Where do you go after hearing the worst song in recent memory?

Both halves of this father and son duo were faced with such a harrowing question after some less-than-pleasant Dad hate last week for the (almost) universally likable Mac Demarco, but the answer seemed kind of clear coming into this week. Most would go for a more innocuous, pleasantly digestible song to cleanse the palette, but for us a twenty minute ambient/electronic track sounded right.

Our editor recommended London’s Four Tet as our first foray into electronic with this column, specifically suggesting either song from this year’s forty minute/two track LP Morning/Evening. Preceding Morning/Evening, Kieran Hebden has built his status as one of the most influential figures in “outsider house” and IDM (intelligent dance music) over Four Tet’s eight LPs, but the music he creates is never as imposing as his genre tags suggest.

With remixes of artists ranging from Aphex Twin to Andrew Bird, his aim is widespread community and, if album titles such as Everything Esctatic and There Is Love In You are any indication, his intent is entirely benevolent. As far as choosing “Evening Side” goes, the basic hope for my dad was that it would, as our editor worded it, “unintentionally chill him out even if he thinks it won’t at first.” At least at the end of this week’s chat, he didn’t want to drown a guy in the ocean, so mission accomplished?

#6 – Four Tet’s “Evening Side”

Tim: So how far through it did you get? All twenty minutes?

Dad: I’ve listened to it three times.

Tim: What?!

Dad: What? What’s wrong with that?

It’s almost 20 minutes! I would’ve figured you would’ve maybe listened, like, once tops!

Well, like you said in the email, it’s background music. You don’t just solely listen to it.

But was it enjoyable?

Yes, I liked it! It was definitely, like I said, played when I was working on something, but I noticed it was almost like several songs rolled up into one. First part was like ping-pong music, then it became kind of like Indian music with the girl chanting…

Wait, what the hell is ping pong music?!

Then it was a college marching band, so it had a lot of styles merged into one. I especially like the last five or eight minutes with the marching band. It was kinda like Brian Eno on steroids.

I thought you’d like this for the ambient qualities of it, so I’m glad you picked up on that. Brian Eno was like your first entrance into ambient/electronic music, right?

Yes, absolutely. Later on, I got into more stuff like Eno called New Age music, but I don’t think they call it that anymore. It was called that for a while in the ‘80s.

What are some other new age artists I should try?

The one part in this song where she starts chanting, it reminded me of this Sting song. I can’t think of the name. He had this world influence sometimes, Sting did. Isn’t this Four Tots guy British?

Four Tet, Dad. And yep, from London. I don’t even know where Sting’s from actually.

Yeah, he’s from England too. And you got a lot of influences flying around there in London, not just white guys playing soft rock. There’s a lot of Indian music and culture there, so it makes sense in this song. I’m still on the marching band part though… it was kinda like “Tusk”. You know “Tusk”? You hear that in this?

Yeah, of course! I grew up on Fleetwood Mac. Wouldn’t have thought of that though! They kinda merged a pop chorus with a marching band on “Tusk”, whereas I wouldn’t have thought this song was trying to have a chorus.

Sure, but the marching drum beat was an integral part to both. I was actually tapping my foot to it in this song, so it’s just naturally catchy.

Four Tet is considered electronic and, to some, post-dubstep. You know dubstep, right?

Not at all, I don’t know dubstep. Lemme look it up.

[goes on Wikipedia for a few minutes, muttering words occasionally]

Skrillex… I’ve never heard that name before. Wait, what’s post rock?
Like Explosions in the Sky. Remember them?

Oh yeah, I forgot about them actually! I like them! I don’t know any of the bands on this guy’s Wikipedia other than Explosions, Black Sabbath, and Radiohead. Like, Bonobo, Super Furry Animals, Andrew Bird, Aphex Twin…

Oh man, Aphex Twin is, like, one of the most respected electronic composers of all time. You’d absolutely hate it. After this song though, describe what you think electronic music is?

See, I’ve heard electronic music that’s just a bunch of noise. Other times, it has some melodies and you know me; I’m a big melody guy. A lot of the time, it’s just banging on a synth though. Like, your m83 guy…

Tread carefully…

No diss! I’m not dissing m83! God, I’d break your heart in half if I did that. m83 does melodies well is all I was going to say. He makes it interesting with layers and so does this guy, but in a different way.

Okay, you’re spared; I’m sorry. Final verdict on Four Tet?

I’d like to hear more. Two thumbs up from the father!

Better than last week’s selection, [Mac Demarco’s Another One]?
Oh man, it’s like going from brussel sprouts to chocolate cake.