Four Tet — Essential Mix 2018
Indie House · 1h 58m · analysed 19 Aug 2026
About this indie house set
Essential Mix 2018 is a indie house DJ set by Four Tet, running 1h 58m. It was measured by the SOONOS multi-agent engine and scores 87/100 overall — festival ready.
The engine files this performance as “Promising”.
The DJ's ability to maintain a hypnotic state while constantly evolving the rhythmic landscape is a hallmark of professional mastery.
How the score breaks down
SOONOS scores this set across 5 weighted categories. The strongest is IDENTITY at 93/100; the weakest is SURPRISE at 85/100.
The final score is capped by measured -: the DSP layer overrides the listening layer whenever it measures an execution issue directly in the audio.
Analysis coverage for this file is 100% — the share of the set the engine could measure with full confidence.
Energy and structure
The energy curve was sampled at 58 points, moving between 20 and 92 on the SOONOS energy scale — a wide dynamic range across the set.
8 transitions were detected and scored individually.
Beat-grid measurement (DSP) reports 743.2 grid breaks per hour, with a median beat offset of 23 ms.
Full SOONOS analysis
The DJ's ability to maintain a hypnotic state while constantly evolving the rhythmic landscape is a hallmark of professional mastery.
The 8 dimensions
Score breakdown
TECHNIQUE
How well did you execute?
25%86
TECHNIQUE
How well did you execute?
STORYTELLING
Did the mix go somewhere?
25%91
STORYTELLING
Did the mix go somewhere?
ENERGY
Did you control the room?
20%88
ENERGY
Did you control the room?
SURPRISE
Did you remain unpredictable?
15%85
SURPRISE
Did you remain unpredictable?
IDENTITY
Did the mix sound like you?
15%93
IDENTITY
Did the mix sound like you?
Final score capped by measured execution (-) — weighted average was 89.
Energy arc
Transitions analysed (8)
perfect
minor
strategic_disruption
noticeable
intentional_reset
Long EQ blend, low-end swap on phrase
Seamless transition that maintains the rolling groove.
Percussive layering with high-pass filter
Effective use of filtering to introduce new elements without cluttering the mix.
EQ swap with atmospheric pad overlap
Smooth transition that introduces a darker mood while maintaining energy.
Extended EQ blend with low-end swap
Perfectly executed long blend where the incoming kick replaces the outgoing one without a single phase issue.
Harmonic layering
The tracks are perfectly in key, creating a new musical composition during the 64-bar overlap.
Technical subscores
88
EQ balance
94
Beat alignment
89
Energy control
94
Tempo stability
86
Loudness control
92
Musical coherence
91
Harmonic compatibility
90
Transition cleanliness
Measured (DSP)
22.7 ms
Beat-grid drift (median)
218.6 ms
Drift p95
7,059
Boundaries detected
25
Hard cuts / h
43
Clipping events
684
Level jumps
Measurement confidence 100% · analysed on the full audio.
Recurring patterns
Long static loops (6×)
Sections sitting on the same loop without layering, EQ moves or tension shifts (14:00, 22:00, 39:00, 45:00, 47:00, 51:45). Long loops kill dancefloor momentum.
What SOONOS heard
- Tension management
- Percussive layering
- Narrative consistency
Timeline
- 9:55Risky pressure or vibe dip
- 15:50Atmospheric Shift
- 19:30Tension Peak
- 30:05Emotional Peak
Coaching notes
- Continue to explore the use of silence and breakdowns to provide contrast to the relentless groove.
- Experiment with subtle melodic motifs to add another layer of narrative depth.
- Maintain the high level of technical precision during complex percussive layering.
- Continue exploring the use of non-musical samples to enhance the narrative.
- Maintain the long, evolving transition style as it is a key part of your signature.
- Consider introducing a very brief, high-impact percussive element to occasionally startle the listener out of the hypnosis.
- Experiment with more dramatic EQ cuts to create sudden moments of space.
- Introduce a track with a strong vocal or melodic hook to provide a focal point.
- Try a slightly more aggressive transition style in the final peak segment.
Curious how your own set scores?
Questions about this analysis
- What score does Four Tet's Essential Mix 2018 get?
- Essential Mix 2018 scores 87/100 in the SOONOS Mix Database (festival ready), based on audio measurement plus multi-agent listening.
- How long is Essential Mix 2018?
- The analysed recording runs 1h 58m.
- Which part of the mix scores best?
- IDENTITY is the strongest category at 93/100, while SURPRISE is the lowest at 85/100.
- How is this score calculated?
- SOONOS measures the audio with a DSP pass (beat grid, loudness, tempo, energy) and runs a multi-agent listening pass on top. Measured axes always override the listening layer, so an execution issue heard in the file caps the final score.
More Four Tet sets analysed
- KH Essential Mix 202288
- Lost Village 25th August 201883
- Return to Plastic People (September 2010) AKA FACT mix 18283
- Under The K Bridge - Brooklyn, NY 5th May 202482
- Lost Village 28th August 202181
- Much Love To The Plastic People (DJ mix December 2009)80
- Lost Village 23rd August 202579
- Zenith Paris 24th January 202675
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