two years we've been subscribed to sonic academy.

10 minutes... it's now 22 years and 4 months I'm trying to refine that 1 bar Moog bass line!

out of context this track is pretty plain (drums are good) but I mean for 10 minutes work this is amazing stuff to get from Thriller to that. & not to mention all the pressure from cameras etc. 9/10 surely

Quietly better than most EDM tracks made over months with a dozen collaborators. Shows where the real talent lies

MASTER AT WORK

THIS REMINDS ME OF A TIME I WAS PLAYING SEGAS QUARTET

Funky as hell. Love it.

I love MJ and I can understand why people don't like what he did with the record but I actually quite like it, the whole abstract of it, and how he totally switched up the song and not made it into a typical Hip Hop sampled instrumental

He looks so tied but the groove is still there... Thank you four tet

That smile at 11:29 speaks for itself on that sick beat he has just laced.

this was amazing. This video led me to purchase 3 Four Tet albums

What a splendid piece of EDM!! The art of production is never to be underestimated, long live this music composer/producer, may he demonstrate good harmony in all he engages in!! Thanks for the tips on sampling 'Thriller' 🙂

The most inspiring thing about this was his studio. Solid speakers and soundcard with ableton but everything else non-conventional: windows, tiny screen, toy turntable, speakers not even aimed well. This is how making music should be approached. This really shows the wickedness of Ableton too. I thought the track was something I could make.

haha he doesn't even touch the keyboard for shortcuts. Clicking for days

this is great and inspirational. a very simple idea done extremely well.

This whole video is an amazing piece of art. I like the way the making of the song is a part of the song itself. Four Tet has the potential to be very prolific at a rate like this. Making a song from the Thriller record, and it coming out completely different and in his own style, genius!

I liked it at 4:58. He would have had more than half the time allowed to make this sound remarkable.

I think it's pretty safe to say that Four Tet could've made any number of things, some more melodic than others, for sure, but I believe his style these days drew him towards making something a little more dissonant/droney/deconstructed. I think the details of his process to construct that beat and some of the percussive sounds was a definite highlight for me to see!

Amazing what he does in 10 minutes. Really great.

2:48 you see Michael Jackson's ghost get up on the screen and leave.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS!!

King Kieran! Love this dude's music.

The king of riddim

"i gonna play it this weekend". wish I was there

I loved the creative process and it was dope!who cares how he makes his music...

So many kids on this comments board, if you know anything about sampling and daw's you whould know that creating things as original as Four Tet, takes YEARS!

I think it sounded alright up until 4 minutes. I wonder why he chose those samples to use? I'm mainly talking about the melodic parts of the track. The drums sound fantastic.

Good god! He didn't squash the shit out of the mix, add any noise sweeps, and there are no snare drums rolls indicating when the moment of prime enjoyment should begin. It obviously sucks!

Big love for the old Soundforge!

by the way, i think there are so many more sweet spots in the main atmospheric sample that he used. when auditioning it somehow he chose the worst snippet. some other parts actually remind me a lot of his albums.

Insane work ! 10 !

Thank you for all your well-considered ratings, they are much more insightful than seeing the creative process of a respected artist.

4:50 so amazing..... so raw..... i love it!

The Master At Work!

Undoubtedly he is proper talented, and it's pretty fucking impressive that he made this in 10 minutes using just a single record, a turntable and ableton. But it does sound crap.

Wow- thats incredible!

This is awesome

Un genio!! Sin más!!

Love the Terminator-themed iPhone screen cover.

Michael Jackson - Beat it (Four Tet remix), dude literally just crafted a banger in 10 mins with some random turntable and a laptop. Such creative sampling techniques need to try this out.

This vid is really fun. I love how grotty it starts to sound when he drops in the sample from P.Y.T at 6.30…

awesome... more please

This is 🔥

Those synthy sounds could have used a slight filter to make them more subtle but other than that, it was great for 10 mins. Love this dude.

I think it's sick, better than what I can do in ten minutes. Man has rad skills.

Talento puro.

Good for 10 minutes!

I think the music he made reflected the situation it was made in pretty well

When he first opens the door he looks like he hasn't slept in weeks haha

2:47 burial clearly visible in laptop

good lookin fuck. kinda looks like the guys in the thriller video. guy is living his thing.

I think this is a sweet tune, and he looks so chuffed with himself right at the very end :P

Why do people think this is bad? Its actually a really good beat.

two thumbs up for mouse only!!! true connoisseur - just shows that you dont need to buy into expensive entrepreneurial ideas to have a fun time making electronic tunes!!

four tet ! adorable!

i recognized myself doing shit with ableton during countless time

look at his monitor set up. either he set up this temporary studio just for this video or he gives not one single fuck

definitely some 8/9 moments in that, but the end was probably about a 7/10. still hugeeee respect to kh

I hope Four Tet one day looks well rested

dude didnt even touch his keyboard

legend

10 !! I love his expressions

Very cool technique, loved it, got to try it out when I get home. What kind of camera equipment is used to make this video? Loved the lens used here.

super!:-) but remember every time when perfomer go to the scene and show his magic in 10 minutes - behind that was hours, years, hours of experiments for get the masterpiece in that flow process

Does anyone know if Four yet actually played (or is going to play) this beat in his set? Id love to hear it! Such a pumping mini little track!

I love that be boosted the fuck out of that kick haha