ʅ͡͡͡͡͡͡͡͡͡͡͡(̸̢̛̼̞̭͋ͅ)̸͚̰͛̔̾̀̿͒͂:̴͓̞̑̌̂̆̊͋̀:̸͎̟̯̂̓̌ ҉ ͡ ͞ ͞ ͞ ҉● ࿀ ● ࿀ ● ҉⃝ ⃝͢ ͞ ͘ ͞⃝̕ ͢ ̛ ⃝ ̸ ̡ ͢⃝̧ ͡ ͡ ̀ ̧ ̢⃝͜ ҉ ͞ ͞ ⃝͞ ͞ ͡⃝ ⃝҉҈҉҈҉҈҉҈҉҈҉ :̶̢͙͙͕̠̩͆(̷̮͍͚̫͚͂̍)̵̳̗̊( ̟̞̝̜̙̘̗̖҉̵̴̨̧̢̡̼̻̺̹̳̲̱̰̯̮̭̬̫̪̩̦̥
Seriously, what is anyone supposed to do with a title like this?
You can’t search it. You can’t say it out loud. Good luck trying to recommend it to a friend without sending a direct link.
Even the way it appears changes depending on where you find it. YouTube Music displays one version, Apple Music renders another, and Bandcamp turns it into something slightly different again. The artist credit — ⣎⡇ꉺლ༽இ•̛)ྀ◞ ༎ຶ ༽ৣৢ؞ৢ؞ؖ ꉺლ — is another impossible-to-pronounce cluster of symbols, the kind of typographic curveball that might make even Prince pause.
So for everyone’s sanity, we’re going to call ⣎⡇ꉺლ༽இ•̛)ྀ◞ ༎ຶ ༽ৣৢ؞ৢ؞ؖ ꉺლ by the name most listeners already know: Four Tet. And this album, for practical purposes, is Wingdings. Apologies to Kieran Hebden for sidestepping the intended mystery, but readability has to win sometimes.
Credit where it’s due as well: subscriber morgannels flagged this release in last week’s “what are you listening to” thread.
Hebden has kept this symbol-heavy Four Tet alias operating in the shadows for years, but the project has hardly stayed obscure. After gathering millions of streams on platforms including Spotify, the material is now receiving a more official rollout with wingdings. Some cuts will already be familiar to close followers: track five previously surfaced when Fred Again played it during his standout Boiler Room set as “Feelings,” released under Hebden’s KH alias.
Wingdings sits firmly in the club-facing side of Four Tet’s catalog. But don’t mistake its history as a semi-secret stash of loose tracks for a sign that these are leftovers. The music is sharp, magnetic, and fully formed, with Hebden’s production instincts coming through in everything from gritty 8-bit percussion to trance-like handpan patterns and bright, cutting synth lines.
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.
