ʅ͡͡͡͡͡͡͡͡͡͡͡(̸̢̛̼̞̭͋ͅ)̸͚̰͛̔̾̀̿͒͂:̴͓̞̑̌̂̆̊͋̀:̸͎̟̯̂̓̌ ҉ ͡ ͞ ͞ ͞ ҉● ࿀ ● ࿀ ● ҉⃝ ⃝͢ ͞ ͘ ͞⃝̕ ͢ ̛ ⃝ ̸ ̡ ͢⃝̧ ͡ ͡ ̀ ̧ ̢⃝͜ ҉ ͞ ͞ ⃝͞ ͞ ͡⃝ ⃝҉҈҉҈҉҈҉҈҉҈҉ :̶̢͙͙͕̠̩͆(̷̮͍͚̫͚͂̍)̵̳̗̊( ̟̞̝̜̙̘̗̖҉̵̴̨̧̢̡̼̻̺̹̳̲̱̰̯̮̭̬̫̪̩̦̥
What am I supposed to do with this?
It’s un-Googleable. Unpronounceable.
It doesn’t even render the same way on various platforms. It looks one way on YouTube Music. Another on Apple Music. And yet another on Bandcamp. Even the artist name ⣎⡇ꉺლ༽இ•̛)ྀ◞ ༎ຶ ༽ৣৢ؞ৢ؞ؖ ꉺლ is an unpronounceable series of glyphs that would make Prince shake his head.
So, from here on out, I’m just going to refer to ⣎⡇ꉺლ༽இ•̛)ྀ◞ ༎ຶ ༽ৣৢ؞ৢ؞ؖ ꉺლ by his more well-known alias, Four Tet, and the album as Wingdings. My apologies to Kieran Hebden for disregarding his intent, but I’ve got readers to consider.
Also, shoutout to subscriber morgannels for bringing this one to my attention in last week’s what are you listening to thread.
For years, Hebden has kept this alias somewhat of a secret. But now that this collection of wingdings has racked up millions of listens on services like Spotify, it’s get a more formal release with wingdings. Some of the tracks here have been released previously, including track five, which Fred Again dropped during his incredible Boiler Room set as “Feelings,” under one of Hebdens’ other aliases, KH.
Wingdings leans heavily towards Four Tet’s dancier outputs. And, despite what the project’s origins as some sort of secret b-side dumping ground might lead you to believe, these are not throwaways. They’re undeniable, infectious, and highly polished. Four Tet’s sense for sound design shines from crushed 8-bit drums to the hypnotic handpan grooves and sharp synth melodies.
While the songs are definitely groovy and danceable, they’re not high-octane rave-ups, for the most part. Instead, tracks like number seven build to a more ecstatic and spiritual climax as layers pile up and textures demand you turn your eyes towards the sky. Not unlike last week’s recommendation, Shall We Go On Sinning So That Grace May Increase?, Wingdings is a celebration. No, I might not drop the triphop-esque track one at the club, but it’s perfect for finding your groove while trying to write, or cleaning, or any other activity where you want good vibes and grooves.
Track two would feel more at home on a dance floor with its deep four-on-the-floor thump and plucked arpeggios that seem to be constantly climbing off into infinity as house hi-hats tick along. Track three blends metallic gamelan-inspired melodies and ultradeep EDM wubs, while track eight is beautiful comedown ambiance.